Exhibitions

CDS Spring Exhibition

Our Spring Exhibition 2025, held at the newly renovated Pitt Building, was a great success. It was our first time back since the refurbishment, and it felt wonderful to be there again. The show came together thanks to the brilliant work of our artists and the many members who not only exhibited impressive work but also generously gave their time behind the scenes.

A Memorable Opening Night

The Private View set the tone for the whole exhibition. It was a lively and well-attended evening, marking a warm return to a historic venue with a fresh new look. Members, guests, and art lovers gathered to enjoy a varied and inspiring collection of work across different media and styles.

Unprecedented Interest and New Members

This year saw a record number of applications to join the Society, with 78 new candidates submitting work for selection. We’re delighted to welcome sixteen new members who have already joined the Society. Their talent and energy are a great addition to our community, and we look forward to seeing more of their work—and to them becoming part of the team effort that keeps our exhibitions running smoothly.

Exhibition Highlights

  • 124 artists exhibited work
  • 91 artworks were sold:
    • 62 framed
    • 29 unframed
  • 50 artists made sales

Mediums Most Popular with Buyers

Framed artworks (in order of popularity):

  • Oil
  • Acrylic
  • Watercolour
  • Print and Mixed Media
  • Other Media

Unframed artworks:

  • Edition Print
  • Watercolour
  • Gouache
  • Monoprint
  • Oil and Other Media

Public Vote: Audience Favourites

We had great engagement with the public vote this year. The winner was Patrick Wilkins, one of our newly elected members—congratulations, Patrick!

Greeting Card Sales

Greeting cards remain a popular part of the exhibition. This spring, over 850 cards were sold, with 65 artists contributing.

Publicity & Outreach

A wide-reaching publicity campaign supported this year’s exhibition. We had posters around the city, Art Benches along Christ’s Lane, and over 1,000 invitations sent out. The show was featured in Cambridge Independent, Velvet Magazine, and several event listings, along with a strong social media presence to help us reach new audiences.

Guided Tours

For the first time, we ran two guided tours during the exhibition, led by CDS member and artist Jill Ogilvy. Jill offered visitors thoughtful insights into selected works, touching on techniques, materials, and creative approaches. The tours were very well received, and we hope to continue them in future Spring exhibitions.

Thank You

This year’s Spring Exhibition was a real team effort and a celebration of creativity. Thank you to everyone who contributed – from exhibiting artists to volunteers and behind-the-scenes helpers. We couldn’t have done it without you.

The Society holds two exhibitions each year

 

Selected Exhibition

CDS exhibitions selection

Each March/April our main exhibition takes place. In recent years it has been held at The Pitt Building on Trumpington Street, Cambridge.

The works exhibited are chosen by a Selection Committee of nine members of the Society chaired by the President. The Spring Exhibition is intended to provide an opportunity for new members to join the Society, exhibiting alongside existing members.

Members' Exhibition

CDS exhibitions members

 A Members' only exhibition is held in the Autumn, generally at the Leys School on Fen Causeway, Cambridge.

The Autumn exhibition is not subject to selection.

Our exhibitions feature a very wide selection of paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures and mixed media works. - Please note we do not accept photographic reproductions or digital art.