President's Letter
Dear Friends,

About a year ago, I was elected President of the Guild, and what a year I have had! Lightning strikes, new board members and new exhibitions, old standbys like Summer Camp and annual juried shows, and many new faces - 2012-2013 has been packed with thrills and not a little sweat! 
                       
I am looking forward to a new calendar year at the Guild, but I hope the coming year will be a bit less dramatic. I am very grateful to everyone for the hard, hands-on work that got done here and for the great ideas that became reality. The level of the Guild's programs has risen to new heights. Best of all, people from all over are recognizing that the Guild of Artists is a destination for high-quality exhibitions, fun gifts from Festive Home, great summer camp, artist walk & talks, classes, and generally a cool place to hang out. We have to attribute our new level of fame to great press coverage, word-of-mouth praise and to our new presence on social media sites. Wow!

 

On June 21 I presented the 2012-2013 Annual Report and plans for the next year. If you would like a copy of the Annual Report emailed to you, please send an email to Joan ([email protected]).

Have a great summer, and I look forward to seeing all of you around Summer Camp or at Bedlam in August!

Cheers,

Mary Louise

The Women: A Blockbuster Show for the Guild

The Women exhibit ran from May until June 23 this year. It was a fantastic show, and there were many Artist Walk & Talks, a book signing, a film screening, a poetry reading, and a Maker's Night that showcased the work of some of the artists who exhibited. The Guild had record attendances at all the events, and a good time was had all around!  

 

 Kudos to curator Nancy Moore for putting all these amazing artists together and putting on a memorable show.  

 

One very interesting Sunday afternoon event was "A" by Mixed Media Performing Artist and Artist-in-Residence Adelka Polak. Polak performed "A" on Sunday, May 26, accompanied by Sound Artist Michael Pestel and fellow AIR Justin Perlman. The outdoors performance was a first at the Guild. A week of rainy weather cleared for the day of the show, and we had an idyllic outdoor setting for this well-attended event.   

 

Manipulating found objects, Polak created an otherworldly atmosphere out of domestic tools and antiques, such as a clothesline strung with antique fabric and hoop skirts. Sound artist and flutist Pestel's beautiful and unusual instruments often comically surprised the audience. Pestel was not the only sound maker. Perlman installed contact microphones that picked up every stroke of his charcoal or oil stick while Polak incorporated both breath and sound into her motions. This conversational symphony of artistic media opened the audience's imagination and had them asking for more performances like this at the Guild. Yes!

 

Artists Salon Summer Schedule

Please join us this summer for our salon nights. We have a great time meeting artists on an informal basis, talking about everything under the sun, and enjoying BYOB and snacks.  

Dates are Friday, July 26, and Friday, August 16, 7:30-9:30 PM
Summer Camp 2013
Summer camp returns this year with some fabulous new additions along with tried and true old favorites! We kick off our first week just for 5-7 year-olds with The Art of Fun, taught by Kim Hanna. For older campers, our new sessions include Introduction to Art with Laura McCormick, Nature Art with Adelka Polak, and Kim Hanna's The Art of Fun. Returning favorites include Jewelry Design, Photography, Sculpture, Knitting, Project Runway, Murals For Kids, and Sewing. What a blast!

 

Camp starts on July 1 with weekly sessions running through August 9.

 

For more information about summer camp, please click here. 

 


Chairish Ridgefield
Decorate an Adirondack Chair for Ridgefield! The Chamber of Commerce is once again having its Chairish Ridgefield silent auction event on Saturday, July 20 to benefit Destination Ridgefield. If you would like to participate with the Guild's chair decorating, please contact the Guild, or you can purchase and decorate your own chair from the Chamber (call the Chamber at 203 438 5992).
Bedlam Member Show

Bedlam is a members-only, hang-your-own show that is really fun. Entry fees are by the nail - $10 a nail for a work up to 36 inches in any direction. Get ready to bring in two of your favorite pieces on Friday or Saturday, August 23-24, 12-4pm. The opening for Bedlam is on Saturday, August 23, 4-6pm. Bring your friends! The show closes on Wednesday, September 11. 

   

If you can help co-chair this show, please email the Guild.
Bedlam is a relatively easy show to run, since we do not have a regular receiving/installation process for it, but we do need some help collecting fees and handing out nails, setting up the opening, and giving back unsold work. Co-chairing a show is a great way to get more involved, network, and have a good time, too.  
36th Annual Juried Show - Save the Dates!

The 36th Annual Juried Show will be juried by NYC gallery owner, Jacquie Littlejohn, and we at the Guild couldn't be more pleased! In 1984, Littlejohn opened her gallery Littlejohn Contemporary that is currently located in Chelsea. The gallery represents a diverse group of mid-career artists and presents a variety of genres. Ms. Littlejohn has served as Juror for many national competitions including NYU's Annual Small Works Show and the Annual Members' Show of The National Arts Club. In 2003-04 Littlejohn served on the Executive Capital Campaign Committee of the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Ridgefield. She currently serves on the Arts Advisory Board for a prep school in MA and on the board of Fairfield County's Aspetuck Land Trust.

 

Co-chairs for the exhibition are Richard Ventre and Erin Nazzaro. The Annual Juried Show is open to all regional artists working in all media, and hand-delivery is required. This year the prospectus will be online only, and new entry forms will be available at receiving (no more copying the information 3 times!). Check our web site for the full prospectus later this summer. Receiving begins on Friday, Sept. 13, and the exhibition opens on Saturday, September 28 and closes on October 26. Cash prizes will be awarded.
9th Annual Festive Home
The Festive Home committee is busying finalizing plans with decorators and designers who will create wonderful vignettes again this year. As in past years, decorators are asked to pick member art for their vignettes. Members are encouraged to contact the Guild with an image and a link to their blog, web site, Facebook page, etc. so that decorators can see your incredible artwork. This is a great way to showcase your work, but if you aren't on our web site, the decorators won't be able to consider your art. So hurry! They must make their choices by September at the latest.
Art Walk 2014
In just over a year, the Guild will be launching Art Walk 2014. Right now, Board member Pam Stoddart and Ridgefield Arts Council President Alison Greeley are beginning to plan this event. They will need many hands to make this happen for Ridgefield, and if you are interested in participating in the planning committee, please contact the Guild. Art Walk 2014 is tentatively scheduled for August 21, 2014, and the whole town to be involved.
In This Issue
An Art Gallery Inside
"This Old House"
The Guild is housed in an old barn that was once part of a Seminary, now known as Ridgefield Congregate Housing. At one time, our building was home to hay and animals, and today we value the rustic quality of the facility. However, the building is quite fragile and takes a beating with hundreds of visitors at each exhibition. We reckon that the Guild has several thousand visitors a year, and it is important to keep our spaces safe and comfortable, so that you--and those visitors--return again and again.

This year, we had to upgrade our fire alarm system and surge protection for our computers, and most recently, the air conditioner in the main gallery space had to be replaced. We also cleaned and cleared the basement so that we could plan its renovation into classroom and studio space. With its great natural light and big doors, the lower level presents a wonderful opportunity for the Guild to expand its reach to new artist members and the wider community, but the basement has major leak issues.

All these repairs and renovations require a great deal of money, and the Guild needs a capital improvement fund going forward. If you can help with fund-raising and a plan for the renovation, please contact Mary Louise as soon as possible.   

Working together, we can make the Guild of Artists an even more amazing arts center!

Help Wanted: Volunteers & Instructors at the Guild
The Guild needs all sorts of
volunteers, and if you have an hour or two, or longer, please contact Joan at the Guild. From lock repairs to typing and everything in between, we need help!

The Guild currently needs new instructors to offer programs for students of all ages. If you are interested in creating a class in any specialty you have, please let us know. We want to expand our curriculum this year, and we would love to hear from you.

Child & Adult Classes
Visit our website for the latest classes for all. rgoa.org
     
Grants & Gifts
In 2013, the Guild received grants and gifts from several community organizations. We are so grateful to the Ridgefield Thrift Store, the Rotary Club, the Nutmeg and Ridgefield Chapters of the National Charity League, and the Lewis Fund for their generous support. Without donations like these, the Guild could not operate.  
 
If you know of a charitable foundation that we could approach for funds, please contact Mary Louise at the Guild.  

Summer Camp Interns
The Summer Camp is looking for interns to help out during all our weekly sessions. This is a fun and exciting opportunity for anyone who would like to work wtih children! Contact Joan at the Guild for more information if you are interested in assisting camp instructors. 

Guild Membership
Not a member? Please support the Guild by becoming a member today. Thank you! 
Click here to join/renew.

   
Satellite Gallery Opportunities
An important member benefit is being able to display your art work around Ridgefield in businesses. Contact Cindi Mullins ([email protected]) to have your art considered for use in one of our satellite galleries.

New Board Member for Social Media

New Eblast &
 Web Site Editor
We welcome Keisha Luzzi-Paul to RGA's Board! Keisha will be looking after the Guild's social media presence and already tweets for the Guild. If you would like to find us on Twitter, follow us @RidgefieldArts.   Thanks to Keisha and Sara Hickman, both new volunteers this year, the Guild's presence on Twitter, the web, Facebook and various blogs and sites has grown tremendously. Katelyn Borbely also recently joined the Guild's team. She has been sending out eblasts and updating the web site for the Guild since April. We are so lucky to have Keisha and Katelyn! Thanks for taking the Guild to new levels of fame!

Member News
Don't forget to send us any news about yourself so we can post it on our web site. And, be sure to send Joan an image of your work and link to your own web site so it can be listed on our members' page.

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