JANUARY 2008 GUILD INK
Happy
New Year!
"An artist cannot fail; it is a success to
be one."
– Charles Horton Cooley
From the President
In a past year marked by continuing
political outrages and sports scandals, it's important to note that not
one of our 180+ members has been charged with creating artwork under the
influence of steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. (Though I do
have to confess that hours in the darkroom inhaling chemical fumes may
well have contributed to a certain gauziness noted in some of my silver
gelatin prints.) So, let the word go forth from this time and place
(thank you, JFK) that the work of Portsmouth Arts Guild artists needs no
chemical enhancing. Adapting a phrase made famous by Nancy Reagan, I'd
suggest as our motto, Just Say Yes to Art!
Happy New Year and welcome to Year 6 of The Portsmouth Arts Guild and
Year 2 at St. Paul's. Next month, after December's final figures are
compiled, I hope to give you a summary of our operations during last
year; e.g., how much art was sold, what our income and expenses were for
the year, and so on. At that time I should also be able to report on
some of the proposals that have emerged from discussions following last
September's Board retreat. One figure I feel safe in reporting now is
that the Guild sold more than $13,000 of artwork in 2007.
But I digress … as you know, the Guild is taking a breather in January
and February from mounting exhibitions, giving our hard-working
volunteers a chance to catch their collective breath and relax after the
holidays.
However, members' meetings will continue to be held on the third Tuesday
of each month with interesting programs and opportunities to gather and
talk with your fellow artists. The January program, according to Program
chair Felicia Touhey, will screen part of a video series titled "Art in
the 21st Century," focusing on the work of 4 artists—William Wegman,
Louise Bourgeois, Laurie Anderson, and Kara Walker. The video explores
what inspires an artist to create a particular work.
And on Sunday, February 3, from 2 to 4 pm, the Guild will offer an
afternoon of free demonstrations by a number of its art teachers to show
visitors what they might expect by taking a class or two later this
spring. You're invited to attend, whether you think you want to take a
class or not. Refreshments will be served … the perfect outing for a
wintry Sunday in February. Watch this newsletter and our website for the
schedule of spring classes.
On Saturday, January 19, we're planning a painting party to repaint our
panels and touch up the walls where needed. If you'd like to help,
please come! We'll be starting at 10 am and we'll provide paint, brushes
and rollers. Maybe even coffee and doughnuts. Just wear old clothes.
Until recently, the Guild has mainly served the artistic needs of visual
artists, though its mission has always been to promote the arts in
general. Now, with a space not just for a gallery, but also with the
church itself, we can begin to incorporate some of the performance arts
as well. A few weeks ago, we presented an utterly charming rendition of
Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory" with Barbara Blossom and Jeremiah
Allen to a small, but very enthusiastic and appreciative audience. It
marked the beginning of what we hope will become a regular series of
performances of various kinds—theatrical, musical, poetic—to expand our
role as a true Center for the Arts in Portsmouth.
Finally, I want to publicly thank Wendy Crooks for her two busy years as
the Guild's treasurer. She took the job during a time when our growth
exploded and suddenly, with a permanent home, we had all sorts of new
financial items to track and report. Wendy, you've done a marvelous job!
Thank you! Wendy has offered to stay on as an assistant to our new
treasurer for 2008, photographer and new Board member Michael Mendell.
Welcome, Michael!
Don't forget to send your member news--awards, accomplishments, upcoming
shows, etc.--to Karen Talbot, Guild Ink editor, at
karentalbotart@gmail.com .
See you at the Jan. 15th members' meeting! --Eric Broudy
PAG CALENDAR AT A GLANCE
Tue., Jan. 15, 6:30 pm: Members' Meeting: "Art in the 21st
Century" video showing.
Sun., Feb. 3, 2 pm: Teaching demonstrations by several Arts Guild
teachers offering spring classes. Free to all.
Tue., Feb. 19, 6:30 pm: Members' Meeting: Topic TBA.
Mon., Feb. 25, 3-6 pm: Art drop-off for March non-juried Members' Show.
Details to follow.
Tue., Feb. 26, 6:30-8:30 pm: Art drop-off for March non-juried Members'
Show.
Sun., Mar. 2, 2-4 pm: Opening Reception, March Members' Show
OPENINGS AND EXHIBITS
RISCA Finalists. Five members of The Portsmouth Arts Guild have
been accepted to hang a work in the Atrium Gallery @ One Capitol Hill in
Providence as finalists in the RI State Council on the Arts Competition
& Exhibition, "Scenes of Rhode Island." Prize winners will be announced
at a Governer's Reception on a date in January TBA. The finalists are:
Barbara Ney - "Belted Galways of Jamestown"
Katerina Green - "The Lights of Providence"
Jay Egge - "Portsmouth Abbey Windmill"
Bob Doyle - "Skiffs of Wickford"
Len DeAngelis - "A Perfect Ending"
Art League of Rhode Island (ALRI).
Jan 6 . 1-4 pm. "Water Works". Opening Reception Pawtucket
Watercolor Society at the J.C. Potter Casino, Slater Memorial Park,
Pawtucket, RI; 401-726-1876;
www.riws.org .
Feb 1. Call for Artists Deadline. Fidelity Investments 10th
Annual All Media Juried Exhibition. More info: 401-331-1114;
www.providenceartclub.org or
galleries@providenceartclub.org
Apr 2 –27. Associate Members' Show. Opening Reception Apr 6, 1-3
pm.
Pawtucket Arts Collaborative. Members' 10x10x10 Exhibit & Sale
(non juried) through January 6, 2008. Pawtucket Arts Collaborative
Gallery, 175 Main Street, Pawtucket (located in the Blackstone Valley
Visitors Center).
NEWS
Lecture series at the Newport Art Museum. Jan. 5- Feb.
23, 2008.
Newport native Richard Benson– photographer, printer, and Yale
University Professor of Art– will kick off the museum's Winter Lecture
Series on Jan. 5 at 2pm. Other Series speakers include: Sarah LaFreniere,
SVF Foundation Program and Livestock Manager; Curt Columbus, Trinity
Repertory Company Artistic Director; and Darrell West, Brown University
Professor of Political Science, among others.
More info: Newport Art Museum, 76 Bellevue Ave, Newport, R.I.,
www.newportartmuseum.org
Admission: $6 Adults, $5 Seniors, $4 Students & Military with valid ID
Members & Children under 5: free; Daily: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday: Noon –
4 p.m.
The Catty-Whompus Painter®
After fifteen years of working in Human Resources, I realized I had
witnessed just about every type of leader - through recruitment,
training, counseling and just plain old observation...When I decided to
leave the field, I wondered how I could comically share this wealth of
information, so I wrote and illustrated Leaders Gone Catty-Whompus: A
guide to survival in the workplace. For each type of boss, I drew a cat
to give readers a "visual" and then offered one line of description &
advice - ending the book with what I truly believe is a sound summary of
guidelines for any leader:
http://stores.lulu.com/butlerleebooks ; as well as my
holiday pet series:
http://www.cafepress.com/Butler_Lee .
I look forward to meeting all of you through the Guild and am happy to
have finally joined.
Peggy Matheson
NEW MEMBERS
Bob Doyle, painting,
rjdoyle@cox.net
Peggy Matheson,
MAM0855@aol.com
NEXT ARTS GUILD MEETING
Tuesday, January 15, 6:30 pm--Video showing, "Art in the 221st
Century."
MEMBER CLASSIFIEDS
Do you have something to sell or give away? Something you're
looking for? Send info to
info@portsmouthartsguild.org for
a free listing in the Member Classified.
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