RQAS - AUSTRALIANA
Royal Queensland Art Society Rockhampton Branch Inc RQAS
In April 1949 seventy-five years ago a group of artists formed the “Rockhampton Art Fellowship”, in the studio of Charles Hayworth in Baden-Powell Street Wandal Rockhampton.
After a year of the artist fellowship and application was submitted to join the Royal Queensland Art Society. In November 1950 the Art Fellowship was accepted as the Royal Queensland Art Society Rockhampton Branch. Mr Rex Pilbeam, a former Mayor of Rockhampton had a great love of the arts and granted a hanging space for the foundation of the “Rockhampton Art Gallery”, in
1952. The newly formed Art Fellowship now the Royal Queensland Art Society Rockhampton Branch members assisted in the progression of the gallery. The Branch relocated in 1957 from Charles Hayworth’s studio to the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) rooms in Bolsover Street, which later became the Rockhampton Technical College in 1963. In 1968 with help from the council, the branch secured a hall in Victoria Park. The members had the clubroom for eleven years and in 1977 it was sold, and the Branch had to find a new home. Mayor Rex Pilbeam then opened the Walter Reid Cultural Centre for numerous clubs around Rockhampton.
Today the club is thriving, and many enjoy the fine arts as well as mixed mediums. Our club aims to grow in the use of Oils, Acrylic, Watercolour, Coloured pencil, Pastel, Graphite. Charcoal etc. We offer workshops that are opened not only to our members but to the general public to come and expand their learning in the arts. We encourage artists to enter competitions and grow their love of art. It is a gathering of like the minded to enjoy the atmosphere and company of others.