Wilmette Arts Guild Newsletter Fall/Winter 2007
2008 is our 20th Anniversary - The Wilmette Arts Guild needs YOU!
This year's marvelous festival was held on a lovely autumn weekend in a spacious new downtown location – and we have already begun planning for Festival 2008! The annual Galleries Lottery will be held soon and then the four galleries changeover weekends for 2008 will be determined. Several special programs and regular monthly critiques are planned, and February's Annual Student Show hanging and Awards Reception will be here sooner than we think – and this is WAG's "quiet" time of year!
To carry out our mission, we need new board members to join the planning, and we need new volunteers to help with our galleries, exhibit hangings, festival, office work and fund-raising. Money and cash flow continues to be a major challenge, exacerbated by new budget cuts in Illinois' arts funding. We plan to add much-needed corporate sponsorships to our festival to cover vital marketing costs of our biggest annual event.
These may be tasks and topics which many of our artist members would rather ignore, but they are very real concerns for our guild's continuation. This is a crucial moment in WAG's twenty year history. We've been through several stages of growth and different styles of leadership. Some current board members have held office for long periods and need to retire; others are happy to continue chairing committees but they need helpers and trainees for the future. Please read the comments and questions by this year's Community Arts Development Resident, Cynthia Gehrie, which appear on page 5.
Currently a four-person nominating committee is grappling with developing different leadership roles and is actively recruiting new board and committee members who can pitch in and bring fresh ideas and energy. NOW is your chance to participate, become involved, meet new people and to help our guild thrive. Call the office at 847-256-2080 or send an email to wilmetteartsguil@aol.com and let us know you're out there and willing to pitch in!
The Wilmette Arts Guild, Wilmette Chapter of Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Wilmette Public Library present:
"Sight & Sound: Opera and the Visual Arts"
Sunday, October 21, 4:00 PM
A Special Slide Presentation by Jeffrey Nigro
Director of Adult Programs, The Art Institute of Chicago
Discover the creative influences between art and opera in the age of Romanticism. In the 19th century, artists such as Henri Fantin-Latour, Odilon Redon, and Eugène Delacroix observed opera for ideas, just as composers like Hector Berlioz and Richard Wagner studied great painting and sculpture for inspiration. Come and see how the two art forms merge.
Jeffrey Nigro became Director of Adult Programs in 2004, and has led Art Institute trips to Italy, Greece, and Germany. He received the Art Institute Chairman's Award for outstanding service in 2003. Mr. Nigro received his B.A. at Oberlin College and his M.A. at the University of Virginia in 1986, the same year he became a regular subscriber to Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Sunday, October 21, 2007 at 4:00 p.m. in the Wilmette Public Library Auditorium, 1242 Wilmette Avenue (847-256-5025). Complimentary refreshments.
Interview with Catherine Priest, oil painter
MG: How did you become an artist?
It was nurtured in me as a child. My mom, who is an artist, set up an art room in the basement, and I won a scholarship to study art at St. Mary's in Notre Dame, IN. I studied in Rome, Italy for a year and became really intrigued by the paintings of the Renaissance, and the fact that for centuries people have to see and enjoy that artwork. I got a nursing and art degree. When I was working as a nurse, I saw a piece of art on a patient's wall. She said she had started painting at 85 and that spurred me to jump back into my art 100%. I didn't want to wait until I was 85. I've done my art full time for over a decade now and love every minute of it.
The teachers at the Palette & Chisel have been best for my needs recently. I got interested in Richard Schmid's work and a lot of his former students continue to paint there. I worked in oils and did figure drawing and portrait work there. They have a tremendous fundamentals class there that goes over all the basics.
MG: Have your tried other media?
When I was in Rome I learned to paint in oils for the first time. Susan Fenton was our teacher there, and I got the basics – stretching canvases, getting used to the medium. It takes a long time. When we were first married we lived in Maine and I worked out of P.S. Gallery in Ogunquit, doing all value studies and graphite renderings. It was good for getting more of the basics down. Then when we had enough money I was able to return to painting in oils.
MG: What do you consider your greatest successes?
Overall, that I've been able to establish a commission art business for myself. A lot of it is portraiture, but some is also florals and landscapes. The nice thing for me is to get to know a person and his or her desires and to create a piece tailored for that individual. "Visual images touch and communicate so clearly" – that's what I learned in Italy and it says what I'm trying to achieve. I try to really capture the essence of the people in portraiture, or if it's a scene of a place that a family visits in the summer, to capture it for them to enjoy all year ‘round. My husband says that I'm "the artist who makes people cry" because they get weepy when they pick up their commissions.
At a recent conference of the Portrait Society of America, Daniel Green, Scot Burdick and Michael Shane Neal gave inspiring portrait demonstrations. I keep seeking out the best that I can find; my goal is always to improve my skills.
A year ago I applied to a big competition at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and I was selected for a commission piece that I think will hang in the waiting room of the labor and delivery room at Prentice Women's Hospital. It's exciting because that will pull together my strength in portrait work and will be a scene of children playing down by the lake, so it will be landscape and portraiture together. It's another way to nurture people in the hospital; it's fun that my art connects with my nursing career. I always search for imagery that conveys life, joy and serenity.
Cathy Priest lives in Wilmette with her husband Steve and daughter Katie. Her two sons Michael and James are out of the nest. Her artwork is found in private and corporate collections throughout the U.S., Canada, Japan and the Bahamas and can be seen at www.CathyPriest.com.
Congratulations! Members in the News
Lindsay Brown, Ginger Mallard, Fran Mazur and Michael Latala were prize winners in the 2007 Friends of the Wilmette Library juried art show. Other WAG members accepted into the exhibit were Bonnie Zak, Judith Edelman, Florence Jesser and Christine Porter.
Rita F. Price won Best in Show for her monotype "Winter's Thaw" in the Response to the Muse Exhibition, Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach, FL, April 2007.
Marge Meyers Graham is now represented by The Red Door Gallery in Ludington, MI and has six giclees of watercolors in St. Mary's Hospital, Madison, WI.
Galleries Update for October 2007 until January, 2008
The 2008 Galleries Lottery forms are out, so be sure to fill yours out and return it by the deadline!
- Boris' Café, 972 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka - Beverly Behrens, Patricia Rodgers and Brian Sauerland
- Chinoiserie Cafe, 509 4th St. - Mary Jo Bowers, Linda Carroll, Beverly Fleischman & Lee Fidrych
- Coldwell Banker Real Estate, 350 Linden Ave. - Fran Mazur, Jodi Moll, Verna Todd & Ellen Weisbard
- Curves, 110 Central Ave. - Peggy Lipschutz
- Don Olson State Farm Insurance, 417 Linden Ave. - Ari Furuya, Ralph Greenhow & Christine Ruch
- Edens Bank (Main Office), 3245 W. Lake Ave. - Gloria Moschel
- Edens Bank (Branch Office), 915 Ridge Road - Pat Petersen
- Lakeside Interiors, 1111 Central Ave. - Gloria Moschel
- Mrs. D's Wilmette Diner, 415 Fourth St. - Arlene S. Jerva
- North Shore Community Bank, 1145 Wilmette Ave. - Ralph Greenhow
- Prairie Shore Properties, 1109 Central Ave. - Sandra Holubow
- Premier Bank, 1210 Central Ave. - Barbara Roseman, Daina Roseman, Val Rothschild and Kay Thomas
- The Roman Room Hair Care Studio, 809 Ridge Rd., Suite 1 North, Wilmette - Lindsay Brown
- Wilmette. Park District Community Recreation Center., 3000 Glenview Rd. - Judith Edelman, Jerry Landsman & Daina Roseman
As always, we are very grateful for all the help we receive with the galleries from Karen Reeder, JoAnn Dominic, Marge Graham, Ginger Mallard, Jodi Moll, Jutta Peddinghaus and Donna Rice.
Programs & Classes for Fall 2007/Winter 2008
Watercolor Basics with Marge Graham and guest instructor Gloria Moschel
Come and learn why watercolor is NOT as difficult as people say it is! Bring your own watercolor supplies (paper, paint and brushes); list provided upon request. Please register by October 15. $15 per class or $60 (non-members) $52 (members) for 4 sessions. This workshop will continue next winter. Enrollment limited. WAG Studio, 1131 Central, Wilmette.
4 Thursdays, 1:00 – 3:30 PM; Oct. 18, Nov. 1, 15 and 29.
"Sight & Sound: Opera and the Visual Arts": Special Slide Presentation by Jeffrey Nigro
Discover the creative influences between art and opera in the age of Romanticism. Come and see how the two arts merge. Jeffrey Nigro became the Art Institute's Director of Adult Programs in 2004, and has led Art Institute trips to Italy, Greece, and Germany. This unique program is co-sponsored with WAG by the Wilmette Chapter of Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Wilmette Public Library; see detailed write-up on page 1. Wilmette Public Library Auditorium, free admission and complimentary refreshments.
Sunday, Oct. 21, 4:00 PM
First Tuesday Studio Critiques with WAG Board Members
Informal critique sessions are very helpful and supportive. Bring several of your current projects for monthly positive feedback from peer artists. Free to WAG members. 1131 Central Ave., Wilmette.
First Tuesdays, 7:00 – 9:00 PM: Nov. 6, Dec. 4, Jan. 8, Feb. 5 and Mar. 4.
Artists' Movie Night: Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film, Part 1See Art Flicks on page X and join us to watch the seventh in our series of powerful films about the lives of artists. "He was the most American of artists and the most artistic of Americans; so American in fact that he is almost invisible to us." Combining powerful on-camera interviews and rare still and motion picture footage, this documentary is the first to put Warhol himself – his humble family background and formative experiences in Pittsburg, and his crucial apprenticeship as a commercial artist in New York – back into the presentation of his life. Directed by Ric Burns and narrated by Laurie Anderson. Approx. 120 mins. Wilmette Public Library auditorium; free admission.
Monday, November 26, 6:30-8:30 PM
True Life Adventures of A Couple of Married Artists: Fran Mazur & Michael Latala
What is it like when BOTH members of a married couple are serious, prize-winning professional artists? WAG members Fran and Michael will share with us some of their challenges, adventures and secrets of success in this unique and personal program. Wil. Pub. Lib. auditorium; free admission.
Monday, January 21, 7:00 – 8:30 PM
To register for a course, or for more information, call 847-256-2080 or email: wilmetteartsguil@aol.com. You may pay upon arrival by cash or check; sorry, no credit cards accepted.
Notes and Questions from Cynthia Gehrie
Since last May, WAG has had the benefit of a resident in Community Arts Development. Artist and anthropologist Cynthia Gehrie has attended many board, committee and community group meetings, contributed her observations, has done routine office duty and even photo-documented the festival. We are extremely grateful that Cynthia was interested and able to work with us all through this summer and into the fall. Here are some of her thoughts and questions for us:
In general, the arts are losing momentum economically. Artists are leaving the practice of art in a saturated market. In general, guild members seek more opportunities to market their art, and more buyer traffic at these events. New members tend to be both Festival participants and local artists seeking to exhibit and sell their work. Some look for the program, critique, and demo]programs offered by the league, as well.
WAG is a volunteer organization run by a small group of artists and the ongoing leadership is mostly older members. There is a shortage of volunteers, particularly in hosting the Wilmette Arts Festival.
Here are some questions that the new board is likely to consider in the coming year.
How can attendance and sales at the Wilmette Arts Festival be improved? How can visitors best be directed to the Festival (signs, etc)? How can publicity be increased? What is a realistic budget needed to attract a wider attendance? Could this be raised through corporate sponsors? The Des Plaines Art Guild combines its Art Fair with a Taste of Des Plaines community event that draws thousands. Would it be a good idea to tie the Festival to a downtown event, that would include night entertainments? (A huge crowd came to the Wilmette birthday party, where there were food and on-stage music attractions in the main street.) Is it realistic for local artist groups to continue to host community art fairs, when professional groups are staging, publicizing, and importing new artists in nearby communities (Highland Park and Lake Forest?) Does WAG have the volunteer power and expertise to improve the WAG festival to a higher level?
Can volunteer hours by WAG members be increased? Should there be a service requirement for participation in the Gallery Lottery? This might be met either through an additional service fee, or a minimum number of volunteer hours? Might some of this support be found among volunteers who support the arts, although they are not practicing artists?
What is the best way to keep a year around exhibit and organizational presence in the community? Now we have a small business/meeting office in downtown Wilmette, the Gallery Lottery, and use the Wilmette Public Library for large exhibits and programs (Members' exhibit, movie nights, demonstration speakers, etc.) Compare this to the Deer Path Art League which has ongoing exhibits at its Deer Path Gallery. The Artists of Dickinson Hall hangs member shows at the Northern Trust Bank in Lake Forest. The North Shore Art League has studio and gallery space in the Winnetka Community House. Do we need more board members who live in Wilmette to work as a group to develop closer relationships with the village staff, and commissions/boards/trustees?
Are there fundraising and donation actions that WAG can take? WAG raised $2000 last year from a donation letter to members. Should we recruit board members to work on these kinds of fund-raising actions? Should a current event like the member show be restructured into a fund raising event?
Should WAG look for grants to use in developing the arts in the community and, schools? What kinds of projects might be developed through grants? Who would write these grants?
How might the WAG office be organized to better support board members responsible for operating the organization, and volunteers who take on project, program and event responsibilities? Is a part time staff person the best way to go to carry out these organizational/management responsibilities? (The North Shore Art League has an office in the Winnetka Community House and 4 part-time office staff.) There is a basic need for someone to respond to phone calls, forward mail and messages to the people who are in charge of them, and to track the execution of organizational responsibilities.
Artists' Awards for Wilmette Arts Guild 2007 Festival of Fine Arts
WAG was proud to give out the following prizes at the Artists' Awards Breakfast on Sunday, September 16, 2007, following a welcome address by Wilmette Village President Chris Canning.
Festival 2007 Award Winners with Chris Canning, Wilmette Village President
1st prize $1,000: Jacque- line Gnott, watercolors, South Bend, IN
2nd prize $750: Glen Sung, oils, Kailua-Kona, HI
3rd prize $500: Miguel Munguia, onyx sculpture, Evanston, IL
Patron's Awards $100: Richard Campbell, acrylics, Wilmette, IL; Susan Daly, ink drawings, Lake Barrington, IL; Igor Menaker, photographs, Grayslake, IL; Jeffrey Nelson, wood inlay, New Windsor, NY; Hans Olson, oils, Iowa City, IA
Merchants' Purchase Awards $100: Prairie Shores Properties - Bonnie Eastwood, mixed media, Hudson, FL; Premier Bank - Julie Ressler, watercolors, Chicago, IL; North Shore Community Bank - Susan Daly, ink drawings, Lake Barrington, IL; Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg - Phil Smith, mixed media, Deerfield, IL
The People's Choice Award $50: Xin Zhang, oils, Gurnee, IL
WAG President Marge Graham with First Place winner Jacqueline Gnott, watercolorist
Art Flicks by Kristen Beaulieu
What do you think about Andy Warhol? If you are the least bit interested in modern art, chances are you've seen the soup cans and the portraits of Marilyn Monroe. You have heard his theory about everyone's 15 minutes of fame. But what do you make of all of it? Andy Warhol was notoriously evasive about the thoughts and feelings that informed his work; he was even called "the artist as an escape artist." In Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film, Ric Burns has created a masterful exploration of the important themes in Warhol's work: fame, celebrity and mass culture to be sure, but also Warhol's less well-known obsessions: religion, money, work, democracy, death, physical beauty and art itself.
Warhol's life is fascinating - the rise from poverty, his days as a commercial artist, his break into the world of fine art, hobnobbing with celebrities, the bizarre "Factory" days, the shooting, his business enterprises later in life, and his untimely death - but Burns treats it without sensationalism, always focusing on his work and its meaning.
I highly recommend this film to any artist -- it's inspiring to see how Warhol's work both commented on and shaped world he lived in. Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film first aired in 2006 as part of The American Masters series on PBS and is now out on DVD.
Join us on Monday, November 26, 6:30 – 8:30 in the Wilmette Lib. Auditorium for Part 1)
Mark Your Calendar!
- Oct. 18 1:00 - 3:30 PM — Watercolor Basics begins (4 sessions)
- Oct. 21 4:00 - 6:00 PM — Sight & Sound: Opera and the Visual Arts by Jeffrey Nigro
- Nov. 6 7:00 - 9:00 PM — Critique
- Nov. 26 6:30 - 8:30 PM — Monday night film, Andy Warhol: A Documentary, Part I
- Dec. 4 7:00 - 9:00 PM — Critique
- Jan. 8 7:00 - 9:00 PM — Critique
- Jan. 21 7:00 - 8:30 PM — True Adventures of Married Artists Fran Mazur & Michael Latala
- Feb. 5 7:00 - 9:00 PM — Critique
- Mar. 4 7:00 - 9:00 PM — Critique
A note to WAG from the mother of 2007 Scholarship winner, Christine Sciortino:
Thank you for your kind and generous support of our daughter. She is LOVING New York City. We will always have a fond memory of her winning this scholarship. Thank you again for all that you do for the kids in our community.
Mission Statement:
The Wilmette Arts Guild encourages, supports and promotes the development of the visual arts in a welcoming spirit of creative community.
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Kristen Beaulieu
Wayne Brewer
Lindsay Brown
Richard Campbell
LeRoy Cox
JoAnn Dominic
Marjorie Graham
Ralph Greenhow
Joan Hall
Ginger Mallard
Jodi Moll
Gloria Moschel
Donna Rice
Barbara Roseman
Laurie Walker
Ed Willer
Special thanks to:
Cynthia Gehrie, Community Arts
Development Resident
Steve Graham, Computer Consultant
Karen Reeder, Galleries
David Roth, Graphic Design
William Walsh, Legal Counsel
Join the Wilmette Arts Guild
To join the Wilmette Arts Guild, please download and print this membership form. The form includes instructions for returning your application.