

INTERESTED IN JOINING US?
Painting could be your hobby or profession. You are someone who is – like most of us – trying to improve your skills and maybe learn new techniques. You don’t have to show your work to anyone to join. The subscription to join us from September 2022 will be £130 payable from 1 September 2022. This covers a full year's membership. Summer painting sessions cost an additional £5.00 per session, payable on the day by those participating.
For membership and general enquiries, please contact Barbara on:- 01892 610529
or email:- cragchair@gmail.com
WHO ARE WE?
We are a small friendly group of local artists. Popularly known as CRAG (Crowborough & Rotherfield Art Group) we are the oldest Art Group in Crowborough. Founded in 1954, we have been meeting on a regular basis ever since, currently every Friday morning throughout the year, but with a break during May, Christmas and New Year periods.
Due to space restrictions, our membership is capped at around 40 but we currently have a small number of vacancies for people wishing to join us. We look for new members who enjoy painting, who want to improve their techniques and are willing and able to help with events like our annual exhibition. We meet in Rotherfield during Autumn and Spring and in Crowborough during the Summer. We fund our activities by an annual subscription.
WHAT THE GROUP DOES
All CRAG activities are organised by volunteers from within the membership and there is a Committee managing the Group’s expenditure and programme.
Starting from late September through to the end of April we meet on Friday mornings between 9.30 and 1.00 pm at the Rotherfield Village Hall for what we call ‘Studio’ sessions. These sessions comprise an organised programme of invited professional artists/tutors demonstrating how they paint and talking about their techniques. We usually follow these with workshops where we try out those techniques with some coaching from the tutor. Participation is optional and members are free to work on their own projects or in their own media – there is plenty of flexibility. This is usually a very full programme, with over 20 weeks of artist demonstrations and workshops, life drawing and some free sessions to finish work started in workshops. Please see the Programme page for more details.
Coffee or tea is made for us mid morning and the cost is £1.00 per session, payable on the day. Group members are expected to help set up the hall with tables and chairs and to help clear it all away at the end of each session.
During June through to early September, our Summer Painting sessions meet in the Crowborough Community Centre. These are informal sessions where we meet and work on our own drawing and painting.
Our most recent exhibition of paintings was held on 30 April 2022 at All Saints Hall, Chapel Green, near Crowborough town centre. You can find some photographs from our past exhibitions in the "News and Events" page. Due to high costs, we will not be holding another exhibition until 2024.
We also like to organize an annual summer garden party.