September 2010 Newsletter

From the president:
Lael VanRiper is heading our nominating committee for 2011. She has filled most of our positions, but still has a couple that are vacant and both are positions that are not particularly time consuming. We need a secretary to take minutes during our meetings. You take some notes, organize them when you get home and send them to me to get out to the members. If you come to meetings fairly regularly and could handle this, please let Lael know. 323-6639

We also need someone to handle publicity, which basically means functioning as the guild’s liaison with the newspaper. You provide the paper with information about any special events we run such as the Wine and Cheese event and the Show. You don’t have to write up the information; it is given to you by the person in charge of the event. We have an announcement in the paper about our meetings and the publicity person merely needs to see that it remains in the paper on a regular basis. Again, if you can take this on, please contact Lael.

Thank you to all those members who have agreed to continue in their current positions and to all who have stepped up to accept a new position.

As I write this, the show starts 3 weeks from today. Under the SHOW heading below there are a couple of IMPORTANT instructions. Please read them carefully and follow through on what you are being asked to do.

Many details concerning the show are coming together nicely and we have a good group of entries. Most of the September 27th meeting will be conducted by Leslie and will deal with specifics related to the show. She will be training us as to our responsibilities when we sit the show.

A couple of other reminders: if your donation for the silent auction at the Wine/Cheese event did not receive a bid it is waiting for you to retrieve it at Around the Corner Art Gallery. Please go get it.

And, on Masterpiece Mondays the coffee, tea and the cups, plates, napkins and so on are provided by donations. If you are using a cup, drinking tea, using a napkin you need to slip in a dollar or two every now and then to help cover the costs.
Show:

The show dates are October 1, 2 and 3. If you signed up to help on the 29th or to sit the show or to help take down the show please be sure you know what you signed up for and BE THERE ON TIME. We are counting on YOU!

You deliver your professional and non-professional entries on Wednesday September 29 from Noon to 2 PM ONLY. If you can’t make that time slot, get someone to bring your work for you and make sure you have your entry labels with your paintings or sculptures.

You deliver amateur and youth entries from 2 to 4 PM. Again, you need to be there only during those hours and if you can’t make that 2-hour period, you need to make arrangements with someone to do it for you.

Thursday September 30 at 9 AM is the demonstration by our show judge, Carl Purcell. It should last 2 or so hours. I’ve seen him demonstrate before and it’s well worth being there. We need about 30 folding chairs. IMPORTANT: Please call Leslie and let her know how many chairs you’ll bring. 964-4768 Be sure you’ve put some tape with your name on your chairs.

The actual judging will take place during the afternoon of Thursday the 30th. The reception will be from 6:30 to 8:30 that evening.

IMPORTANT: For the reception we need guild members to bring hors d’oeuvres and finger food—appetizers or sweets. No foods in crock pots or other equipment needing an electrical outlet, please. And nothing that needs a knife. We will have forks and little plates available. This is very important as we want to put on a good spread for our guests.

All guild patrons are receiving special invitations to the Patron’s Reception along with a card giving them a 10% discount on any art purchased that evening.

Demos:

In September our guest will be Virginia Columbo who will demonstrate how she makes her unique, creative masks. Our November demonstration will be by Dani Tupper.
Fund Raising:

Here is a note I received from Roxanne concerning the Wine and Cheese event. The MVAG 3rd Annual Wine and Cheese Event was held Aug. 28th at the Around the Corner Art Gallery. On behalf of the guild, I’d like to thank Bob and Pat Brown for generously donating the use of their lovely facility, including the use of wine glasses, and Bob the Bartender. I’d like to thank The Pour House for donating six bottles of fine wine, Mary Hager for doing the food shopping for us in Grand Junction, Pat Jeffers for donating specialty beer, The Uncompahgre Bed and Breakfast, Fifth Ave. Parties in Park Ave. True Value, Mina Voss Art Supply, Alpine Archeology Associates, Starbucks Coffee, and the Stone House for their donations for the auction. In addition, I want to thank all the guild members who donated all manner of artistic items for the silent auction. Your support of our guild is greatly appreciated. If I have forgotten to mention anyone, please accept my apologies. And let’s remember to patronize the businesses that support us.


This year ticket sales were low. Consequently, bidding on silent auction items was low. In that light, I am surprised and pleased to report that in spite of our low numbers, we raised a total of $770 from the event. Also, despite our lower numbers this year, the evening was a hit with people lingering, socializing and enjoying themselves.
 So to all of you who helped and participated, Thank You!

We are still selling the drawing tickets for the beautiful painting Kathy Carter donated to the Guild. They are $1 a piece. See Debbie Bradley to get drawing tickets and a photograph of the winning painting so you can show your friends and family what they might win.

And we still have quite a few of the Guild’s notecards. They make a wonderful gift, so remember birthdays and the holidays coming up. It’s $8 for a set of all 5 images or $2 for an individual card. They are available on Masterpiece Mondays and we’ll have them at the meeting on September 27th.

And finally we still have our 2010 decals for sale. Remember that Patrons who make a $50 or more donation or donation in kind will receive one free. For Guild members they are $3 a piece or 2 for $5. Check out one of the cars flashing these bright, colorful stickers when you come to Masterpiece Monday. If you don’t have one yet, you might want to get yours now.
I’ve posted our current patrons on our website, our blog and at the bottom of this newsletter. We could use more patrons. Please support those businesses that have helped us and consider approaching a business you have a connection with to encourage it to become one of our patrons, too.

Art in Motion:

Most of the switching of artwork that was to take place at the end of August/beginning of September has been accomplished. Thank you to everyone who participated and did their part!

Geri needs to know who has what paintings at what businesses for the next 4 months until the next exchange. If you haven’t already done so, please call or email her and let her know. She can’t help you keep track of your work if she doesn’t know what you have where. 240-4616 gmgbates@msn.com

In addition, once the list is completed we will post it on our blog and our website. That gives you a bit of publicity.
During the next few months, please visit the location where your paintings are hanging. It’s your responsibility to see that they remain up on the wall and in good order. If you detect any issues, please let Geri know.

Art Instruction Videos:

We show an art instruction video on the first Monday of the month around 11 AM. This month we showed a video by British acrylic painter John Hammond, and it is available if you want it played another time. October’s is one on still life painting by David Leffel and in November we’ll watch a watercolor video by Sterling Edwards. Although the videos typically have demonstrations in one medium, the instruction given is usually beneficial in any media.

We are very fortunate to be able to show the video more than once. If you miss the first Monday or simply want to see the video again, please let me know. And, if you think of an artist you’d like to see in a video, please let me or one of the art instruction committee members know.
And thank you to Susan Palmer who has volunteered to be our video librarian for next year.

Retreat:

Remember that the Guild’s Retreat at Camp Redcloud near Lake City is October 12-14. There are still openings, and spouses and friends are also welcome. If you’ve now found out you can attend, please let me know. The cost is $190 and includes 2 nights of lodging and 6 meals. We’ll arrive there Tuesday afternoon and you can hike, horseback ride, canoe, fish, sleep, read and oh yes…PAINT to your heart’s content. We’ll have all day Wednesday there and end the retreat after lunch on Thursday. We’ll be coming home late Thursday afternoon.

Upcoming Meetings and Tidbits:

Our September meeting is the 27th. The board will meet at noon and the general meeting will be at 1 PM. The demonstrator will be Virginia Columbo with her fabulous, creative masks. Don’t miss this one!

We extend our thanks to David Delo of Delta for his demonstration at the August meeting on pen and ink drawings enhanced by watercolor washes. He had some great ideas for those who travel and want nice remembrances of their trips.
Thank you Lael for yummy refreshments at the August meeting. Refreshments at the September meeting will be by Sybil Brannam and Leslie Rossman.
Check out the guild’s website to see the 3 member pages that are now up. You can have one, too, if you want one. Just get me about 6 images of your work and an artist’s statement/bio.

And finally, the October meeting will be a potluck for members only. After we feast and while we are enjoying our 2nd or 3rd dessert and sipping our coffee, we are going to take some time to assess or evaluate the various projects and activities the guild has undertaken this year. We’ll certainly discuss the show, but we also want to take suggestions on the Guild retreat, fund-raising projects, the Wine/Cheese event, Masterpiece Mondays, the Art Instruction Videos, Main in Motion, our internet presence, and Art in Motion.

I’m telling you this now and I’ll remind you again, so you can have some time to think about what you’ve participated in this year and what has or hasn’t worked well in your opinion. This is a chance for us as a group to determine what we’d like to repeat for next year and what we might want to tweak a bit.

Please give me a call if I’ve missed something. So many people work behind the scenes each month to keep the Guild going strong and everyone’s efforts are appreciated. I don’t want to overlook anyone or anything that’s going on.
Reminders:
Sept. 15: Entry deadline for WCWS members’ show at the Apple Shed. Open to entries in water media used like traditional watercolor.
Sept. 18 & 19: Plein air oil painting workshop with Barbara Churchley. Contact Around the Corner Art Gallery for more information. 249-4243.
Oct. 12-14: Guild retreat in Lake City. See Pat Jeffers for more information or to make a reservation.
Nov. 10-12: Ann Templeton workshop. Information available through Around the Corner Art Gallery. 249-4243