From humble beginnings and an initial membership of just 17 people in 1964, the Orange Art Society has grown and become a vibrant community organisation, promoting and fostering art in our community.

On Friday, November 22, the Orange Art Society is celebrating 60 years and, appropriately, the theme will be ‘Orange’.

“We are having a celebration which is going to take the form of an art exhibition with the theme ‘Orange’. Now, people can interpret that anyway they like, whether it's the orange you eat, or the colour or here where we live – whatever!” Orange Art Society member Kaye Partridge said.

“And we'll have a cocktail party, an exhibition opening with some wine and biscuits and it will be opened by Loretta Blake, who's one of our patrons.” 

While the art exhibition is only open to members of the society, all the community are invited to attend the official opening on November 22.

“I believe we’ve all gotta wear something orange on the opening night, too,” added Orange Art Society President David Mason.

David first began painting about 20 years ago and has been the society’s president for the last eight years, during which time the organisation has gone ahead in leaps and bounds.

“I believe a lot of it is probably in spite of me,” he said. “But we're doing a lot more classes and getting external tutors in and things like that. Because you've got different people coming to teach and a lot of these people come along and join the art society. They realise can come along and paint, or come along and learn something.” 

Another popular innovation of the Art Society has been their monthly ‘featured artist’ with one wall of their gallery given over to an artist to do with as they please.

“That's been tremendously successful,” Kaye said. “Because they have an opening which brings in all their friends into the artist rooms, which of course is good advertising for us and it's good for them… when there's a wall full of your paintings, it really gives you a good feeling.” 

But the real success of the Orange Art Society, David believes, is that it truly is a place for everybody to enjoy art and express themselves, no matter what their ability.

“The Orange Art Society is for everybody,” he said. “Anybody can come no matter whether they've just started painting or we've also got professional painters selling paintings over two thousand dollars. So it goes right across the board and that's what I liked about it.”

For a volunteer-run organisation, the Orange Art Society punches above its weight, with members keeping the gallery doors open seven days a week.

“It really is a community thing,” Kaye said. “It's open seven days a week, manned voluntarily… there's groups that come in on various days, just a group of like-minded people painting and then there's the workshops, the tutorials that go on two or three times a week and in the evenings. We have life drawing every now and again. 

“We run the art exhibit down at the Orange Show and at the Field Days. We have an exhibition in Cook Park on Australia Day each year… the word community keeps coming in all the time, but it is. It’s been an active part of the community.”

The Orange Art Society invites everyone to join them in celebrating their 60th anniversary at the opening night of ‘The Orange Exhibition’ 6pm on Friday, November 22 at the Orange Art Society Gallery, 22 Sale Street, Orange.