HISTORY AND AIMS OF THE SUFFOLK GROUP
The Suffolk Group was formed in 1990 by a small group of art school lecturers and other artists, including:
Mike Kelly, Richard Scott, Charles Bartlett, Richard Bawden, Bernard Cheese, Olwen Jones, Claire Lambert, Elaine Nason, Ian Simpson, Valerie Thornton, Joan Ward,
TW Ward, Mary Warsop.
Its aims - which still apply today - were to put on exhibitions of a high standard and to provide opportunities for mutual support.
This includes an Annual Summer Exhibition in Aldeburgh, some Winter Exhibitions and others inspired by a gallery or an idea. The group sometimes invites a distinguished âGuest Exhibitorâ' or a local 'Invited Artist' to exhibit alongside us. Between 2004 and 2017 we put on an Annual Lecture which offered members and interested parties bonhomie and an eclectic range of food for thought.
The group's size is maintained at around twenty, with new members judiciously selected to sustain its values and a balanced range of contemporary work.
EXHIBITIONS AND LECTURES
1991
1st Annual Exhibition at Buckenham House, Southwold (opened by Ronald Blythe)
Special exhibition at Boundary Gallery
1992
2nd Annual Summer exhibition at Wherry Quay, Ipswich
1993
3rd Annual Summer exhibition at Peter Pears Gallery, Aldeburgh
1994
4th Annual Summer exhibition at Peter Pears
1st Winter exhibition at Buckenham House
1995
5th Annual Summer exhibition at Peter Pears
2nd Winter exhibition at Buckenham House
1996
Special Exhibition at Heffers, Cambridge
6th Annual Summer exhibition at Peter Pears
3rd Winter Exhibition at Buckenham House
1997
7th Annual Summer exhibition at Peter Pears
Special exhibition at Taplin Gallery, Woodbridge
4th Winter exhibition at Buckenham House
1998
Stansted Airport exhibition at Artists Gallery, Ipswich
8th Annual Summer exhibition at Peter Pears
5th Winter exhibition at Artists Gallery, Ipswich
1999
9th Annual Summer exhibition at Peter Pears
6th Winter exhibition at Buckenham Galleries, Southwold
2000
10th Annual Summer exhibition at Peter Pears Gallery
Guest Exhibitor Margaret Mellis; opened by Ronald Blythe
2001
Special exhibition at Gainsborough"s House, Sudbury
Small summer exhibition at Reade's gallery, Aldeburgh (due to admin. error at Peter Pears)
Ipswich Docks exhibition at D"Arcy Gallery, Ipswich, with other invited artists
2002
11th Annual Summer exhibition at Peter Pears, Aldeburgh
Guest exhibitor and opening speaker Maggi Hambling
7th Winter exhibition at Pond Gallery, Snape Maltings
2003
12th Annual Summer exhibition at Peter Pears
Guest exhibitor Mary Fedden; opening speaker Mel Gooding (her biographer)
8th Winter Exhibition: âReflections on Snapeâ at Pond Gallery, Snape
Selected Ipswich Docks images at Ipswich Library
2004
13th Annual Summer exhibiton at Peter Pears (including the work of five late members)
Inaugural Annual Lecture by Richard Scott: the Suffolk Group, its birth and progress
9th Winter exhibition at Pond Gallery, Snape Maltings
2005
14th Annual Summer exhibition at Peter Pears
Guest exhibitor John Loker
Lecture by Tim Hunkin
10th Winter exhibition at Pond Gallery, Snape Maltings
2006
15th Annual Summer exhibition at Peter Pears Gallery, Aldeburgh
Guest Exhibitor James Dodds
Lecture by Martin Newell (poet): Seagulls blown off course: my work with James Dodds
11th Winter âsmall worksâ exhibition at Aldeburgh Gallery
2007
"New Cuts" at The Cut gallery, Halesworth (exploratory works by 16 members)
16th Annual Summer Exhibition at Peter Pears
Guest exhibitor Bruer Tidman
Lecture by artist and author Ian Simpson: Learning to draw
12th Winter âsmall worksâ exhibition at Aldeburgh Gallery with invited artist James Hutchinson
2008
17th Annual Summer Exhibition at Peter Pears
Guest Exhibitor Francis Bowyer, who also delivered the 5th Annual Lecture
13th Winter âsmall worksâ exhibition at Aldeburgh Gallery with invited artist Mark Fuller
2009
18th Annual Exhibition at Peter Pears
Guest Exhibitor John Edwards.
Lecture by Jack Stephenson on Sickert
2010
19th Annual Exhibition at Peter Pears
Guest Exhibitor Chris Wormell, illustrator (eg for Adnams) and author of childrenâs books.
Lecture by Chris Wormell on the development of his work & career.
2011
20th Annual Exhibition at Peter Pears
Guest Exhibitor (& former Suffolk Group member) Richard Bawden.
Lecture by John Craig: Working to Order: 60 years in the applied arts
2012
21st Annual Exhibition at Peter Pears
Guest Exhibitor Sargy Mann, who also gave the 9th Lecture: Confessions of a blind painter
2013
22nd Annual Exhibition at Peter Pears
Guest Exhibitor Brian Taylor (sculptor)
Lecture by Jack Stephenson on Richard Diebenkorn
2014
23rd Annual Exhibition at Peter Pears
Guest Exhibitor John McLean
2015
25th Annual Exhibition at Peter Pears
Lecture by Jack Stephenson: the Royal College of Art and the Suffolk Group
(NB The apparent lack of a 24th Annual Exhibition is probably accounted for by the unexpected unavailability of Peter Pears in 2001, after which we wanted the number to continue to reflect the age of the group)
2016
6th Annual Exhibition at Peter Pears
Lecture by John Christie (who was also our Guest Exhibitor): Lapwing & Fox: working with John Berger
2017
27th Annual Exhibition at Peter Pears
Lecture by Jack Stephenson: The expressive potential of paint
2018
28th Annual Exhibition at Peter Pears with invited artist Alfie Carpenter
2019
29th Annual Exhibition at Peter Pears with invited artist Jennifer Hall
Small Works exhibition by 15 members at Artspace Gallery, Woodbridge
2020
30th Annual Exhibition at Peter Pears Gallery postponed due to Covid
Richard Scott died on 13 March
2021
Small Works exhibition at Artspace, Woodbridge 16 ? 21 April
Gareth Jones died on 19 September
Moss Fuller died on 26 October
2022
13 from the Suffolk Group at Artspace, Woodbridge 29 April – 4 May
30th Annual Exhibition 6-11 September at the Ballroom Gallery Aldeburgh (previously Peter Pears Gallery), including paintings by and a memorial to founder-member Richard Scott.