YEOVIL ART GROUP EXHIBITION

26 July 2025

REPORT ON THE ART EXHIBITION STAGED AT DIGBY MEMORIAL HALL, Sherborne
on 26th and 27th July 2025.
At 10.30 a.m. on Saturday 26th of July, Yeovil Art Group opened the Digby Memorial Hall to
visitors. Inside the hall were some 96 lovely paintings, some framed, some only mounted,
painted by members of the Group. Also on display on a central table were several attractive
ceramic animals, made by Yvonne Shayler and correspondence cards by Liz Webster and
Yvonne, always popular. Ceramics were hot sellers, with dogs, a rabbit and a hare selling
quickly.
Paintings were exhibited in all media to a high standard, with framing and presentation good.
The Group’s own exhibition stands were used and there were four folio display stands to
pick through. Digby Memorial Hall has plenty of space and light, with the amenities and
equipment supplied to enable a grand display.
Paintings were sold by Faye Edmondson, Fran Lancaster, Christine Smith, Jacquie Clough
and Liz Webster.
The café, where visitors could relax with a cup of tea or coffee and a delicious slice of home-
made cake, was popular. All cakes were baked and served by members. ‘Pre-loved’ art
equipment and supplies donated by members were sold for whatever buyers wished to give,
raising a good amount for the Art Group’s coffers and clearing out the storage cupboard for a
while!.
Every visitor was asked to vote for their favourite painting, a task which some said they
found almost impossible. However, a total of 186 votes were cast, including 13 by YAG
members visiting the exhibition. This fairly closely reflected the number of visitors, although
a few did manage to evade us!
The exhibition continued on Sunday, the first time we have held an exhibition on a Sunday
and probably the last. This proved to be far less busy than Saturday and probably reflects
the fact that it was the last day of the Sherborne Art Group’s major exhibition in the other
Digby Hall at the top of town, plus ‘something going on’ in the Abbey and major football
matches on the TV in the afternoon! However, the visitors we did have on Sunday enjoyed
the exhibition and several stayed for tea! There were demonstrations of watercolour
painting by Sue and Katy Wilde and Acrylics by Yvonne Shayler.
Editorial publicity appeared in several local publications and radio stations were notified.
A-boards were set up in the street and road signs on two approach roads appeared early on
Saturday!
The café worked like clockwork, thanks to our helpers – and of course to the cake bakers,
for their delicious offerings. We owe huge thanks to those who transported the stands from
Birchfield to Sherborne and back, those who placed posters and signs and those who helped
to erect the stands and hang the paintings. They have our heartfelt thanks for their much-
appreciated support – a real team! (They all know who they were…!)
VOTES FOR THE FAVOURITE PAINTING OF THE EXHIBITION. Only a few visitors
managed to evade my eagle eye. My threat of a “slow death” if they did not return the
loaned pens was fortunately amusedly received and resulted in the return of all but two pens.

Vote Results:
The winner of the Members’ Vote will be awarded the Queenie Thompson Perpetual
Memorial Trophy and a £10 voucher. The winner of the Popular Vote will be awarded
the Art Group of Yeovil’s Perpetual Millennium Tray and a £10 voucher. Presentations
will be made at the start of the next term, which is on1st. September.
The winner of the Members’ Vote was Katy Wilde, with her amazing painting of a Caiman
(Crocodilus family, found in South America), which received 2 votes and shared the honours
with her arresting painting of an Owl. Katy will be awarded the Memorial Trophy.

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