Sketchbook FEBRUARY 2015 THE SOUTHERN ARIZONA WATERCOLOR GUILD www. southernazwatercolorguild.com NEXT GENERAL MEETING MONDAY-FEB 16th SOCIAL - 6:30pm SCOTTISH RITE TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 2 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE SHOW NEWS PAGE 3 MORE SHOW NEWS PAGE 4 WESTERN FED NEWS GALLERY NEWS SHOW WRAP-UPS PAGE 5 WORKSHOP NEWS PAGE 6 MEMBERSHIP NEWS PAINT OUTS PAGE 7 SEARCH COMMITTEE LONG RANGE PLAN PAGE 8 LONG RANGE PLAN MEETING SCHEDULE Sign up Today! 2015 WORKSHOPS CAROL CARTER HELGA FLOWER If you are a fan of whitewater rafting, you would have enjoyed the river that ran through our gallery last week. Beginning with a gushing pipe behind our building, the torrents raged from one end of the Gallery to the other, exiting out the front door at a depth of close to 3 inches! Can you even imagine that? It seems that Metro Fire was inspecting the wa- ter lines that are there to protect us in case of a fire, and they had no intention of doing a practice run. However, something in their efforts went amiss and through the back wall of the office area came an enormous burst of water, taking with it a good bit of our wall. Goodbye computer. Goodbye printer. Goodbye refrigerator. You get the picture. What a mess. Poor Sally Raduenzel and Judy Peterson were standing in the wrong place at the wrong time and received quite a shot. Goodbye purse. Goodbye shoes. Though we can chuckle about this calamity now, it s fair to say the people in the gallery at that time were in shock! They gathered their wits about them quickly and saw that no artwork or gift shop items were damaged, thank goodness. There had been, however, substantial damage otherwise, and once the water was stopped the terrible reality set in. I must say, if ever you have a disaster, there are some people you want in your corner, and Deanna Thibault and Mary Kramer just happened to be in the Gallery that day. Where to begin? Who to call? What gets rescued? These gals, along with Judy Constantine, Judy Peterson, Sue Rumsey, Stevie Zinman, and Barbara Nelson, have been working diligently ever since to make the best of a terrible situation. So, is there anything we can actually smile about as a result of the flooding? The answer is a resounding YES! Starting with the bottom line, Metro Fire has insurance and their representatives have been cooperative and forthcoming with coverage. Thus, replacing our electronic equipment, as well as our appliances, has not been questioned. If you ve ever tried to find something in our office area, you must be aware of the supplies we keep for daily operation, and they, too, had to be replaced. The damage to the building has largely been completed, and that included replacing drywall on three walls, then applying paint. Holes had to be drilled in the base of the walls to make sure they were dry and mold was not present. Rugs and all surfaces needed professional cleaning. The ceiling tiles and insulation still need to be addressed, and the floor has been chipped so an estimate for that repair will be forthcoming. All that sounds disastrous, and it was, but at this time it looks terrific! So, from the depths of despair a week ago, we can be quite impressed with our positive new appearance. Credit must also be given to the representatives of the management company with whom we deal in River Center, Evergreen Commercial Realty. Our relationship with them has always been pleasantly professional; they ve been attentive and supportive throughout this experience. By the time you read this, the Gallery will have reopened and hopefully our patient clientele will have returned. If you happen to see any of the gals I mentioned above, please give them a high five for an incredible job well done. Thanks also goes out to those members who simply sat at the gallery during the construction faze, just to keep an eye on things. It s been quite a week and quite an awkward time to be sitting under a palm tree!
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT SHOW NEWS UPDATES! Think back five years and then try to imagine where you will be five years from now. What were your painting styles like five years ago and what will you be painting in 2019? What new materials will we artists have to play with? It s challenging to think about these things. And we wonder about the Watercolor Guild five years from now. We do, however, have a little control to formulate our future. Over the past year our membership has expressed many opinions about SAWG and how it functions. With your help we have made lists and named priorities covering all aspects of our organization, and finally we re ready to be officially on our way. This, my dear friends, is called our Long Range Plan, and at the SAWG Board Meeting on January 5th we discussed, rewrote and adjusted it for the last time. The vote was unanimous to forge ahead with six goals that I believe you will find interesting. I also hope that as work takes place in researching and gathering data to accomplish these goals, you will want to help. Placed inside this issue on pages 7-8, is the official document broken into six categories: Meetings, Workshops, Community Involvement, Volunteers, the Gallery, and Technology. You ll find a goal for each one followed by a rationale for its consideration. Coming up with an Action Plan to accomplish each of these will be the next step. We are fortunate to have already begun working on some of our goals, which is to our advantage; it s like getting a head start! Under Workshops, for instance, is the idea of re-introducing miniworkshops, and we are excited that this is currently underway within our own gallery space. Though there is much to be done to see this through successfully, it is a beginning. When growth takes place, sometimes the rules of operation need to be adjusted; in other words, we may need to make some changes to our bylaws. That s a process we need not be concerned with right now, but if we do try a few things that are outside of our current Bylaws, please know that at the end of the process the intent is to have our procedures in line with our expectations. In five years we will all be a little wiser, right? This Long Range Plan will hopefully make our organization function more wisely and efficiently. When work begins, I hope you ll consider being a part of it. This will be your opportunity to shape SAWG s future! How exciting is that? Happy Valentine s Day to all of you! Jenny Clark Remember - To submit any articles for the Sketchbook to Debra Irons at d_irons@cox.net. Deadline is always the 15th of each month. Signat e Sh The 2015 Signature Members Show, The Theme is Excellence, continues in the Gallery through Sunday, February 8th. If you have not seen the ninety excellent paintings by our signature members and cast your vote for the Peoples Choice Award, time is running out! At the well-attended opening and awards ceremony on January 15, awards were announced by our judge, Jeannie McGuire. Honorable Mention Awards went to Loisanne Keller for her painting, Rainbow Buildings, Susan Meyer for Santa Clara and Barbara Borgwardt for Essential Utensil II. The Leslie Sinclair Award of Merit ($100) went to Mary Bauerbach for Storm Over the Mountains. The Award of Excellence ($200) went to Robert Jennette for After the Storm. The Best of Show ($300) went to Barbara Amyx for Hong Kong Market 1985. Peoples Choice to be announced, get your vote in at the Gallery before February, 8th. Many thanks go out to the numerous volunteers who have made the show a success, the check-in crew, docents, Carolyn Thurman and her crew for the reception and the check-out volunteers. Ariz a Aque XXIX Arizona Aqueous XXIX, a "National Juried Exhibit of Water Media on Paper" opened on Friday, Jan. 23rd. Congratulations to nine SAWG members who had their work accepted and received a Signature point. A special mention goes to Fiona Lovelock. Juror, Ron Pokresso awarded one of her two entries in the show, "Water Music" an Honorable Mention ribbon. Also in the show are Dru Hill (2), Janet Mach-Dutton (2), Teresa Wertheimer (2), Julia Graf (2), Susan Morris, Charlie Burton, Silvia Herrara and Joanne Garry. Gallery hours at the Tubac Center of the Arts are Mon.- Sat. 10-4:30 and 12-4:30 on Sun. The show will run through March 8, 2015
MORE SHOW NEWS 47thAnnu Sh Feb 10 - March 8 SAWG s oldest running show will be opening February 10th! 91pieces were submitted by 54 artists. 71 paintings were selected. We are excited to have Carol Carter as our juror and judge. Carol received her MFA from Washington University, St. Louis. She was voted Best St. Louis Artist by The Riverfront Times in 2000. In 2002, her work was chosen for the cover of New American Painting magazine and in 2003, the US Embassy sponsored a solo exhibition of her work at the Teatro del Centro de Arte, in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Ms. Carter s work is represented in many public and private art collections, including those of Citicorp, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Arjomani Paper, Leonard Slatkin, Price University and Utah State University. Carol will be awarding several awards at the Opening Reception on February 19th, including the Past President s award, the Life Studies award sponsored by Allison and Pete McCray, and an Honorable Mention award for Best Still Life sponsored by Whole Foods. Don t forget...if you have been accepted into this point show, please update your Juried, Signature or Saguaro Fellow documentation. We look forward to seeing you at the reception! Questions may be directed to the Co-Chairs, Monica Hart or Anna Don. Expр нt Sh Mar 10 - April 5 This year s Experimental Show is going to be a blast! With Sue Ritz and Deanna Thibault as Show Co-chairs, how can it not be? The entry deadline is Friday, Feb. 13. The entry form is online. We are definitely looking for help with hanging and take in -- please check what you d like to do on the entry form, or contact Sue or Deanna. We are looking forward to your jpeg images - be sure to send them to Nancy Huber. A brief explanation of your concept was very helpful last year, so this year please make sure to describe your work on the entry form. This is not a juried show, and the first 90 pieces entered will be shown. Limit is two per artist. Please read the prospectus carefully and be sure to comply with the requirements. Ms. Ruth Tone, our Best of Show last year, will be featured on this year s email flyer. Looking forward to a new crop of cool. Friday, Feb. 13th is the deadline for entries for the Experimental Show. It opens to the public on March 10. Visiting workshop artist, Helga Flower will choose the awards announced at the reception on March 12. All Memb Sh April 7 - May 3 Sign up Today! The last gallery show of the SAWG calendar year displays the outstanding work of all Guild members. It s the perfect show for new members and first time exhibitors to submit their paintings. Ellen Fountain is the awards judge for the April 9th Reception. She is an award winning local artist, teacher and Signature member of NWS, Watercolor West, Western Fed. and Arizona Watercolor Association. She is also a past president of SAWG. Entries are due on March 20. Look for the show prospectus and form soon on the SAWG website. Sign up Today! The Fiesta Sonora West Show In collaboration with the Desert Museum Art Institute, the Fiesta Sonora West show opened with a lively reception on Saturday, January 10. Many of the participating artists joined us in the Baldwin Education Building as Craig Ivanyi, Director of the Desert Museum, spoke about the history of our two organizations going back to 2000, and our mutual love and respect for our unique desert environment. Holly Swangstu, Director of the Art Institute, talked about how much she enjoyed meeting the artists as they dropped off their work, and what a wonderful range of expression there is in this show. The show is running through April 3 and the Baldwin Building is open on weekdays from 9-4. It is also open on some weekends, so call ahead if that s when you are planning to visit (883-3024 is the number for the reception desk at the Baldwin Education Building.) On this month s masthead, we are recognizing member Kitty Sturrock s painting, Trumpet Vine from the 2014 Fiesta Sonora Show.
WESTERN FED SHOW 2015 Western Fed Show UPDATE! Five artists from SAWG have had their paintings accepted into the 40th Annual Western Fed exhibit that will be held in Lubbock Texas April 4- July 15, 2015. Congratulations to Eulalie Brown, Jarv Falkard, Fiona Lovelock, Susan Morris and Lenora S. Nixon. The juror was LInda Daly Baker. GALLERY NEWS Mini Workshops at the Gallery Thank you to all the teachers who have signed up to hold classes in our Gallery classroom. There are a few dates still open, so call Carolyn Poirier to get your class on the schedule: 520-576-2756. If you d like to take a class on building a website, (not Wednesdays) call Mary Kramer, 520-260-3918. Tell her which days you are free. There are already 2 others who want to take the class. HOLIDAY SHOW WRAP-UP The 2014 Holiday show was a huge success! This was the first show to hit the 200 mark for numbers of paintings hanging in the gallery for this show, lending truth to the title: 200 under $100! We had exactly 200 paintings and many of them (51) sold throughout the time of show. A big, hearty THANK YOU to all of you who volunteered to help put up the show, take down the show and docent the show! The total of paintings sold during the show was 51! Congratulations to the following artists for selling their work: Deanna Thibault (5) Sandy Walker (2) Karen Shanahan (2) Brenda Rentfro (8) Debra Irons (4) Renee Chastant (2) Betsy Conrad (2) Bob Jennette (3) Peg Franken (2) Victoria Wills (2) Sally Raduenzel (2) Kat Manton-Jones (4) Robbie Summers (3) Kitty Sturrock (2) Pat Duncan, Frani Bopp, Terry Wertheimer, Euayne Glinski, Helen Jennette, Margaret Baldwin, Sarah Schmerl, and Joanne McElheny. The total for paintings sales was $3373 before sales tax. 21 boxes of notecards were sold. Congratulations to the following artists for selling their work. Sally Raduenzel, Nancy Huber, Sarah Schmerl, Renee Chastant (4), Kathy Robbins, Rhonda Bank, Karen Brungardt, Brenda Rentfro (4), Jean Pastore, Nikki Bellio (2), Natalie Slana, and Frani Bopp. The Note Card Sales total was $335 and over 200 calendars were sold! Congratulations to Sue Ritz (5) Debra Irons, Karen Sampson (2), Nancy Huber and Jean Pastore for selling prints, giclees and original art from the Bins. Bin Sales totaled $718. Gift shop sales totaled $474.00. Artists selling work included Mary Kramer-prints and dyed wool, Debra Irons- scarves, Sandy Dutton Jewelry, Zehra- bookmarks and cards, Barbara Beamer- jewelry, Arlene Zuckermann- glass work, and Pat Jordankeychains. Mary Bubla and Karen Brungardt appreciate all the people who helped us with this show. Again, a huge thank-you to all of you and a special Thank You to Judy Constantine for getting us two newbies through the maze of chairing a show! THE SAWG GALLERY River Center Plaza (River & Craycroft) 5605 East River Road, Suite 131 Gallery Hours Open: Tues-Sun 11:00-4:00pm Events change monthly in the Gallery 520-299-SAWG (7294) Madaras Miniatures is a brand new show, to be held at the Madaras Gallery on Skyline Drive, from March 8-30, 2015. Your original images of not more than 8x10 are welcome to compete for this small show of 10-15 works. See the Shows page on our website for an entry form. Deadline is Feb. 2.
WORKSHOP NEWS Pick up your 2014-15 Workshop Brochure at the Gallery or SAWG General meetings Sign up Today! February workshop Instructor Carol Carter If you ve been thinking about taking a workshop but are not familiar with either of the two artists coming in February or March, I d like to share a little from my experience. I ve had two workshops with Carol Carter one here in Tucson and one in Oregon. Aside from her great talent, she has developed into a very approachable teacher who connects with those in her workshop. She has a strong heart and paints to social causes in addition to a broad range of subjects. Her controlled washes are a particular strength and she shares all her tips and techniques freely. March Helga Flower Helga Flower has served on the board of the International Society of Experimental Artists and is one of the most creative people I know! I took her workshop here in Tucson as a beginning artist and learned to loosen up and explore a whole range of possibilities. Since then, I ve studied with her twice on Mackinac Island. She is fearless and encourages workshop participants to stretch and take chances. And if you ve read this far, I ll take a chance and offer a $100.00 scholarship to the first person who emails me to say they ve decided to take Helga s workshop! Nancy Huber February Jeannie McGuire workshop
MEMBERSHIP NEWS PAINT OUT/IN NEWS MEMBERSHIP NEWS! WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS: Welcome new members Alan Sweeney, Beth Crowley, William C. Beauchamp, Kathleen Parker, Patty Cooper, and Rebecca Ganz. CONGRATULATIONS TO NEWLY JURIED MEMBER : Rhonda Bank PLEASE NOTE: Please send any changes in email, phone numbers or addresses, Membership forms including Juried and Signature Requests to the Gallery address: SAWG Gallery: Membership 5605 E. River Rd. Ste. 131 Tucson, AZ 85750-1900 submitted by Carolyn Thurman, carolyn@lensview.net EVERYONE WELCOME! El Charro Neighborhood Tuesday, FEB 17th SAWG WEBSITE NEWS Virtual Gallery Updates SAWG artists who have their work featured in the Virtual Gallery on our website have been renewing their accounts and several are posting new paintings. Check to see what s been added: southernazwatercolorguild.com/art-gallery/virtual-gallery-2013-2014. If you want to have your work displayed, you can navigate to the entry from the introduction to the Virtual Gallery. We will be painting in the neighborhood around El Charro on 115 N. Court Street. There is parking there so bring your quarters. For questions, please contact Martha Pankratz, or email pankratz@comcast.net. WHAT TO BRING: Sun hat, sunscreen, and bug repellant along with your painting gear, paint stool, water for painting and drinking, and a sack lunch. Rememberances In Sympathy Judith Gallen passed away December 2014 at her home in Westport, CT. Judith joined SAWG in 2008 and Juried in 2009. She entered a number of shows and volunteered with exhibits at the gallery. We are grateful for her support of SAWG and extend our sympathy to her family. If you knew Judith, donations may be made to the Lustgarten Foundation of Pancreatic Cancer Research. SAWG Tribute Fund If you would like to make a donation in someone s memory or acknowledge an achievement of a living member, the Scholarship Committee will accept it and acknowledge this in writing to both the honoree and the donor. LIFE STUDIES OPEN STUDIO Junior League (Campbell and River) First and third Saturdays each month Nude (1st) and Costume (3rd) Models 9 am-12 noon $10/artist contribution to model fee (New artists need NOT contribute to the model fee on the 1st visit) All Levels welcome! FEB 7 & 21 email: sawgdrawing@comcast.net for map, directions and reminders
SAWG Wants YOU! SAWG Search Committee The Task: As part of the newly adopted Long Range Plan, the SAWG Board has formed a Search Committee. The members are Nancy Huber, Bob Jennette, and Loisanne Keller. Our task is to collect your recommendations and nominations for the elected officers and various committee chairs as well as appointed positions. We re counting on the membership to help us do this! The search committee will contact everyone who is recommended or nominated, including self-nominations. The position for which they ve been suggested will be explained. They will be asked if they are willing to stand for election, or to be considered by the incoming president to chair a committee, or to take on one of the many tasks that keep our volunteer organization vibrant. To do so, we need to hear from you by March 15th. The goal is for us to pass on to the Board the names of everyone who s willing to stand for an elected office, or serve in an appointed position. The Explanation: For years, finding new officers has been a difficult task. There is a general feeling that potential new officers must wait to be asked, and that there is some inside track that is hard to penetrate. In addition, some of the tasks associated with various roles have become complicated and so it s a bit daunting to consider an expanded role within SAWG. Similarly, there are Appointed Positions that appear to some members to be locked in place and not subject to change. The Board has set out a new path and this will be a time of transition. Over the next few years, there will be an active Search Committee appointed each year to help facilitate the process. We hope to have an election process that engages a broader section of the membership with voting occurring on line instead of only at the May meeting. This is intended to facilitate the inclusion of our winter resident members in the election of SAWG officers. And there will be new positions added. For example, it is well understood that the Vice President for Shows has a steep learning curve. (And the same goes even for the Show Chairs!) So the thought is that if there is an Associate VP for Shows, that person would be learning the ropes and ready to stand for election when the position is vacant. Another change would be identifying members who would be willing to fill appointed positions or to head the various committees. At each election, those names would be forwarded to the new President and Board who have the responsibility for filling these positions for the ensuing year. It is understood, that this will necessitate changes in our by-laws. Fortunately, the timing is such that the bylaws are scheduled for review next year and these changes can be incorporated before the membership votes on the new by-laws. (One of the positions we ll be searching for is a Chair for the By-Law Review Committee.) Note: If you did not pick up the flyer at our January General meeting that asks for nominations and recommendations and includes a list of potential positions, please contact Nancy Huber (nancyshuber@gmail.com or 520-577-1644). She will email (or send via USPS mail) the information. Or simply jot down your suggestions and leave them at the Gallery or email any of the Search Committee Members. LONG RANGE PLAN SOUTHERN AZ WATERCOLOR GUILD LONG-RANGE PLAN 1. MEETINGS Investigate the possibility of eliminating the September and/or the May meetings. Evaluate the meeting times, considering an earlier schedule. Continue the exploration to find adequate meeting locations. Rationale: The programming for the September and May meetings is challenging due to the limited number of members present. Eliminating these months from our calendar would save us minimally $250 each month, a timely savings. Due to the new downtown location of our meetings, an earlier start time may alleviate the stress of being in an unfamiliar territory later in the evening. Though our current location is satisfactory, we must be alert to other options that suit us in size, location and price. 2. WORKSHOPS Re-introduce the practice of providing mini-workshops. Continue to evaluate the cost, value and effectiveness of the four-day workshop. Rationale: Many of our members are unable to participate in the workshops given by our invited nationally-known artists, either due to finances or work schedules. Mini-workshops would be much less costly and could be scheduled on a variety of days. In addition, the time commitment is generally fewer days and hours. 3. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Create an Outreach Committee that could help SAWG make more of a presence in the community, with the task of seeking out opportunities in which our members could participate. Rationale: Suggestions coming from the membership at large encouraged more of an involvement in the community in such activities as charity events, art auctions, hanging art in public spaces such as hospitals and civic buildings, and participating in communitysponsored art shows. In addition, since the Tucson area has a wealth of art organizations, meeting together for a charity event might be a possibility. continued on next page
4. VOLUNTEERS Establish a membership support system for mentoring new members and accommodating our members in general. Enact a Search Committee to address filling Board positions and committee leadership. Rationale: New members could benefit from a mentoring system designed to assist them when entering shows for the first year, as well as generally supporting them when they have questions about the organization. Members, in general, could benefit from a geographic support system designed to get them to meetings from common locations. A Search Committee would eliminate the negatively viewed raising of hands to volunteer, and replace it with a system designed to approach members to hold specific jobs. 5. GALLERY Evaluate the appearance and professional atmosphere in the gallery with the goal of providing pleasing aesthetics and capable, well-trained docents. With an eye on required revenue, investigate additional uses of the gallery space, during hours when the gallery is open as well as when it is closed. Rationale: Looking at the gallery from a visitor s perspective creates an opportunity to consider ways to enhance our appearance. Focusing on wall presentation, evaluate showhanging methodology to create a consistently professional appearance. Include bin signage and location to make them equally as polished. Many docents express discomfort with performing the tasks expected of them. Providing periodic training could supply volunteers with opportunities to learn and ask questions about their role as docents. The budget with which SAWG operates is largely dependent upon the revenue generated in the gallery. In the Tucson area there is a wealth of art available and it is important that we utilize our facility to stand out from the crowd. 6. TECHNOLOGY Explore best uses of web and data base options to maximize membership communication and community accessibility. Rationale: Because the functions of our organization are considerably more dependent on the web site and data base, it is important that this technology be updated. Approved at the 1/5/15 SAWG Board meeting. MEETING SCHEDULE 2014-15 Meeting Schedule MARK YOUR CALENDARS! All Meetings will be held at the Scottish Rite on MONDAY nights: February 16th - March 9th - April 13th - May 11th - Meeting - Demonstration by artist Carol Carter, Watercolor, Rinse, Repeat Meeting - Demonstration by artist Helga Flower, Loosen up with Confidence Meeting - Scholarship awards Meeting - Annual meeting As of: DECEMBER 31, 2014 Bank Balances: SAWG Wells Fargo Bank: General Fund Checking...$18,071 General Fund Savings...38,737 Total...$56.808 Restricted Accounts: Scholarship Checking...11,226 Western Fed...10,235 Hollander Scholarship...14,576 Total...$36,037 These are actual unadjusted bank balances which may differ from our accountant s report due to timing differences. the SOUTHERN ARIZONA WATERCOLOR GUILD Gallery 5605 E. River Road Tucson, Arizona Gallery Hours Tuesday - Sunday, 11am - 4pm River Center Plaza (River & Craycroft) 101 # To the SOUTHERN ARIZONA WATERCOLOR GUILD Gallery From 5605 E. River Road Tucson, Arizona Gallery Hours Tuesday - Sunday, 11am - 4pm River Center Plaza (River & Craycroft) Date purchased Expiration Date Amount $ 101 # Not redeemable for cash No cash value Not responsible for lost certificates Good on Gallery Merchandise ONLY Taxes to be paid at time of redemption To the SOUTHERN ARIZONA WATERCOLOR GUILD Gallery From 5605 E. River Road Tucson, Arizona Gallery Hours Tuesday - Sunday, 11am - 4pm River Center Plaza (River & Craycroft) Date purchased Expiration Date 101 # Amount $ Not redeemable for cash No cash value Not responsible for lost certificates Good on Gallery Merchandise ONLY Taxes to be paid at time of redemption To From Date purchased Expiration Date Amount $ Not redeemable for cash No cash value Not responsible for lost certificates Good on Gallery Merchandise ONLY Taxes to be paid at time of redemption Now available at the Gallery! We now have gift certificates available to allow that special someone you know to personally select artwork in the gallery that inspires them.