A group of artists who have been meeting for three decades will be celebrating the milestone with a three-day art event.

High Peak Artists were formed in the mid 1990s and used to paint outside Buxton Pool.

Now 30 years on they have designated a home in the Pavilion Gardens and are taking part in the Buxton Fringe to showcase local artists on between Monday, July 13 and Wednesday, July 15.

Pauline Townsend, secretary for the group, said: “I think it’s great there is still a place for artists to come together and show their talents off.”

High Peak artist celebrating 30 years this summer. Now have a dedicated space in the pavilion gardens gallery. Pauline Townsend, silk painter. Photo Brian Eyre

placeholder image — High Peak artist celebrating 30 years this summer. Now have a dedicated space in the pavilion gardens gallery. Pauline Townsend, silk painter. Photo Brian Eyre

David Woodrow who ran a framing shop set up the group and they were offered use of Pump Room in 1995 - but the group was not formally constituted until 1996 making this their thirtieth year.

Pauline said: “We were in there six months of the year and in there for 12 years but there was no heat, no toilets and no water except from the well.”

There the group ran workshops for children, visited schools, collected money in well for charity, entered Festival Fringe with demos.

Pauline said: “Experts reckon we saved the building by opening it every year.

High Peak Artists have a dedicated space in the Pavilion Gardens gallery. Photo Brian Eyre

“We got council to install fans to extract damp.”

In 2019 Parkwood took over running Pavilion Gardens; and have greatly improved everything, meaning more visitors - last year we enjoyed record sales.

“The Gallery offers a wonderful mix of different artists working in different mediums such as oil paintings, pastels, watercolours, silk painting, felt making, photography, ceramics, textile art.”

Art in the Octagon, the annual three day event as part of the Fringe is a chance for people to meet the artist behind the work and the cover for this year’s brochure was designed by one of the High Peak Artists Andrea Joseph.

Gallery in the Gardens is the home of High Peak Artists. Photo Brian Eyre

Pauline said: “I love this event, being an artist can be lonely working away in your studio but this brings us all together, talking and learning from each other.”

Pauline said there would be more than 30 exhibitors including Guest Artists and ex-members Rob and Sally Wilson along with Clare Allan.

“Rob got his start with the group in Pump Room and has now opened their own galleries which is brilliant for them and we are thrilled to welcome him back to this year’s event.”