  GALA Newsletter
GALA was organized to promote the arts as an essential component of a healthy community. We believe that artistic expression is a community's greatest legacy for future generations. GALA will increase awareness and appreciation of the arts by way of exhibits, instruction, theater productions, musical programs and provision of scholarships to students in local schools.
GALA, PO Box 664, Gardner, MA 01440 - a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
| April, 2013
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Welcome New Members!
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Kim Parkhurst
Jennifer Levesque
Gill Truslow
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Confirm Dates & Times
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For shows/events, please contact the facility to confirm dates and times.
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GALA Board of Directors
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Kevin Bird, Chairperson
Jeff Gallant, Treasurer
Vicki Heidorn, Secretary
Guy Biechele
Ashley Bird
Mark Fisher
Nowell Francis
Chuck Heidorn
Mike Williams
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| Greetings! | |
GALA 2013 Spring Art Show Another Tremendous Success!
We had record attendance at the show of more than 450 visitors enjoying the art and music during the weekend! At least 49 of those visitors were attending for the first time and joined our mailing list.
The total funds raised from the Art Raffle, donations, and Silent Art Auction also broke all previous records! This is a very important source of funding for GALA programs and we are so grateful for the continued generosity of our artists and visitors.
Our incredible volunteers are the heart and soul of GALA and we cannot thank them enough! A very special thanks goes to the members of the Art Show Committee for their tireless dedication and hard work: Ashley Bird, Kevin Bird, Chuck Heidorn, Vicki Heidorn, Anna Ruuska, Gary Ruuska and Jean Stabell.
We are indebted to the following volunteers who coordinated specific aspects of the show. Vicki Heidorn & Joe Bourgeois-Music; Deb Brennan-Raffle; Anna Ruuska-Art drop-off; Jeff Gallant-Financials; Joanne Holtje-Food for the Gardner Chamber of Commerce Event; Amina Silk-Food for the Friday evening opening reception.
Please thank and patronize our generous donorsThank you to our distinguished judges.: Karen E. Haas, Greg Heins and C. M. Judge.
And of course, we want to express our gratitude to the wonderful artists and musicians who shared their marvelous artwork and talent with the community! A particular thanks to the demo artists who generously imparted their creative process at the show.
Congratulations to the judges' award recipients and the
Popular Choice Award winners:
1st: James O'Rourke, "Barn at Red Oak Farm", Watercolor
2nd: Joe Smith, "Colrain Maples", Scratchboard
3rd: Joe Smith, "By the Pasture's Edge", Scratchboard
Download the GALA 2013 Spring Art Show Program.
We value your feedback about the show. Please send your comments and suggestions to feedback@galagardner.org.
 This program was supported in part by a grant from the Gardner Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the
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Join the GALA Artists' Circle!
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Share your art and insight in an energetic and
supportive group. Coffee, tea, and conversation.
Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 10 am
Levi Heywood Memorial Library
Greenwood Meeting Room
Free! Register by April 4 (click here)
Look for our next event, May 4, 2013
Questions? email info@galagardner.org
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Call to Artists: Princeton Arts Society 2013
Spring Art Exhibit and Sale
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EVENT DATES: Friday May 17 through Sunday May 19, 2013. Opening Reception will be on Friday from 6:30 to 9:00 PM. Gallery hours on Saturday May 18 from 10 AM to 4 PM and Sunday May 19 from Noon to 4 PM.
INTRODUCTION: All member artists are invited to participate in our annual upcoming Judged Spring Art Exhibit & Sale. Details as follows:
LOCATION: Princeton Arts Society (first floor) of the Princeton Center Building at 18 Boylston Ave.
MEDIUMS: The show is open to all two and three dimensional media.
For information click here.
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Call for Entries
Fitchburg Art Museum Regional Exhibition
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FAM 78th Regional Exhibition of Art and CraftExhibit Dates: June 23-Sept 1, 2013Entry Deadline: Postmarked by May 20. Entry Form
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Call For Artists!
8th Annual Iron Ranger Painting Program
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Now in its 8th year, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
Iron Ranger Painting Program continues to generate interest, enthusiasm, and increased participation. DCR is once again seeking artists to paint these metal contribution containers that receive financial donations to benefit our state parks system through the Conservation Trust and Urban Parks Trust funds.
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Len Haug's Upcoming Exhibits, Recent Awards
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His collage "Orange and Green Melon Breakfast" was
featured in their promotional post card, and
Len's piece, "Morning Sun Light Knocking on My Cottage Door"
took second place in "Paper Collage with Acrylic and Photographic Content.  His piece "Bridge over the Concord River" (shown at left) was selected for inclusion in the MassArt's 24th Annual Benefit Auction to benefit the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston where the event will be held on Saturday, April 13Len Haug was also awarded First and Third Place Prizes in Mixed Media Category in the 8th Annual Grafton Fine Arts and Music Festival which occurred on March 23 in Grafton, MA. Congratulations Len! Visit Len's website
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Joanne Holtje's, Upcoming Events and Shows
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Joanne's work was selected for 2013 Massachusetts Artists Biennial. Three paintings by Joanne Holtje were selected for inclusion in the 2013 Massachusetts Artists Biennial at the Brush Art Gallery in Lowell, MA by juror Dina Deitsch, Curator of Contemporary Art, DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum.
This Show runs through April 13, so there is still time to check it out!
Joanne also has a figure drawing  "Young Man Seated" (picture right)
in the juried show Vision as Voice at the House of Art,
Monson, MA
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Congratulations to James O'Rourke!
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 | | Barn at Red Oak Farm |
Congratulations to Jim O'Rourke for taking First Place public voting at the Jaffrey Civic Center's Spring Art Show.
This piece also won first place for James at our very own 2013 Spring Art Show and Auction held last month.
James will also have his work on display
in Townsend Public Library (see article below).
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The Hollis Arts Society First Annual Juried
Art Exhibit
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James O'Rouke and Martha V. Munroe
will have pieces featured at
The Townsend Meeting Hall Gallery is located in the center building of the new Library/Meeting Hall/Senior Center complex at 12 Dudley Road, Townsend, MA. For more information, go to Townsend Public Library.
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Lisa Regopoulos News and Upcoming Events
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Lisa's painting, "It's the Climb" is hanging at the show and received Honorable Mention.
Lisa Regopoulos also has over 20 beautiful paintings currently on exhibit at the Princeton Branch of the Barre Bank and at the Princeton Town Hall. The exhibit is sponsored by the Princeton
Arts Society (www.princetonarts.org) and the Barre Bank. Please stop by the branch and see her work!
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Newton Art Association
| Newton Art Association has some upcoming events that may interest some readers. For example, on April 11, 2013, D'Ann Brownrigg will be demonstrating Painting Animals in Watercolor. Check out this and other activities upcoming in their newsletter. If anyone attends a demonstration, let us know how it went!
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Arts Alliance
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Arts Alliance is accepting registrations for their
Summer Drama Workshops.
For additional information on the workshops and other upcoming events visit Arts Alliance's 2013 Spring Calendar. |
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Jaffery Civic Center
Upcoming Events
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Jaffery Civic Center located at 40 Main St,Jaffrey NH has two shows that will be on display until April 20th featuring four distinctive Monadnock region artists.
- The first show is in the Auditorium Gallery, entitled,Appalachian Spring: by Kristina Wentzell and will be available to view from 5-8pm.
- Then, the second show features the work of three artists on display in the Cunningham Gallery from 5PM-7PM and is entitled Realism X3 and will feature photographs by Jim Thomas, and contemporary realist paintings by Sydney Thomas and Mary Phillips.
- Intro to Silk Painting instructor, Danis Collett on
Tuesdays: April 2, 9, 16, 23 - 6 - 8:30 pm at the
Jaffrey Civic Center, and the final class on Apr 30th will be held at Danis' studio in Peterborough. The cost is $125 -plus $15 for course materials (additional silk and some supplies will also be available for purchase). For additional information and registration, visit Danis Collett's website at Danis Collett or Jaffrey Civic Center.
Please visit the artist's websites highlighted above.
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Greater Gardner Area Chamber of Commerce Seeking Photos of Area
| GGCC is looking for photos of the greater Gardner area that we could display during our Open House event. The event will be held on Thursday, April 11th from 4:00 - 7:30 PM. The Chamber serves Ashburnham, Barre, Gardner, Hubbardston, Templeton, Westminster and Winchendon.
For more information, contact Liz Penny @ epenney@gardnerma.com.
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Monadnock Area Artists Association
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MAAA 2013 FINE ART JURIED EXHIBIT, June 28 - July 27, 2013, Jaffrey Civic Center
reception Friday, June 28th, 5-7 p.m.
If interested, follow the link below to find the application for the juried show and specifics on registering and entering.
Also, MAAA Robert O'Brien, AWS, NWS - Spectacular Flowers in Watercolor - April 20 Linda Widstrand - Mixed Media - May 18
Monadnock Area Artists Association
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Call to Artists-Princeton Farm Day
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The Princeton Agricultural Commission is pleased to announce that Princeton Farm Day 2013 will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2013 from noon to 4 pm. Four farms will be featured: Wachusett Meadow, Red Fox Farm, Hillborne Farm, and one yet to be determined. As in the past, Farm Day will be a family-oriented affair, with plenty of activities for children. Participating artists are welcome to draw or paint on-site, focusing on a farm theme, and might also consider offering hands-on activities for children. Email Walter Gowey at gowey1@msn.com or call 978-464-5592 with questions, or to sign up as a participating artist. |
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Announcing the River's Edge Arts Alliance Logo Contest
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River's Edge Arts Alliance is changing their name and with a name change comes the changing of their logo. They would like to invite you to submit your artwork to them for consideration.
They are currently seeking local artists and graphic designers of all ages to submit
The deadline for entries is May 1st, 2013 and the winning logo will be
unveiled at their Artist Appreciation Concert on Wednesday, June 19th
at Wood Park, by the river's edge.
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River's Edge Arts Alliance Seeks Trombone Players
| River's Edge Community Band is currently seeking trombone players
ages high school students through adult. For mor information and registration visit Arts Alliance.
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Creative iPhoneography Workshop with Guy Biechele
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 "Creative iPhoneography - Using Your iPhone to Expand
Your Artistic Vision" April 6, 2013, 10 am - 2:30 pm at the Sharon Arts Center, 457 Route 123, Sharon, NH
This Workshop includes "hands on" instruction in the
Sharon Arts Center's state of the art Digital Imaging Lab.
The iPhone can be a powerful tool to spark creativity and new ways of seeing the world around us. It can help us and stretch our creative boundaries. We always have it with us and can use it to capture moments in our lives in a very spontaneous and unobtrusive way. This allows us to capture images that express how we feel at a given moment and enhance our artistic vision. In this workshop we will discuss creative ways of using the iPhone. We will use downloadable applications (apps) to enhance our photos and make them more expressive. We will use our iPhones to capture images, develop them in camera, and then share our experience. This workshop is for users of the iPhone 3, iPhone 4 and more recent. Call 603-924-7256 for registration and course fee. Guy's website
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Acrylic Painting Classes with Lori MacDonald
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Lori MacDonald is accepting registrations for classes at the Boulder Art Gallery in April & May.
The Independent Acrylics Class, 5 Mondays in April, 6-8 pm, $50. This class is for painters who like to work on their own paintings from their own photographs and notes, requiring only minimal guidance along the way. Participants bring their own paints, brushes, and canvas. 
Step-by-Step Landscape Workshop, "The Farm Road" Learn to paint this idyllic Vermont farm scene (shown at left) in ONE SESSION with easy-to-follow instruction. The workshop runs 9 am-3 pm on Sat., May 11. Cost is $25 (includes the 12"x12" canvas). Students bring their own paints and brushes or may use class supplies for an additional fee of $8.
An Introduction to Acrylics for ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS
Lori MacDonald is accepting registrations now for a new class to begin on May 2nd, and continuing on Thursday evenings in May at her Gardner Studio. The 5-session class will run from 6-8:30 PM. The fee of $135 includes the tuition, large 200 ml. tubes of acrylic paint, 15 brushes in a bamboo holder, medium samples, canvas and other painting surfaces. This non-threatening class is for The Absolute Beginner. You'll find out how to mix colors, use different brushes, learn how to use acrylic mediums, paint a landscape, and other small paintings on different surfaces. It's fun. It's not hard. Really! Lori's studio is located at 205 School Street, Gardner. Visit Lori's website to find a list of other classes offered both in Gardner and at the Boulder Art Gallery in Fitchburg. Register for a class by calling 978-407-9333 or emailing Lori at macdonaldartist@yahoo.com.
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Rust Buckets and Tin Cans Exhibit by 3 GALA Members
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Images (from left to right): "Bringing Lily Home" Oil by Alicia Drakiotes,
"All Grown Up" Photograph by Brad Willard, "9876" Pastel by Louise Parmenter HammermanA group exhibition titled "Rust Buckets and Tin Cans" by artists Brad Willard, Louise Parmenter Hammerman and Alicia Drakiotes is scheduled at the Jaffrey Civic Center
(in the first floor gallery) at 40 Main St, Jaffrey, NH beginning May 31, 2013. The Opening Date for this exhibition is May 31, 2013 from 5-7PM Visit Alicia's website.
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GALA Receives 2012 Constant Contact Email Marketing All Star Award!
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For the fourth year in a row, GALA has been named an All Star by Constant Contact for demonstrating best practices in the use of email marketing.
Award winners were selected from over 500,000 organizations in recognition for setting the standard of being a responsible, engaged, professional, and successful online marketer.
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Joe Smith Accepted as Member of the ISSA
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| Joanne Holtje & Len Haug Juried into CAA Members Juried 2 Exhibit |
 Congratulations to Len Haug & Joanne Holtje!Joanne & Len both had mixed media pieces accepted into the Concord Art Association's Members Juried 2 exhibit. This exhibit showcases works of photography, drawing, mixed media, crafts, and graphics. Jurors: Kathy Halamka and Natacha Sochat. "Dilemma" (shown at left) is one of two works by Joanne to be exhibited. "Love Bug" (which won Best in Show at the GALA Fall Show) is the work by Len which will be exhibited. Joanne's blog and website Len's website
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Sundays at Dunn Park in Gardner
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Enjoy Music, Photography, Poetry and Nature on Sundays at Dunn Park! 1st Sunday of each month: "Pickin' at Dunn" bluegrass/folk jam session. 2nd Sunday of each month: "The Clique". Share your photography. 3rd Sunday of each month: Share "Poetry and Prose of the Outdoor World". 4th Sunday of each month: "The Nature of Dunn". Discuss flora/fauna & go for a nature hike. All programs begin at 1 pm and run through April (except for "Pickin at Dunn", which currently has no end date) More info
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David Preston Wells Exhibit at Fitchburg State Art Gallery
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 Fitchburg State Art Gallery presents
"When the Wheels Fall Off" by David Preston Wells
This exhibit runs through April 9.
Admission is free. More info
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Seeking Talent of All Ages
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Vinny Prendergast and The Sons of Blarney
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Second Annual Charity Event
SONS OF BLARNEY, plus
INTERNATIONAL VETERANS CHORUS
& NEW ENGLAND BRASS
3 GROUPS, ONE BIG SHOW "A SALUTE TO OUR TROOPS"
April 20, 2-4:30 pm
Dukakis Theater, Monty-Tech, Fitchburg Route 2A
TICKETS - ADULTS - $25 CHILDREN -12 & UNDER FREE
SENIORS - $20 ACTiVE MILITARY - FREE
CALL FOR TICKETS- 978-202-5396 ANYTIME. OR 978-353-9670
To benefit the Bresnahan Scouting and Community Center, Ashburnham
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New Members' Websites
| Welcome Kim Parkhurst http://etsy.com/shop/toadbriar
Welcome Jennifer Levesque http://www.zhibit.org/levesqueart.
Welcome Gill Truslow http://www.gilltruslow.com
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| More Shows, Classes, Etc. |
Fitchburg Art MuseumEvery First Thursday of the month, museum admission is free from 4 to 8 pm and tours and other activities are offered. Call 978-345-4207 for more information.
Post Road Art CenterApril: "Flower Show 2013" opening reception April 4, 5:30-8 pm.
May- "Abstract Show 2013" Opening Reception May 2nd 5:30-8:00 p.m.
Arts Alliance
Member's Exhibit. Register by 4/25. Drop-off 4/27, 9-11 am. Reception: 5/2, 5:30-7 pm.
For more info on this & upcoming exhibit opportunities. Registration form (all exhibits).KEENE ART GARAGE SALE Artists and craftspeople clean their closets, and you get the treasures they find! It's gonna be big! An art garage sale, featuring all the stuff artists and craftspeople don't
want/can't use/don't have room for anymore.... Art and craft supplies, frames, seconds, discontinued work, UFOs (Unfinished Objects-projects, prototypes, stuff that just never got done), displays, booth stuff, etc. Anything and everything that's filling up our studio/workshop/attic/garage that YOU can use to make your own art! Some space still available. http://monadnockareaartists.org/News/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/keenegaragesale.pdf Art & Music Instruction OpportunityThe West Boylston Arts Foundation (WBAF) is always looking for artists, crafters, or musicians that would like to offer workshops or classes. Donating a portion of the course fee to the WBAF to support school arts & music would be most welcome. If interested, please contact Mark Baldi (508) 767-2803 - work (508) 835-6489 - home 64 MILES: The Ashuelot River Art Exhibit & Sale, July through Sept. of 2013 at the Historical Society of Cheshire County. Registrations are open until May 1, 2013.Go to the 64 Miles Facebook page for a registration form and a map marking off dams and points of interest or contact the coordinator of the event, Alicia Drakiotes at adrakiotes@webryders.net. Websites of Interest to Artists
Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) and check out the MCC blog ArtSake. The Painter's Keys where you can subscribe to twice weekly letters from artist Robert Genn. Visit the Arts Marketing Project website for info, ideas, tools and training on marketing art. Princeton Arts Society Blog
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| Art Exhibit Opportunities | |
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Passing of the GALA Newletter Torch
| Thank you and Goodluck to Anna Ruuska!
As some of you may have already heard, Anna Ruuska is relinquishing her newsletter torch and passing it onto Sue Weber. We want to say a special thanks to Anna for her devotion and hard work on this GALA Gem. Over the years, Anna has developed a wonderful communication tool to reach everyone interested in the artistic community of Gardner. The GALA Newsletter has been a wonderful means to keep informed about the upcoming events such as shows, exhibits, and opportunities for members to share their talents in the community. It also serves to report on how members' have done in past shows and events. With the large membership and a great number of talented artists in the community, this task of bringing the news to everyone has been a huge undertaking, and Anna has worked very hard to ensure accurate, interesting articles for the members and the community over the past five years. Anna leaves the newsletter to allow her time to spend on other endeavors. Of course with all the extra time she'll have now, perhaps we will see even more of her photography in the newsletters to come?!
As we say goodbye and thank you to Anna and her literary talent, we will say hello to the new torch holder, Sue Weber. Sue is a local amateur artist who, when not working on her art, works as an RN at a local rehabilitation and nursing facility. She looks forward to presenting an informative, fun, interesting newsletter that will continue to serve the artist community.
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Newsletter Submissions
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Have news about awards, shows, events, classes, or new gallery representation?
Have an article you would like to submit?
Please send it "publication ready", as we need to minimize the need for editing.
Send submissions including your contact info
to Sue Weber at suwebr@yahoo.com or the GALA mailing address.
Submission deadline is the 21st of each month.
Inclusion of items/announcements is always at the discretion of GALA,
but inclusion of submissions from non-members is limited to
information deemed to be of benefit to GALA members.
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