Chelsea Arts Club is a mutual, owned entirely by its Members. The Club is operated on the Members’ behalf by Chelsea Arts Club Trading Limited, a subsidiary of the Club wholly owned by the Trustees of the Club as elected nominee shareholders.
The Club is a true not for profit. Subscriptions and prices are kept as low as possible, and any trading surpluses are reinvested in the Club for the Members’ benefit. No dividends are ever payable.
The Club’s purpose remains that with which it was founded in 1890 – to advance the cause of art by means of exhibitions and life classes, and by promoting social intercourse amongst its Members. Some 45 exhibitions are held each year; life classes are held in collaboration with Heatherley’s School of Art; and of the 4,000 or so Members, some 75% are arts practitioners and the remaining 25% supporters of the arts, including curators, gallery directors and the like. All are offered by the Club a home from home, where cheap food and drink is available every day and where entertainment is available in the form of a lively programme of more than 100 events a year, ranging from live musical performance (jazz, contemporary and classical), artists’ talks, authors’ talks, film screenings and theatrical performances.
The Club is a prominent advocate for the arts both nationally and locally. It plays a lead role in a variety of cultural partnerships both in Chelsea and in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea more widely.
