Christine Brandon introduces the Dulwich Decorative and Fine Arts Society.
Marianne North, flower painting
I’ve always had a passing interest in art, so last year I joined Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society (DDFAS, as it’s known). Understanding art can be difficult, but you learn so much from DDFAS events, which are both entertaining and stimulating. I know it’s a cliché, but it’s a real journey of discovery.
If you haven’t come across DDFAS before, it’s a local society promoting interest in the decorative and fine arts through lectures, study days and visits. The 2009-2010 programme is on the website www.ddfas.org.uk.
DDFAS is a friendly informal group and membership is open to everyone. It is affiliated to the National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS), which has 90,000 members in the UK.
The theme for the coming season is aspects of cultural transfer – how nations absorb art and design influences from other civilisations. The monthly lectures take place from October to July on the second Thursday of the month in JAGS’ sixth form lecture theatre at 8pm, with coffee and biscuits from 7.30pm. This season there’s everything from the interiors of British Raj homes to Vietnamese painting and the French connection; from Mexican art and culture to the social history of dance.
The autumn study day will examine the legacy of Marianne North – a remarkable Victorian artist who travelled the globe to satisfy her passion for painting the world’s flora – on the art collection at Kew Gardens.
To receive a programme and membership pack, email membership@ddfas.org.uk or call Carolyn Reeves on 020 8673 8499. Individual subscription is £30 p.a., £56 for couples/families and £11 for students. If you’d like to try us out first, temporary members can attend lectures for £7 (£1 for students).
