Launceston Art Society: A Legacy of Creativity

Starting as the Launceston Drawing Club, LAS held its inaugural exhibition on November 19, 1891, in the offices of Ritchie and Parkers on St John Street, Launceston. Although numerous art societies emerged in the 1880s and 1890s, only LAS has endured. During a time when art education was just beginning, the Society played a crucial role in expanding the variety of art accessible to the local community.

 

Since its inception, many renowned Australian artists have showcased their work with the Society, while prominent Tasmanian educators have supported LAS through exhibitions, judging, and committee involvement. Notable figures include Mary Greig, our first president, Louisa Swan, Lucien Dechaineaux, Laura Dean, Jack Carrington Smith, Dorothy Stoner, Robert Campbell, Mildred Lovett, Vern Hodgman, Hope Evershed, Geoff Tyson, and Alan McIntyre.

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Milestones and Achievements

In 1932, when QVMAG sought to purchase Tasmanian art with funds from the Mary Nichol's Bequest, the chosen works came from a special exhibition of LAS members. Additionally, from 1927 to 1929, LAS successfully raised funds to restore John Glover’s grave at Deddington. In 1927, the renowned Madame Nellie Melba visited Launceston to perform a concert and inaugurate a loan exhibition of early Tasmanian art organized by LAS.

 

The highly successful LAS Centenary Exhibition took place in 1991 at Chalmer’s Church on St John Street, featuring over 300 exhibits. Jill Ferrall authored a history of our society in 1976 (Northern Regional Library- Reference Section), and QVMAG published "The Launceston Art Society in Retrospect 1891 - 1983," researched by Barbara Chapman and her team.

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Our Members

Today, many of our current members hold formal art degrees, diplomas, and certificates, with several having solo exhibitions and displaying their work in venues across the State. Over the years, many members have received accolades at the Tasmanian Art Awards at Eskleigh, the Royal Launceston Show, Max Fry Rotary Exhibition, the Trust Bank, Wrest Point, Burnie, and other art awards, as well as being finalists in the esteemed Glover Prize. Although LAS has always had a large membership of amateur painters, it has successfully maintained a balance between professional artists and aspiring young creatives.

 

LAS has operated from various locations, including Ritchie's Mill, Eskleigh, and the Launceston RSL, where the LAS currently has it’s studio.