Here is a selection of the Club’s extensive collection which was on display at the Picture Club meeting on 14th November 2022.

The UCL Picture Club  owns over 170 contemporary works of art, ranging from bold abstracts in oils to delicate watercolour landscapes. Purchases are funded by members’ subscriptions and revenue from sales.   

Artists currently represented include: current and former Slade staff and students such as Tess Jaray, Jo Volley, Susan Collins, Charlotte Cornish, Barto Dos Santos, Heidi König, Philip Sutton, Anita Klein, Peter Daglish, Anthony Gross and Paula Rego; others include Colin Kent, Donald Hamilton Fraser, Richard Bawden, Brendan Neiland, Sir Terry Frost, Mychael Barratt, Trevor Price, and Richard Bawden. 

After a long hiatus (since February 2020) we were delighted to be able to meet again last night in the Haldane Room to view the Club’s extensive collection – and borrow an original artwork (or two!) over a glass or wine (or ….)

Any member of UCL staff is welcome to join by contacting the secretary Liz Lawes e.lawes@ucl.ac.uk or treasurer Ruth Dar ruthdar@aol.com. The current subscription is £30 for a year from 1 Oct. – 30 Sept.

UCL Picture Club was founded in 1960 by 15 academics from French and Engineering, each providing a 5 guinea start-up loan. Not knowing how to progress their idea of a “lending library” of pictures, they sought out help from Andrew Forge in the Slade, who became advisor to the new club for several years. He persuaded Slade staff to donate their work and to recommend students whose work the club might buy. The club still owns some works from this era, although over the years many have been sold to finance new purchases. One important painting by Lawrence Gowing was donated to the College Collection.

The Club owns about 170 works, comprising bold abstracts, delicate landscapes, portraits, screenprints, monotypes, etchings, oils, watercolours and photographs. New purchases are funded by members’ subscriptions and revenue from sales. Committee members regularly visit the Slade shows as well as those at other London art schools, art fairs such as the Affordable Art Fairs, the Royal Academy Summer Shows, and artists they have come to know, searching out a broad range of styles and media to suit, hopefully, all members’ tastes.

Artists currently represented include: current and former Slade staff and students such as Jo Volley, Susan Collins, Charlotte Cornish, Barto Dos Santos, Heidi König, Philip Sutton, Anita Klein, Peter Daglish, Anthony Gross and Paula Rego; others include Colin Kent, Donald Hamilton Fraser, Richard Bawden, Brendan Neiland, Sir Terry Frost, Mychael Barratt, Trevor Price, and Richard Bawden.