HISTORY OF BANKSTOWN ART SOCIETY

Prior to Bankstown Art Society a group of like minded local residents gathered to from what they called the, The Bankstown Art Group It was little known but ran quietly from 1953 to 1957. It was very informal and no records were ever kept and it eventually disappeared, but not quite without trace. While it was running it met in an upper room of the old Capitol Hall. They held at least one exhibition, and in a Bankstown of the fifties they considered themselves modern enough to have life drawing classes, the models having to be escorted from the railway station.

Then in 1958, John Santry of the Workers Education Association ran a sixteen week Practical Art Course in the Bankstown Congregational Church Hall on Greenfield Pde which of course is no longer there. In the mid thirties the Church Hall was used as a preschool.

Several of the artists from the disbanded Bankstown Art Group attended these classes as students. On completion of the course, some of the Students wished to continue painting, so following publicity in the local news papers, a meeting was convened iv the 6 th August 1958 and with 16 members the Bankstown Art Society came to life. At the first meeting the following office bearers were elected, President Mr Ronald Peters Secretary Mrs M Allen, Treasurer Mrs Vera Sheridan and a Mr jack Johnson was appointed as the first Tutor. They held their first exhibition in November 1959, again in the Congregational Church Hall. The very first painting sold by Bankstown Art Society was “Mudgee Landscape” by artist Ronald Peters.

Ronald Peters resigned as president after only 3 months following a disagreement with some committee members. He wanted to keep art to them. For many years the Society conducted their weekly classes and held their meeting in the Scout Hall in the Appian Way, Where in 1964 they held an open night for the pupils to view works executed in classes and at various painting excursion. During these years the Society gradually consolidated, holding regular exhibitions and receiving increasing support from Council. Many exhibitions were held in council establishment, open air exhibitions in commercial venues, such as Bankstown Square.