IT’S ALWAYS an eagerly awaited event on the Petersfield calendar, so make sure you ring the dates of the Petersfield Arts and Crafts Society’s Annual Arts and Crafts Exhibition – from August 23 to 28.

The Festival Hall provides a showcase for more than 600 artworks, which range from paintings, textiles and ceramics to sculptures, wood work and jewellery.

Founded in 1934, the society has a respected and long-established history of presenting an exhibition offering a varied array of artistic items.

Its members include both amateur and professional artists across a wide age range and a wide spectrum of artistic activities, so there is something for all tastes, with buyers coming from far afield to pick up favoured pieces.

A key part of the excitement building up to the exhibition is the framing of the pictures; the final stage which completes the work and presents it in the most attractive way.

Landscape artist Tim Mullins, one of the exhibitors and judges, likes to keep his frames as simple as possible to let the painting shine.

He experiments with different frames lent to him by Andy Parks of Petersfield Framing Studios before he makes a final decision.

The opening times for the exhibition are 10am to 6pm, except for Friday, August 25, which has a late closing of 8pm.