Ridley Art Club

A little-known exhibiting society that held exhibitions at the Grafton Galleries between 1889-c. 1919. It was founded by the students of painter Matthew Ridley, (1837-1888) and is also recorded at 20 Kensington Gore, London as late as 1951 but as yet this has to be confirmed. It is believed that the Ridley Art Club (also referred to as the Ridley Art Society) and the Ridley Art Gallery are the same but clarification would be of assistance. Matthew Ridley also ran the Ridley School of Art during the last decade of the 19th Century.

After Ridley's sudden death, students formed themselves into The Ridley Art Club, and membership was confined to Ridley students and their friends but later attracted many other artists. Their first exhibition was held at Queen's Gate Hall, Harrington Road, South Kensington from Friday 1 November 1889. Later exhibitions were held at the Conduit Street Gallery until 1893 then at the Grafton Galleries. In 1926 they were exhibiting at Spring Garden Galleries in New Bond Street, but the following year from New Burlington Galleries and later at various London galleries. By 1977 it was known as the Ridley Art Society when they held their 80th exhibition at the Alpine Club Gallery. The Ridley Art Society was still in existence in the year 2000 with some fifty members worldwide its membership included painters, sculptors and printmakers and held its annual exhibition at the Atrium Gallery, Houghton Street in London. Artists who have exhibited at the 'Ridley' include Frank William Brangwyn, Charles Edward Conder, Adrian Stokes, and George Frederick Watts,