The Arts Society Tring Park

27/03/2026

A Celebration of Nature: Antoni Gaudi and other Catalan Architects by Dr Jacqueline Cockburn on
Wednesday 8 April 2026:

This lecture shows how Antoni Gaudi engaged with nature in the most innovative and extraordinary ways in his architecture in Barcelona. Inspired by honeycombs and spiders’ webs, armadillo skins and mushrooms, trees and whales’ bellies, he worked with extraordinary ceramicists, iron workers, tilers and decorative artists. However, it will also be the aim of this lecture to uncover two of the other architects working in Barcelona over the turn of the twentieth century; Domenech y Montaner and Puig y Cadafalch.

We are a friendly local society, enjoying all aspects of the arts. Our aim is to increase our knowledge and enjoyment of the decorative and visual arts and broaden our acquaintance with people of similar interests.

If you wish to attend as a guest please contact us via the website Contact Form. There is a charge of £8 payable by cheque or cash on the door.

Each year we arrange several exciting visits to places of cultural significance. These include buildings of architectural or historical interest, gardens, art galleries and museums, some of which may only be available for group bookings.

Additional details of forthcoming activities can be found under ‘Programme of Lectures and Visits’ on the website: http://www.theartssocietytringpark.org.uk [The cost of visits are in addition to the Membership fee of £55 p.a.]

We meet at Berkhamsted Civic Centre on the second Wednesday of the month at 10:30a.m.

03/03/2026

How to get Down from a Yak: Adventures in Central Asian Nomadic Textiles with Chris Aslan on Wednesday 11 March 2026.

Houses made from wool that warm in the depths of winter, carpets that tell stories, woven bands that appease ancestors, embroideries that ward off evil, and kilims that store kitchenware, with everything ready to be packed and carried on yak, or camel at a moment’s notice; the little-known nomadic textile cultures of the Kyrgyz, Turkoman and Karakalpak are explored in this lecture, along with the rise and fall of nomadism and where nomadism fits within the modern world. Chris also shares his own experience of working with nomadic yak herders in the High Pamirs for three years.

We are a friendly local society, enjoying all aspects of the arts. Our aim is to increase our knowledge and enjoyment of the decorative and visual arts and broaden our acquaintance with people of similar interests.

If you wish to attend as a guest please contact us via the website Contact Form. There is a charge of £8 payable by cheque or cash on the door.

Each year we arrange several exciting visits to places of cultural significance. These include buildings of architectural or historical interest, gardens, art galleries and museums, some of which may only be available for group bookings.

Additional details of forthcoming activities can be found under ‘Programme of Lectures and Visits’ on the website: http://www.theartssocietytringpark.org.uk [The cost of visits are in addition to the Membership fee of £55 p.a.]

We meet at Berkhamsted Civic Centre on the second Wednesday of the month at 10:30a.m.

08/02/2026

Join us on Wednesday 11 February at 10.30am to hear from Emma Johnson about The Roots of Jazz at Berkhamsted Civic Centre on the High Street.

Non-members and guests who would like to attend need to let us know due to limited space. Please contact: [email protected]. Entry cost for non-members is £8. Additional information is available at https://theartssocietytringpark.org.uk

New Orleans at the end of the 19th century was a busy port welcoming ships and sailors from all over the world bringing with them many diverse styles of music. It was also one of the few places in America where the music of the slave population was openly enjoyed by black and white communities alike. In this Creole crucible it was not long before such a kaleidoscope of musical traditions would come together, react, and evolve into an exciting new music, namely jazz. This talk looks at the part African Blues and Cakewalk, American Classical and Vaudeville, Latin American Dance, and Middle Eastern Klezmer all played in the story of jazz.

Emma Johnson:
With 30 CDs to her name, Emma Johnson is one of the few clarinettists to have performed as a soloist all over the world. She also enjoys giving talks about music - Woodwind Wizardry and The Poet John Milton were both broadcast by BBC radio and she has lectured about composers Gerald Finzi and Malcolm Arnold for the internet company Tonebase, as well as about Schubert and Brahms for Martin Randall Travel.

Johnson studied Music and English at Pembroke College, Cambridge University, where she was the first woman to be made an Honorary Fellow. She was honoured by the Queen with an M.B.E. in 1996.

Her charity, the Emma Johnson Music Foundation, gives workshops in primary schools to introduce children to instrumental music.

08/01/2026

Join us on Wednesdsay 14 January at 10.30am to hear from Mrs Anna Warrilow at our first talk of 2026 on the History of the City of London as told through its Stained Glass. You can find out more on our website here:

https://www.theartssocietytringpark.org.uk/Lectures/FutureLectures.aspx

If you are not a member and would like to attend as a guest please drop us an email via the contact form on our website. The cost will be £8 per person if you're not a member. The location is the Civic Centre in Berkhamsted.

The Arts Society Tring Park

03/12/2025

What’s New for The Arts Society – Tring Park
Art is not all about paintings – The Arts Society, Tring Park offers insights into so much more. Join like-minded people and make new friends!

Consider joining our society in 2026 as we have an exciting lecture schedule and a varied programme of visits from Spring to Autumn.

Starting with The History of London as told through its stained glass, we move on to How to get Down from a Yak: Adventures in Central Asian Nomadic Textiles.

Antoni Gaudi’s unique architecture and Norse mythology and art will be explored and secrets will be revealed in Behind the Scenes: Curating the Museum. The Subtle Art of Spin and Propaganda in Art from the glories of Ancient Mesopotamia to the dark days of N**i Germany. For full programme details and information on how to join the Arts Society visit the website: www.theartssocietytringpark.org.uk

We are a friendly local society, enjoying all aspects of the arts. Our aim is to increase our knowledge and enjoyment of the decorative and visual arts and broaden our acquaintance with people of similar interests.

If you wish to attend as a guest please contact us via the website Contact Form using the link above. There is a charge of £8 payable by cheque or cash on the door.

We meet at Berkhamsted Civic Centre on the second Wednesday of the month at 10:30a.m.

12/09/2024

Great lecture yesterday with Ralph Hoyle! October 9th lecture discusses the Top 20 Most Popular Paintings in Britain today with Ray Warburton. Will you be able to guess which is number 1?!!

28/03/2024

Our primary activity is our monthly lecture programme on a wide range of the arts, for example: jewellery, sculpture, painting, ceramics, music; in fact any and all decorative and fine arts.

Each year we arrange several exciting visits to places of cultural significance, usually by coach from Tring Rugby Club. These include buildings of architectural or historical interest, gardens, art galleries and museums, some of which may only be available for group bookings.

Details of forthcoming activities can be found under ‘Programme of Lectures and Visits’ on the website at https://artssociety-tringpark.co.uk/index.php/visits. The lectures are included within the annual membership fee of £53 p.a but there is an additional charge for visits.

Guests are welcome to attend lectures by prior arrangement with the membership secretary via our contact form on the website https://artssociety-tringpark.co.uk/index.php/contact/ at a charge of £8.

We meet at Berkhamsted Civic Centre on the second Wednesday of the month at 10:30a.m.

We are affiliated to The Arts Society, formerly The National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies.