Magic Realism in New England: The Mesmerising Work of Andrew Wyeth
Hello everybody in The Arts Society Berlin,
It’s been quite a busy six months for us with perhaps the biggest achievement being ourJanuary move from the Community Hall in Hüttenweg to the Aliiertenmuseum in Dahlem. The new venue appears to have been well accepted by our members who have embraced the facility with increased numbers in the hall and that along with our zoom viewers we have been reaching viewing numbers of some 40-50 which is a great improvement to those in recent years.
As we reach the half way point of the season we can enjoy the summertime knowing that we have a venue to be proud of and we feel that we are achieving our aim to give an interesting and enjoyable evening to all members.
Along with the new hall it has also been a year to celebrate your Society’s 30th anniversary and it is amazing how quickly it seems to have come around since we were all in the Alter Krug Dahlem for our 25th. The work put in by Sabine and Barbara to organize the evening meal at the ‘’Café im Literaturhaus’’ at the International Club in Berlin was amazing and the evening proved to be a great success and fun was had by all. Max was also on hand making sure we didn’t overspend his budget!!
The following day had us all gather again, this time at the British Embassy, to enjoy a lecture given by Harry Venning and his world of cartoons. I think I can say it was accepted well by an audience of some 50 guests who could enjoy the light-hearted subject before we all assembled in the Embassy Atrium for some nibbles and a glass or two of Sekt.
We were very happy that both events were supported by our Patron Kieran Drake (Deputy Head of Mission for the UK) who unfortunately will be returning to the UK after a 5 year stay in Berlin and we hope to be in touch with his successor in due course and hope that he/she will carry on in the job that Kieran has done so well for us all.
Regarding our lectures for this year, it has been an interesting time for us in our new venue with how we use the facilities to give a welcoming arrival along with a happy social time after the event. I have to say that the joy we see from our members and guests shows how we are progressing. It is very encouraging and also I have to say a big thanks to our committee members of Jessica and Jackie for their time at the bar as well as our ‘’Spirit Man’’ who has found his place to provide a small tipple to those who wish to try his selection of the sweet amber nectar.
Further thanks must go to Carola, Barbara, Sabine (my wife) and Ursula who spend time socializing with you all during the evening.
Finally…..please do not forget the endless work Steve does behind the scenes to bring the lecture to life. It is a task that he does with massive patience and he will never give in to give us all a great evening. Sensible observations are always accepted to achieve ‘perfection’. It’s not always straight forward though and patience is very acceptable!!
How about your arrival at the venue? Wolfgang and Barbara are relentless in getting you all to sign the book and give you a smile and a happy welcome to the hall. A big thanks must go to them both.
Finally I hope our lecture subjects are interesting and entertaining for you all and should you have any ideas for the future, myself and Sabine along with our committee are always happy to make a note of any ideas you might have…..no promises though!!!
Here’s to a great second half of 2026 and we all look forward to seeing you again in September!!!
Dave Ashley
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