History

The Artists' Society of Canberra (ASOC) dates back to the earliest incarnation of Canberra as the National Capital. The inaugural general meeting of the Society took place in the Civic Centre on Tuesday 28th of June1927. This was the year of the opening of Federal Parliament in Canberra, and a month after the "Canberra Times" published its first daily edition.

The foundation President elected at that meeting was Mr John Horgan, with Mr David Limburg as Secretary. The objective of the Society was the advancement of Fine and Applied Arts, by means of exhibitions, lectures, etc.

The first exhibition was held in the Civic Centre in late November 1927.  The Canberra Times for Tuesday 29 November 1927, at page 4, reported "Fine Arts - Canberra's First Exhibit" opened at the Civic Centre by Lord Stonehaven...about 140 exhibits covered the walls, cards and tables.

The Governor-General, His Excellency, Lord Stonehaven opened the exhibition. The Society's first premises was a room attached to the "Canberra Times" and made available to members by Mr A.T. Shakespeare, founder of the Canberra Times, for use as a studio. Rent was £1.10.0 per week, which was later reduced to 10/- per week as a result of the Depression years which eventually forced the Society into recess (in July 1934) until after the Second World War.

In August 1945 a meeting was arranged to consider a revival of the Society. The ninth Annual General Meeting was held at the "Top Hat" Café in Manuka and a full committee, with Mr Arthur Percival as President, was elected. The first post-War exhibition was held in the Masonic Hall, Barton, and subsequent exhibitions were staged in the Canberra University College Hall. Despite its long history, ASOC has only intermittently enjoyed its own premises in Canberra. Its first long-term home was provided in 1952 when the Society obtained its own gallery and studio in one of the buildings of the former "Riverside Hostel" in Barton. This hostel became "The Centre" for various cultural activities in Canberra for many years. It was eventually closed and despite a commitment from the government of the day to provide alternative accommodation, ASOC continues to "wander in the wilderness."

In 1990 ASOC leased a block of land in the industrial area of Fyshwick, on which it was given permission to erect a garage for the purpose of storing equipment. More recently, in 2004 ASOC signed a 3-year lease for space in Canberra Technology Park in Watson, due to difficulties with the location and general lack of space to grow, we had to move out of there. So we are once again “homeless”, but this small set-back has given us a much clearer idea of what we need in order to pursue the practice of the many media and art forms of our members. ASOC is a non-profit, unfunded organisation and provides opportunities for exhibitions, education, and professional development for its members and the community through the dedication of volunteers and fund-raising.

The current membership is approximately 300, comprising a diverse mix of cultural backgrounds, ages, artistic abilities and experiences, interests, and stages of artistic development. Mindful of the need to nurture the youth of our community, ASOC has extended its membership to students.

There are currently three Life members, all of whom have played important roles in developing the ASOC vision and who share their expertise with current members. In January 2001 the inaugural Summer Art Experience (SAE) was held at Orana School. Based on the Bathurst Summer and Winter art schools, seven 5-day intensive workshops were conducted by high-profile artists, both local and inter-state, with extensive experience in tutoring. Some 91 artists took part in the SAE and it was, by all accounts, a great success.

In 2007, there were some 15 classes, conducted and attended by almost 200 artists!