Letter from the President
As we enter the New Year, many of us will make New Year’s resolutions. This year, I hope you add being an active partner in Madison Art Society to your list. Scientists have proven what we all knew all along, that happiness is contagious and others can inspire us to be happy and creative. If you attended our great demonstrations last year, it would be difficult not to be inspired by the artist’s work and comments. The Board of Directors and I have worked hard to expand opportunities for you to display your art work, attend demos, and paint outdoors and at the Winter Studio. We also have been seeking collaborations with local community groups to benefit them and expose the community to our art work (i.e., Scranton Library, Friends of Bauer Park, Friends of Hammonassett, and the Deacon Grave House).
I hope that all of you will take the opportunity to enter the 34th Madison Art Society Member Show this year. Beth Wardwell and Joe Veckerelli are the co-chairs this year. The Receiving Date is Saturday, January 31st, 2009 from 9 -12 at the Scranton Library. Our reception is on Friday, February 6th from 5 – 7 P.M., the Artist Critique will be held with Lou Bonamarte, a renowned artist, on Sunday, February8th from 1 – 4 P.M. at the Scranton Library (photo) and Fred Biamonte, docent and lecturer at the New Britain Museum of American Art and Curatorial Research Assistant at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme will giving a talk on John Hopper on Wednesday, February 11th at 6:30 at the Scranton Library in the Community Room (2 photos).
The Board of Directors and I have been very busy developing plans for 2009. There are exciting demonstrations that are being planned, the Winter Studio has 20 members, a Juried Show is coming up in May and we are waiting to hear about our approval for the 501C3 Federal Non-Profit status. Last year, we re-wrote our Bylaws. One of the key items in the Bylaws was the need for our members to volunteer their time throughout the year to provide our membership with continued opportunities to showcase their artwork. Please take the time to fill out the attached Volunteer Form and mail it to us. If each of our over 200 members did their part to volunteer, we can continue to plan in providing new programs and increase our chances to showcase our art. Please help us during the year and take a minute to fill out the form and let us know what new programs you would like us to pursue in the future.
Beverly Schirmeier
Eggplant, oil, Gloria Nilsson
Dick Christofferson
Jan Blencowe September Field, Chroma Interactive Acrylics
Jay Babina, a Branford artist, graduated from the Silvermine College of Art in 1966 and continued his art education at the University of Bridgeport where he graduated from the school of Graphic Design. Although fine art painting has always remained a dominate force, he worked in Advertising Agencies and Graphic Design studios where he did a substantial amount of illustration from simple hands holding tools to the more complex full color renderings of situations and events. Jay is a member of the Madison Art Society and the Lyme Art Association and is an active painter at this time.
Betsey Piner, a Madison artist, has always loved art. She was given a tackle box with tubes of oil paints and brushes at the age of 8. Her first oil painting lessons were from a family friend when she was in grammar school in Indianapolis. After school, she would take the bus to her friend's home and we would paint. Betsey formally studied at the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis and later, in Youngstown Ohio at the Butler Institute of American Art. She attended Ohio University as a Fine Arts major. Marriage and children took the middle of her life. Upon reaching a quieter time of life, she has renewed her passion for painting. Betsey's career has encompassed scientific illustration at the Smithsonian Institution, technical illustration and graphic design & production. Madison has been her home for more than 30 years. She is now enjoying semi retirement, and spending time painting and with her wonderful husband, Harry.
offers a slide-illustrated lecture:
“Edward Hopper: The Color of Silence”
Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 6.30 pm – 8:00 pm
Psychobiographer Fred Biamonte will present a private glimpse into Hopper’s life, his disturbing adolescence, and his turbulent relationship with his wife. These experiences fostered themes of loneliness, isolation, voyeurism, and eroticism in his art.
Biamonte has been a docent and lecturer at the New Britain Museum of American Art for five years. He was also a Curatorial Research Assistant at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme.
He has given recent talks on: George de Forest Brush, Mary Cassatt, Connecticut Impressionists, Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Willard Metcalf, William Trost Richards, John Singer Sargent, John Twachtman, Johannes Vermeer, and Andrew Wyeth.
The Madison Art Society
offers a slide-illustrated lecture:
“Edward Hopper: The Color of Silence”
Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 6.30 pm – 8:00 pm
Lou Bonamarte
Twenty Madison Art Society members have signed up to meet on Mondays at the St. Andrews Church. Two still-life setups will be brought in each Monday or artists can bring in their own inspirations. After painting from 9 -2 P.M, the artists will gather around for an hour and provide each other with feedback on their paintings. What a great way to spend 10 Mondays in the winter.
Ellen Fabian at the Winter Studio
Patricia Anderson
Karen Anderson
Pat Barone
Terry Bogan
Mike Boyd
Denise Casey
Penny Chittenden/Maude Schmidt (share time)
Bill Crawford
Grace Crawford
Ellen Fabian
Sandy Kensler
Betsey Lupkas
Gloria Nilsson
Janet Rood
Maryanne Rupp
Patricia Seakamp
Beverly Schirmeier
Sandra Smith
Paula Solimene
Going Green
Although we will still be sending the MAS Hilights during the year, we are reducing the number of issues. Over a quarter of our Annual Budget was being used for producing the MAS Hilights and postage. Using the email will allow us to keep in touch with you more frequently and get notices out in a timely manner. Our BOD Members have a designated list of members and they will be either calling or emailing you too.
Please make sure that Maude Schmidt, our Membership Chairperson, has your updated email address and if you have changed the address in the past year, please let her know. She can be reached at mws3637@sbcglobal. Jan Blencowe has done a wonderful job keeping our web site up to date. Please continue to check it out at www.madisonartsociety @blogspot.com. If you have your own web site or art shows in which you will be involved, send Jan your website address or information to add to our list of artists (jan.blencowe@comcast.net).
Coming Up......
34th Madison Art Society Member Show
Beth Wardwell and Joe Veckerelli are the co-chairs this year. The Receiving Date is Saturday, January 31st, 2009 from 9 -12 at the Scranton Library. Our reception is on Friday, February 6th from 5 – 7 P.M
Members Show Co-chairs, Beth Wardwell and Joe Veckerelli
34th Annual Juried Show
The co-chairs for the 34th Annual Juried Show will be Denise Casey, Karen Wiesner, and Sandra Kensler. There are always thousands of dollars worth of prizes that are awarded so start now creating a winning painting or sculpture to enter the show on May 2nd at the Scranton Library from 9-12. The reception is on Friday, May 8th from 5 – 7 p.m. We will need your help during Receiving, Jurying, Hanging, Reception and Sitting in the gallery during the show. Please list your name on the volunteer portion of the questionnaire.
Questionnaire
For the past few years, we have mailed you a questionnaire so that you have a chance to voice your opinion and be part of our planning process. About a third of you participate and the Board of Directors uses this information in planning the year’s events and setting strategies. Please take the few minutes to fill it out and mail it to B. Schirmeier, 76 Malabar Drive, Westbrook, CT 06498.
Please return to B. Schirmeier
76 Malabar Drive
Westbrook, CT 06497
MAS SURVEY AND REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEER SERVICES
NAME: _________________________________________________
ADDRESS: _______________________________________________
EMAIL: _________________________________________________
QUESTIONNAIRE:
How many MAS art shows did you participated in 2008?
Circle: One Two Three or More
Did you visit our web site? Circle - YES or NO
Would you download our newsletter and prospectus material for art shows from a web site? YES ___ or NO ___
Would you attend the demos more if they were held:
Circle: Day Time - Night - Weekend - Does not make any difference?
Name of Artist you would like to see? ____________________________
Willing to pay a minimal amount? YES ___ NO ____
Circle all of the MAS events you participated in last year:
Member Show Critique Night
Artist Demos: Circle : One Two Three or More
Winter Art Studio
Plein Air Painters On-site
Members Open House – September
Court Yard Art Sales
Member Show
Jury Show
Madison Town Center Showcase for Art Work
Bank Monthly Display
Volunteer Services. Please fill out:
We expect members to volunteer services. Please check off the services that you would be willing to volunteer to help in 2009.
- Chair or Co-Chair Art Show
- Receiving Committee for Art Shows
- Receptions – Chair or Reception Staff– Bring Food or handle wine bar
- Hang Art Shows
- Type News Items or Art Show Brochures
- Publicity or Marketing. Distribute Posters
- Demos. Find artist, set up, bring refreshments, help set up chairs
- Serve as an Officer or on the Board of Directors?
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