A shared love and curiosity for the arts

We promote the advancement of arts education and appreciation and support the preservation of our artistic heritage by offering a range of activities for people who share our interests in the arts

• a monthly series of hour-long, lavishly illustrated lectures from expert speakers
• study days giving in-depth insights
• visits and cultural tours in the UK and abroad
• volunteer opportunities
• chances for socialising with like-minded people

We meet on the third Monday of the month, September to June, at 2:00pm at the Blackwell Grange Hotel in Darlington and warmly welcome visitors and new members to join us.

The programme for 2026/27 ranges across

• art forms from painting and wood carving to sculpture and architecture
• time periods from the world of the Bayeux Tapestry to David Hockney's digital drawings
• the world, from England, Spain and Italy to India and the USA 

Visits include

• an overseas tour to Andalucia in October
• a virtual tour of MOMA New York in January

An annual subscription costs £72 (10 lectures plus The Arts Society Magazine).  All talks, except January’s, are hybrid (either in the room at Blackwell Grange or at home via Zoom).  Visitors are welcome (£10 per lecture).  We attract members from throughout our patch, from Durham and Sunderland to Richmond and beyond, the length of Teesdale and down to the coast.  If you share our curiosity and want to expand your knowledge of the arts, come and join us.

More details in the Events and News boxes below and attached   >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >