March Newsletter

MARCH 2010

Dear Members,

Thank you to everyone who submitted images for our annual BEDLAM e-vite/outreach contest. We are happy to announce that Lev Gogish's piece entitled "Global Warming?" was chosen by our Bedlam committee. Congratulations Lev! His digital art piece can be seen in this newsletter, on our website and will be used on all of our outreach.

Receiving for Bedlam will take place on Friday, April 9 and Saturday, April 10 from 12-4pm on both days. A member party/public reception will take place on Saturday, April 10 from 6-8pm. A $1.00 admission will entitle everyone to a raffle ticket for a door prize. Before the party, guest artist and teacher Jodiann Strmiska will also be giving a free workshop for Draw On in the hour before the Bedlam opening in the upstairs studio from 5-6pm.

With time always a big issue, we are coordinating pickup of any unsold Bedlam work with receiving for the next member themed show--PLAY. We will be open on Saturday, April 24 & Sunday, April 25 from 12-4 for Bedlam pickup and Play receiving. Please keep in mind once PLAY is installed, an independent juror will pick Best In Show (cash award $100) as well as non-monetary awards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. Artwork should reference the act or thought of play--all mediums welcome. There are no size restrictions--just slightly higher hanging fees for anything over 36 inches in any direction.

As we are gearing up for these two member shows, other opportunities for Guild members are starting to evolve. Time and time again, we have heard that our members--especially those with a significant body of work--are looking for a place to have a solo show. We are very proud to announce a new program that will begin its debut this fall. Right now, the working title is SOLO and what it entails is an annual juried contest for a solo exhibition in the main galleries at the Guild. The timeline is as follows: a prospectus will be ready during receiving for our Annual Juried Show in September 2010; the deadline for applications will be January 15, 2011 and the winning entries will be announced by February 28, 2011, and the show(s) will take place in January 2012. While the initial shows do seem far away, we needed the space on the Guild exhibition calendar and the time to get the administrative/graphic tasks completed on our end. We also want the winners to have time to prepare their work for the show. Postcards and reception will be paid for by the Guild and the only fee involved will be the application fee. The Guild would also handle the publicity and outreach. We are also working on an outside jury committee that would welcome all types of work--representational, abstract, traditional and contemporary. The galleries could be split up to three separate shows depending on the size of submitted work; the amount of work and how many applications we receive. Artist consultant and member Camilla Cook is assisting us with the prospectus and promises to keep it as straightforward as possible.

Being on the Board of Directors at the Guild can be a creative challenge--how do we make the money to keep our doors open and give our members as many opportunities as possible to participate in high-quality shows? The solution to the problem seems to be a delicate balance of constantly re-inventing our program line-up but continuing to honor the traditions of the past. Our goal is to create more member opportunities to be more involved at the Guild. As always if you have an idea, don't be shy--bring it forward. We are always open to hearing about new things.

Here's to new beginnings and old friends--I hope to see everyone at our annual Bedlam party--it promises to be a GREAT fun show with lots of our trademark Guild energy!

Cheers,
Rachel Volpone
RGA President

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