Calgary Sketch Club April and May 2021
Message from the President
“It is important to express oneself ... provided the feelings are real and are taken from your own experience.” ~ Berthe Morisot
And now warmer weather invites us outside, into the fields and gardens to experience nature, gain an impression, paint a record of our sensations. Welcome to a summer of painting. Whether you take your photos and paint in the studio or make the time to sit amidst the dynamic landscape, get out and experience the real colours, shapes, and shifting light. Your paintings will be the better for having authentic emotional content. This spring we were able to enjoy a club meeting dedicated to Plein Aire painting, a technical painting method that supported the development of the Impressionism move- ment. While some people may be familiar with the men who worked in impressionism, Monet, Manet, Gaugin, and so on, few dwell on the contribution of women painters to the development and furthering of painting your sensations, impressions, and expe- riences. After viewing work by Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzales, Marie Bracquemond and Lilly Cabot Perry, we see a sizable contribution to the oevre from the depths of meaning and exciting brushwork of these pioneering artists. The social cultural milleau of 1874 Paris, it was difficult for women to find equal footing or even acceptance as artists. And no matter that the art could stand beside that of any con- temporary man or woman, it was sometimes not enough. However, time has allowed a fuller examination of their work and its place in the impressionist canon. As you can see from the examples show below many of these women went out and painted their experiences and emotional responses of everyday life in outdoor (and indoor) settings. A tremendous body of exciting work. Enjoy the enclosed article written by Tessa Solo- mon and published in Artnews July 2020.
editor: Rosemary Clappison email: [email protected] 1 President’s message, con’t
The Women of Impressionism: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, and Other Pioneering Figures Who Shaped the Movement
by TESSA SOLOMON in ARTnews – edited for CSC Newsletter
When the Impressionists debuted their work as a group in 1874, critics were quick to label their art “feminine.” Their canvases were small, their pastel palettes were too gauzy, their brushstrokes were too loose. Slic- es of everyday life—seascapes and English gardens, mothers and daughters— appeared in the place of moralizing historical scenes. “Only a woman has the right to rigorously practice the Impressionist system,” critic Téodor de Wyzewa wrote in 1891. “She alone can limit her effort to the translation of impressions.” In 19th-century France, women were largely unable to obtain a formal art educa- tion, as studying the nude form was considered scandalous. But the constraints placed on women did not end within the studio. Unmarried women were barred from leaving the home without a chaperone, and they were expected instead to tend the household or pass time with decorative arts in the company of other women. Female Impressionists—many of whom have been undervalued or out- right ignored by the historical canon—exploited these confines, producing intro- spective works that dealt with their makers’ societal conditions. In 1894, critic Henri Focillon singled out three of them as the “Les Trois Grandes Dames,” or “The Three Great Ladies,” of the movement: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, and Marie Bracquemond. The trio acted as peers and friends to the movement’s top members. Édouard Manet, for example, was a great admirer of Morisot’s auda- cious brushwork—so much so, in fact, that he reportedly displayed a small collec- tion of her paintings in his bedroom. These women’s revolutionary sensibilities allowed them to channel interior states that were often unknowable to their male counterparts; only recently have they begun to get their due. Below is a guide to some of the pioneering female mem- bers of Impressionism, as well as a few notable artists who followed their lead.
editor: Rosemary Clappison email: [email protected] 2 President’s message, con’t Berthe Morisot (1841–95) Berthe Morisot is the best-known of the female Impressionists, having been given a solo retrospective that traveled Europe and North America starting in 2018. Born in 1841, Morisot first showed at the age of 25 at the 1864 Paris Salon. Morisot was the only woman invited to show in the first Impressionist exhibition (formerly called the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors and Printmakers) in 1874, and she went on to participate in all but one of the eight exhibitions between from 1874 to 1886. She was close with Manet, even mar- rying his brother, and the two influenced each other, in a way that ultimately moved her work in bolder, more abstract directions. She painted with loose, bold brushstrokes that emphasized expressivity over naturalism. A critic wrote at the time, “Her painting has all the frankness of improvisation; it truly is the impression caught by a sincere eye and accurately rendered by a hand that does not cheat.” In the The Garden at Maurecourt (ca. 1884), she depicts a mother gazing at her child with little sentimentally, perhaps even boredom or exhaustion. With its probing depiction of its sitter’s mental state, the painting exemplifies Mor- isot’s sensibility. Morisot died of pneumonia in 1895, at the age of 54, leaving behind an oeuvre that hints at the further breakthroughs she was poised to make.
Berthe Morisot, The Garden at Maurecourt, ca. 1884 editor: Rosemary Clappison email: [email protected] 3 President’s message, con’t Mary Cassatt (1844–1926) Mary Cassatt was the only American among the founding Impressionists. She came from a well-off family in Pittsburgh that supported a formal arts education first at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and then in Europe, after the vaunted Philadelphia school rebuffed her requests to study nude models. During her travels throughout the continent she learned under academic mentors such as Jean-Léon Gérôme and Édouard Frère and studied classical masterpieces by Correggio, Ve- lázquez, Rubens. She settled in Paris in 1874, where she began regularly showing her portraits in the Salon. In 1877 Degas invited her to begin showing with the Im- pressionists, and she participated in four of the eight exhibitions. “No woman has the right to draw like that,” Degas reportedly said upon viewing Cassatt’s Young Women Picking Fruit (1891). She took the thinly veiled insult in stride, and the two main- tained a close friendship based on a shared respect for asymmetrical composition and classical Japanese prints. Cassatt supported herself as a successful portrait art- ist and printmaker, having declared herself unfit for marriage or motherhood. In spite of this, her subject was often. the relationship between mothers and their children. In contrast to Morisot’s bold, expressive brushwork, Cassatt often depicted her the facial features and figure of her friends and family with great precision. In The Boat- ing Party, the man’s expression is obscured, placing the focus on a deftly rendered woman and child. Cassatt once said her goal was to depict women as “subjects, not objects.”
Mary Cassatt, The Boating Party, 1893–94 editor: Rosemary Clappison email: [email protected] 4 President’s message, con’t Eva Gonzalès (1849–83) Gonzalès never exhibited with the Impressionists, but she was close with some of the movement’s top artists—including Morisot—and her art is stylistically similar to their work. Like other aspiring female artists in 19th-century France, Gonzalès was barred from attending the École des Beaux-Arts, though like Morisot and Cassatt, her affluent upbringing af- forded her the opportunity to attend private lessons. In 1869, she met Manet in Paris, and she became his only formal student. His influence on her work is evident in A Box at the Theatre des Italien‘s flat perspective at the subject’s direct gaze. The year they met, Manet created a portrait of Gonzalès, and in response she produced her own series of self-portraits, asserting her identity as professional peer—something far more than a muse. She died in 1883 at age 34 from an embolism after the birth of her son, having achieved her goal of exhibiting in the prestigious Paris Salon. In 1885, a 90-piece retrospective of her work was held at the Salons de la Vie Moderne in Paris.
Eva Gonzalès, A Box at the Theatre des Italiens, 1874 editor: Rosemary Clappison email: [email protected] 5 President’s message, con’t Marie Bracquemond (1840–1916) Marie Bracquemond did not enjoy the same financial support which al- lowed her peers to flourish creatively and commercially. She was largely self-taught, with her one major instance of official art education having come via the painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, with whom she was invited to study. Despite Ingres’s prestige, Bracquemond eventually left his studio, writing that the older painter “doubted the courage and perseverance of a woman in the field of painting.… He would assign to them only the painting of flowers, of fruits, of still lifes, portraits and genre scenes.” In Paris, her vivid, large-scale plein air scenes garnered the at- tention of the Impressionists, who invited her to exhibit with them. Brac- quemond showed three times with the group, but amid pressure from her husband, the French painter and engraver Félix Bracquemond, she was forced to abandon her promising painting career.
Marie Bracquemond, On the Terrace at Sèvres, 1880
editor: Rosemary Clappison email: [email protected] 6 President’s message, con’t Cecilia Beaux (1855–1942) Philadelphian-born Cecilia Beaux rose to become one of the preeminent portrait painters of her generation. She traveled to Paris in the late 1880s, absorbing the light play and soft focus of the Impressionists and Post-Im- pressionists. She imbued their styles elements into her portraits, resulting in a distinct synthesis of finely defined figures layered over boldly colored backgrounds in the style of John Singer Sargent.
Cecilia Beaux, New England Woman. Portrait of Mrs. Jedidiah H. Richards, 1895 editor: Rosemary Clappison email: [email protected] 7 President’s message, con’t
Lilla Cabot Perry (1848–1933) Lilla Cabot Perry was born and raised in Boston; her family’s wealth al- lowed her to relocate to Paris, where she became enamored of the way that the Impressionists, in particular Claude Monet, experimented with lighting effects. She collected Monet’s work, and eventually she even be- came his informal student after a chance meeting during her annual trips to the French town of Giverny, where he created his iconic water lily paint- ings. In emulating the style of the French Impressionists, she helped bring the movement’s style back home to the United States
Lilla Cabot Perry, La Petite Angèle, II, 1889
editor: Rosemary Clappison email: [email protected] 8 PROGRAM REPORT ~Nancy Plato~
During the zoom call on Thursday, April 22 we shared a lot of useful information to help us stay motivated over the upcoming summer months. We also got to see a variety of art work form our members which was inspiring and helped get our creative juices flowing. For those not on the call, here are : some sources that were mentioned • Newsletters ( you can sign up for) • Leading Edge Newsletter— workshop info and local art work http://www.greatartworkshops.com/newsletter.html#sthash.bhNWFg3C.dpbs • Swinton’s Art Newsletter—art tips and store specials • Louise Fletcher—an artist describes her tips, tricks, trials and tribulations. Louise also has a free course upcoming soon. https://www.louisefletcherart.com/blog/ Other Resources • KhanAcademy.org. for art history and other art courses • Sharon Williams has an upcoming course on journaling and drawing. Check out her website. You Tube/Podcasts • Eric Rhoads -365 Days of Plein Air painting • Great Art Explained—looks at several classic paintings and explains them • And of course You Tube has a wide variety of great art videos. • Art Juice (Pod Cast)
Facebook Tami Hort mentioned that there were Sky Portrait Artist of the Year Live Model sessions that you could join in on and try painting. I believe this was on Facebook and while I think these live sessions may be over at the moment, keep an eye out for them. Also, Landscape Artist of the Week/Year on Facebook and TV
FALL MEETINGS As previously discussed, the meetings in the Fall will be a mix of in person and virtual formats (assuming in person meetings are determined to be safe.) The restart dates have not been determined yet so please keep an eye on the website for the most updated infor- mation.
editor: Rosemary Clappison email: [email protected] 9 ... and the go to by Awards VP ~ Virginia Carr
editor: Rosemary Clappison email: [email protected] 10 ... and the go to
editor: Rosemary Clappison email: [email protected] 11 Currently I coordinate Zoom Figure Painting with Janey. This page was created on Facebook. It will be on every Thursday 7:00-8:30 pm. Come and have fun! Obviously on my easel is nude and figure painting! After not painting for 1.5 years, I feel reborn! Art is my foundation. It has taken me to a wider direction to therapeutic expression. I am happy that I could contribute to my community and make a difference in senior home. I feel successful when I can reach out to someone who wanted to be reached. Art makes me feel grounded and fulfill. I am grateful for CSC giving me plenty of resource to learn and to belong to, thank you CSC! Warm regards, Janey
Janey L German, Artist
"A sketch has charm because of its truth - not because it's unfinished." by Charles Hawthorne.
http://janeysart.weebly.com/ http://www.calgarysketchclub.com/ editor: Rosemary Clappison email: [email protected] 12 BULLETIN BOARD
RESOURCES ~ Portrait ARTIST OF THE WEEK #PAOTW on Facebook and sky arts chanel. The link was Sundays for a four hour pose. They keep it on all day because original pod- cast is at 3AM. I believe all episodes can be found Facebook Sky TV #paow There is a non official #PAOTW that continues the challenges and posts of the portraits https://www.facebook.com/groups/323186422002145/?ref=share ERIC Rhoads afternoon excerpt from LilieDahl productions one pm eastern. This program gives a one hour demo and artist interview which can be seen on Facebook: Streamline Art Video Live The morning show is Facebook plein air magazine ith Eric Rhoads doing the commentary as an artist does a demo live 365 days live but you can catch up on all the demos on youtube too. Tami Hort-Lathwell
In Memoriam: Jane Helen Blake-Neal died May 13, 2021 – a member of the Calgary Sketch Club painted in watercolours and oils, portraits in pastel.
‘SPECIAL MENTION’ Special Mention to LYNNE LASSITER for her invaluable contributions as the Membership Secretary from 2019-Spring 2021. Lynne was responsible for collection of Membership fees for new and existing members, Jury Coordination for new members, and updating and maintaining the Membership Contact List. Lynne was always hardworking, cheerful and positive at meetings and she will be missed. Best wishes as you step back to take this time to support your family.
editor: Rosemary Clappison email: [email protected] 13 IMPORTANT MEMBERSHIP FEE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR 2021-2022 SESSION
Dear Members The Calgary Sketch Club membership has been through a lot of change and adaption in the last year and a half. Together we have created an online community of artists connected by our common passion for all things art. Members have done what was needed to keep one another safe, give up the in person meetings, and adapt to online program and show delivery. These changes were not easy for everyone and we lost some of our members through this process. We believe that the changes in program delivery had some hidden benefits such as front seat to demo instructors, and we didn’t have to drive to the meetings in bad weather. It didn’t matter where our instructors lived because they could attend virtually, so we were able to include new and interesting artists. However, we believe it is time to make an adjustment to the fees in recognition of the changes and to encourage a rebuild for the coming year. We have also added a category for out of town residents. Here then is a summary of our new fee structure for 2021-2022 membership year. Calgary Sketch Club Membership Categories, Benefits and Prices Effective immediately for the membership year September 2021 through May 2022
New Members are required to present 5 paintings (online) to club for Peer Jury process. New Members application cost $10.00. All Categories expected to fulfill volunteer requirement to remain in good standing. All members are required to attend a minimum of 7 meetings (zoom or in person) per year of which 2 must be business meetings. Any fees being determined for a club activity (shows, social events, workshops), will have board approval of the fees structure prior to circulation to membership. Thank you for your help as we work together to rebuild the Calgary Sketch Club.
Beatrice Wilhelm President Calgary Sketch Club editor: Rosemary Clappison email: [email protected] 14 Web: http://www.calgarysketchclub.com Twitter: @Csketchclub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgarysketchclubpage
CALGARY SKETCH CLUB ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (Via ZOOM) MEMBERS PRESENT: 21, QUORUM ACHIEVED
Date: April 29, 2021 Time: 7:00 P.M. Mountain Standard Time Meeting Minutes 1. Welcome and Call to order 2. Outline of ZOOM voting process. 3. Verification of quorum - 25% of aggregate of Active and Life Members IN GOOD STANDING. 58/25%=21 4. Business Arising from last years minutes. 5. Approval of minutes of September 19, 2020 And Addendum Nov. 12, 2020 (last AGM) – Circu- lated with AGM agenda. 1. Approval of minutes of September 19, 2020 and Addendum Nov. 12, 2020 (last AGM) – Circulated with AGM minutes. * Due to Covid Protocols - AGM Meeting and Polling conducted via Zoom. VOTE: * Motion Spoken By: Beatrice Wilhelm to approve the CSC minutes of September 19, 2020 and CSC Addendum minutes of November 12, 2020. * Seconded Spoken with a show of hand By: Virginia Carr, confirming the motion. * Polling confirmed the passing of the motions, approved by all present. Nominations and Elections: A. Open Board Positions: Beatrice Wilhelm • Membership Coordinator * Call to the floor by Beatrice Wilhelm any new nominations for Membership Coordinator * Second Call to the floor by Beatrice Wilhelm any new nominations for Membership Coordinator. * Final Call and Closed by Beatrice Wilhelm the nominations for Membership Coordinator. B. Election of Board Members – as a slate 2. The motion to approve the current Calgary Sketch Club Board members roster: Executive Board Members: S. Beatrice Wilhelm President Virginia Carr Vice President Cynthia Pasloski Secretary Nancy Hughes Treasurer Susan Fogg-Beanland Membership Secretary (Interim) Sharron Bowen Director (Show Chair) Directors: Nancy Plato Director – Member at large #1 – Programs Louise Hall Director – Member at large #2 – Publicity Susan Fogg-Beanland Director – Member at large #3 - Volunteer Coordinator Sharon Post/Linda Clowes Director – Member at large #4 – Historian Ingrid Vincent Director – Member at large #5 VOTE: * Motion Spoken By Laurie Thompson to approve the CSC Board Member Roster for 2021- 2022 year. * Seconded Spoken with a show of hand By Virginia Carr confirming the motion. * Polling with show of hand confirmed the passing of the motion, approved by all present. CSC COMMITTEE REPORTS: A. Board & Committee Reports September 1, 2019-August 31, 2020 Member Year President’s Report - Beatrice Wilhelm – Calgary Sketch Club-AGM April 29, 2021
Wow! What year of change and adaption September 2020 to August 31, 2021 was for the Calgary Sketch Club. Together, we rode two full waves of Covid-19, and now we are battling a third and hopefully final one. The anxi- eties of isolation and restricted activities have added complexity to daily living. For some, this has been dispro- portional. We send our condolences to members who have lost loved ones, become ill themselves, or had to navi- gate the medical system during these pressures. And for membership, the pandemic meant changes in the way we delivered our programs and meetings. We changed the way we paid our dues and exhibited our paintings. Volunteers for live events were inactive. Club membership numbers declined through attrition and personal changes, and we were unable to deliver show date certainty. However, the last 8 months saw some big wins for the club. Although we had to cancel all in person show plans, we instead held our first online art show in September, and it was so much fun, we did two more. This new process required members to photograph, save jpegs, title, and size their images for show submission. A work in progress no doubt, but on-the-whole, well done. The show runner learned how to create entry logs for recon- ciliation and reference, worked with Jim Graham our superhero webmaster, and assisted members to use online payments for memberships, show entry fees, and transfer the deposits to the current account. We learned how to use mobile deposits for cheques received in the mail. We learned to Zoom into meetings on our phones, tablets, iPad, and computers. We enjoyed first row seats to lively demos from professional artists we admire, and we en- joyed ‘check in’ zoom calls to connect with other artists. Behind the scenes, this is the first full year after transitioning our accounting system from the old beat-up desk- top to an online Quick Books system. Consequently, in our first set of financial reports for the period ending August 31, 2020, we do not have comparative balances for the year prior year. The information is available in the AGM package in last years minutes. The details of the financials were distributed prior to the meeting and will be voted on when presented during by the treasurer. We will also vote on our 2021-2022 budget for the coming year which is based on historical data and best guess scenarios as to when the group gathering restrictions will recede. I want to digress for a moment and recognize the impactful contribution of our data input volunteer Judy Rug- gles. Thank you, Judy, a tremendous amount of work well done. In addition, last year’s minutes omitted acknowledgement of our dedicated Juried Show Committee, so let us fix that. Last year’s wonderful Mona Lisa show was the result of hard work of the juried show committee; Laurie Thompson, Carolyn Oldale Adams, Hazel Skavberg, Ingrid Vincent and Mary Leigh Doyle. Thank you one and all. Thank you to the Plein Aire participants who are keeping an important aspect of Calgary Sketch Club alive and thriving. Throughout the history of art, we see the evolution of techniques and even whole styles of painting (Impressionism) developed under the strong influence of Plein Aire painting. Amazing what can be done with a restricted palette and minimal equipment. Thank you to all the 2020-2021 Board members and committee volunteers. Our trusted Membership Coordina- tor and Interim Membership volunteer Susan Fogg will list each one in her report and your names will appear in the minutes. As you will see from the volunteer position reports, the beat goes on! Thank you to all active volunteers for your support of CSC, you are the heart and vitality of this club. Looking forward to 2021-2022 membership year with a goal to “Rebuild it Better.” We will work together to improve our brand, attract new members, re-integrate in-person meetings, communicate clearly, and continue to share art educational opportunities through quality program content delivery. We will reinstitute our commu- nity-based art shows with flexible and adaptive strategies and tactics as needs dictate. We will ask each other for support. Thank you. Beatrice Wilhelm President, Calgary Sketch Club April 29, 2021 b). Treasurer: Nancy Hughes * Community plan: $18,067.88 * Community plan plus: $3,702.60 * GIC: $26,595.13 3. Approval of 2020 Financial Statement QUESTION: Laurie Thompson reviewed the CSC Financial Statement, specifically the ‘INCOME’ section of the statement. Laurie felt the numbers didn’t add up, plus confusing to understand. ANSWER: Beatrice Wilhelm and Nancy Hughes explained the totals and added that it is a formatting issue. QUESTION: Don Partlo asked the difference in the total of the CSC GIC account. ANSWER: Beatrice Wilhelm explained this total is from the GIC’s Year End from August 31, 2020. The total for todays GIC is $26,595.13. VOTE: * Motion Spoken By: Nancy Hughes to approve the Calgary Sketch Clubs 2020 Financial Statement. * Seconded Spoken with a show of hand By Sharron Bowen confirming the motion. * Polling confirmed the passing of the motion, approved by all present. 4. Approval of Calgary Sketch Club 2021-2022 Budget QUESTION: Laurie Thompson discussed the expenses for the Jurors Fees ($900.00). Laurie felt that this sum was too high for the number of juried shows normally held and should be changed to $300.00. ANSWER: Beatrice Wilhelm and Sharron Bowen agreed that the expense will be changed to $300.00 rather than $900.00. Beatrice asked the members if they could vote on the CSC Financial Budget knowing that this change shall be made in a timely manner. The CSC Members agreed to vote. QUESTION: Laurie Thompson asked about the Publicity Expense of $3500.00 and how the CSC Board agreed on that sum. Laurie felt it was too high. ANSWER: Beatrice Wilhelm and Sharron Bowen suggested that they could reduce the sum to $2600.00. Judy Ruggles felt it was better to have $3500.00 in the Publicity Budget rather than get approval to increase the sum. It doesn’t mean that the publicity Committee will use the full budget but it is there if needed. VOTE: * Motion Spoken By: Nancy Hughes to approve the Calgary Sketch Club Budget for 2021 - 2022 year. * Seconded Spoken with a show of hand By Laurie Thompson confirming the motion. * Polling confirmed the passing of the motion, approved by all present. *Attached to CSC Minutes Binder with adjustments are as follow: - The CSC Financial Statement and adjustments updated. - CSC Budget 2021 - 2022 - CSC Profit and Loss (September 2019 - August 2020) c). Membership: (Lynne Lassiter) Read By: Susan Fogg-Beanland (Interim) * Two people joined in the past year, Amogh Katyayan and Judy Moore. Lynne Lassiter has added both names to the membership list. Judy Moore paid $100 on March 30, 2021, she applied on Feb. 3 and sent her images to Lynne on Feb 7 which was sent to the CSC jury Committee. * Two others applied, one sent regrets to say they were no longer interested when contacted to send in ten images, and one sent in an application and ten images but was not accepted by the CSC Jury Committee. * Lynne has a binder from Helen De Jong that I can pass on to the next membership volunteer or I can mail it to the website mailing address. Lynne explained that she never used the binder as Covid prevented the in-person meetings and registration but Helen's work is all there. Lynne can explain the processes Helen fol- lowed, to the new volunteer, if they would like some help getting started. They can contact her at my email lyn- [email protected] and then we can set up a time to talk on the phone. Lynne can also send the new person the letters I wrote to help with application and jury processes through email. * Attached to CSC Minutes Binder: - June 2020 CSC Membership List - Calgary Sketch Club Membership 2020 - 2021 - CSC Current Volunteer List March 18, 2021 - Active Paid Member 2020 List * Requests to change to active or supporting, and when they joined CSC: Char Vanderhorst 2008 was supporting but moved to to Active paid $100 Kaitman, Joy 2013 was supporting last year this year paid $100 and is Active Bethany Vanderputten 2014 stayed in active, wanted to move to supporting Carolyn Buckingham 2010 paid 100 wants to move to supporting Hazel Skavberg 2002 paid 100 this year but wants to move to supporting George Gordon 2014 paid 50 wants to move to supporting Janey Luc German 2002 wants to move to supporting unpaid as website shut off for Supporting payments David Turvey 2010 paid 50 wants to move to supporting Pattie Rawnsley 2013 active, requested supporting, and now wants active again. Debbie Adams 2014 asked how long she has been in club on Sept 10 so may be thinking about changing. * Attached to the CSC Minutes Binder: - CSC Volunteers List 2020 - 2021 - CSC Membership List June 2020 and Colour coded Membership Changes - CSC Membership List 2020 - 2021 d). Volunteers: Susan Fogg-Beanland CSC ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, THURSDAY April 29, 2021 Our club thrives with volunteer participation and every volunteer opportunity, whether large or small, makes a difference to the success of the club. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of you who were able to volunteer your time, energy and expertise to support this club during these COVID times. To ensure we have the volunteer manpower, club members agree to contribute a minimum number of 18 volun- teer hours per year. This year, due to COVID, some volunteers were not able to be active in their volunteer posi- tions at all and in other instances old positions had to be revamped and ‘New’ positions had to be created, and filled, in order to address the new landscape of Zoom Meetings and Online shows. One volunteer member, Beatrice Wilhelm, our president, has provided outstanding service and exemplary leadership during these challenging COVID times. With unbelievable energy kindness, tolerance, humour and expertise too “boldly go where no one man/woman has ever gone” she has been the life force that has taken this Club to places we never thought possible. With her accounting expertise she automated the Finance Commit- tee processes. She developed On-Line Show protocols and then individually walked many members through the process of submitting paintings on line. She was front and centre for all the challenges this year presented. Thank you Beatrice!! Having said that Beatrice Wilhelm has not been alone on the Star Ship Sketch Club she has had others who have assisted on this journey, specifically, Nancy Plato, as Programming Committee of one, who has also used her amazing talent to provide a stellar year of programming. If connecting with Zoom, internet savvy artist’s of various genres, setting up dates, advertising and ensuring payment was not enough to fulfill her volunteer com- mitment to the wellness of this club, she took on the volunteer position, within the Publicity / Communications Committee of Website Liaison and the task of revamping our Website. Working in close partnership with Jim Graham our Website Master, and all round good guy, the resulting website, still a work in progress, is a stream- lined, easily navigable, modern website proudly highlighting the works of our club members for viewing and for sale on online shows. Wow great work!! Thank you NancyPlato!! In the coming year, our newest member - Judy Moore – Assistant Program Volunteer will be providing some needed assistance to this Programming Commit- tee. The 2020 Volunteer Handbook is available on the CSC website and has every volunteer position listed for all members to review. Over this past year, with contributions from many members, the 2020 Volunteer Handbook is evolving into a resource library for the Calgary Sketch Club. The Handbook outlines the Committees, their members, duties, responsibilities and resources required for each of their positions. This resource assists in the continuity and the health of the Club. Over the next few months, as Volunteer Coordinator, I will be in contact with Committee Chairs to assist in, gathering and recording the ‘current practices’ of their committee members. As seen with COVID, changes to positions may happen very quickly. I thank you in advance for your support for this initiative. This year we have had many notable members, other than those already referred to above, volunteering dur- ing our every changing COVID landscape. I will do my best to recognize members, however I do apologize, in advance, if some members are missed or information recorded incorrectly: • Virginia Carr - Vice-President joined the club in 2002 and thus brings many years of experience in the Vice-president position. • Cynthia Pasloski – Secretary – with great focus and integrity records all the discussions and deci- sions made at boards meetings and General Meetings to report to our membership. • Nancy Hughes - Club Treasurer who also took on the Grants position. • Judy Ruggles - Data Entry Volunteer • Laurie Thompson – Juried Show Chair including the Committee of Ingrid Vincent, Carolyn Oldale Adams, Virginia Carr, Hazel Skavberg, Sheila Adams and Mary Leigh Dole for doing a stellar job organiz- ing juried shows and the Pop-Up Shows at the Mona Lisa Gallery and C-Space. Laurie also guides the Plein Air Paint-Outs. • Sharron Bowen – Exhibition Committee Show Chair who has the unenviable position of trying to ‘predict the future’ in all things live shows. Sharon also volunteers as Cheque writer for the club and even during COVID people need to be paid. • Publicity and Communications - Louise Hall (after an in-depth conversation with Debbie Adams who previously held the position) volunteered to take on the Chair of the Publicity / Communications Commit- tee and as such working with ‘new’ members and ‘new’ positions required due to the COVID situation. Everyday seems to present a new challenge. • Amogh Katyayan – who, at the 11th hour and with no job description available, took on the Show Invitation’s volunteer position and continues to create unique and eye catching promotional material and show invitations. • Heather Dorscher, Facebook and T.R. Turner, Instagram took on the task of creating a Social Me- dia presence for the club. • Yanina Eberhard, working with Karen Oliver and her excel spreadsheets, transitioned all Mail Invitation spreadsheets into the streamlined mail program MailChimp. Yeah!! • Linda Clowes - who stepped in as Assistant, Club Historian and Board Member, for our dedicated Historian Sharon Post, who was unable to attend Zoom board meetings this year. • Rosemary Clappison – Newsletter Volunteer goes the extra mile to creatively and artistically edit all contributions to our monthly Newsletters and they look great! Rosemary also, as Member Email Distribution volunteer, sends out all emails, in a very timely fashion, providing up-to-date information on everything to do with the club. • Carl Peddie, Carolyn Oledale Adams, Brian Hindle – organizing Spring and Fall Camps. I was told recently that the word ‘Sketch’ in the Calgary Sketch Club name originated from the artists’ initial Plein Aire painting or ‘sketch’ created while painting onsite. • Ron Czmeres – Mail Newsletter volunteer diligently printed, addressed, stamped and mailed monthly newsletters to club members who do not have access to a computer or are not computer savvy. • Maxime Abraham – Cards and Flowers sent messages to our members who were in need over the past year. • Lynne Lassiter – Membership Chair – for welcoming new members into the club. Unfortunately Lynne had to step back due to family issues but is looking forward to returning in the future. Susan Fogg Bean- land will be the interim. • Ingrid Vincent – Board member at Large, Committee member for Shows both pop-up and Juried and all round knowledge data base for most aspects of the club. • Don Partlo, Carl Peddie, Jim Uniake for their infectious love of the club and their attendance and contributions to all or almost all of the online meetings. • Corrie Buwalda – Easels and Show Linens – for safely storing our ‘treasures’. Please note the following VACANT Volunteer opportunities. Please seriously consider stepping forward to fill one of the vacancies. • Juried Member Shows Chair – Laurie Thompson is stepping down. • Membership Chair – Lynne Lassiter had to resign due to family concerns. • Membership Pins • Cards and Flowers – Maxime Abraham is stepping down. If you are interested in or would like to discuss any of these positions please contact me via susanfogg2@gmail. com or via 403-669-8648 - Susan Fogg - Beanland. e). Programs Report 2020 - 2021: Nancy Plato This year was a challenging year for our Club’s Programming. With the Covid situation we were unable to physi- cally meet. As a result we looked to having weekly virtual sessions using Zoom. This format was not accessible for all members but it was deemed our best solution. Many braved the new technology and found that it had a number of advantages. While we missed the easy ability to socialize in person, many found demos easier to see, we were able to access artists not living in Calgary and we all appreciated not having to leave our homes in cold weather. We had a very interesting line up of demonstrations and educational sessions. A list of participating artists included: Michael Downs, Adeline Halvorson, Rex Beanland, Brian Buckrell, Jani Galarneau, Brittney Tough, Patti Dy- ment. Sharon Lynn Williams and Nancy Lynn Hughes also gave constructive critiques on line. Presenting a Zoom demonstration/lesson was new for many of these artists and we applaud their efforts in adapting to a new format. Beatrice Wilhelm should also be acknowledged for helping us take the leap into vir- tual sessions and for her constant technical support. We also had a number of in-house sessions focusing on plein aire painting, how to write an artist statement and we shared information on a variety of virtual art related sources to keep us motivated over the summer. This year, the CSC Board decided to reduce our weekly meetings from 3 to 2 meetings per month. Going for- ward, we will have a blend of virtual and in person meetings. This decision was based on several factors includ- ing meeting attendance and work load for volunteers. (Board meetings will continue on Zoom in 2021/22) Some conversations have taken place to revamp the Program schedule and more detail will be discussed over the summer - Nancy Plato. f). Website Update: Nancy Plato The plan to update the website had been discussed by the Board for a while, but with the move to more virtual activity, including on-line sales, it was timely to undertake the change. In December/January work was started in earnest on the website. Through our President, a website provider (FASO) was found. FASO was a good fit for us as it produced a number of templates that focused on art at a rea- sonable cost. Jim Graham, our current webmaster, was instrumental in working through the system and com- pleting all the steps required to have the website up and running. While we had lots of input, Jim Graham was the technical expert and went above and beyond in ensuring an updated and workable site. Artists were given the opportunity until March 31, 2021 to have three free photos uploaded onto the artist gal- lery. Other photos could be added at an additional cost, as well as any future changes will incur a cost to the individual artist. This offer will be extended to future new club members as part of their membership fee. We organized information on the website to make it clearer to navigate for internal and external users. Paypal will allow for easy payment during future sales. There are a number of interesting features on the website, in- cluding the ability to view a piece of art, properly proportioned on a wall, in various “room” settings. While the new website has some features that will make on line sales easier, it should be understood that the preparation for an on-line sale has been an onerous task. It has been noted that while instruction has been given, a large number of members are still submitting photos that are not properly sized to be displayed on the website. This will need to be addressed, likely through Programming, as it exponentially increases the workload for the volunteer/webmaster. The website was on line in early March. A website should be continually updated and we hope that the club will undertake this task to ensure a website that is always current, always adapting to our needs - Nancy Plato. g). Publicity Committee Report: Louise Hall * The Publicity Committee are trying some social media advertising for the CSC cSPACE Online Show in May. 2021. * Louise Hall explained that TR Turner is helping her place advertisements on Facebook. * Heather Dorcher is taking care of placing some paid advertisements on Instagram. * Amogh Katyayan has created a great looking ad for us to post, and he will send a new one each week so that we may have some variety for the month. * Thank you to these three for all of their hard work and expertise. h). Cards & Flowers: Maxine Abraham * Cards: sent 2 cards out for a total cost of $4.20. i). Historian: Linda Clowes for Sharon Post * Nothing to report: Linda Clowes and Sharon Post unable to meet due to Covid Protocols. j). AWARDS: Beatrice Wilhelm *An email will be sent out to the CSC members to vote for the recipients of the Bert Earle Award. Deadline to vote will be May 15, 2021. *Recipients of Calgary Sketch Club Awards Beatrice Wilhelm - Big Four Award - Outstanding service to the Club 2019/20 & 2020/21 Nancy Plato - Gissing Paint Brush Award - Tireless & relentless effort in support of the Club 2019/20 & 2020/21 Susan Fogg Beanland - George Alig Spirit Award - Keen Interest and spirit in Club activities 2020/21 Warmth of the Sun, Nancy Plato - Bert Earle Member’s Best in Juried Show Award - 2020/21 Morning in Banff, Yanina Eberhard - Margaret Shelton Juror’s Choice Award - 2020/21 Hazel Skavberg - GO Jones Fall Camp Award - 2019/20 Kananaskis High, Margaret Gray - Margaret Shelton Juror’s Choice Award - 2019/20 k). SHOWS: (EXHIBITION CHAIR REPORT): Sharron Bowen * The 2020-2021 Show Year has had its challenges due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The CSC Fall and Spring Non- Juried Shows at Dalhousie had to be cancelled due to Covid-19 protocols. CSC did have three online shows from September 2020 until January 2021 and there is another online Juried show ready to begin On May 1 and last until May 31, 202. * INSIGHT 2020 - September 15 - October 31, 2020 had 24 artists submit 72 paintings of which 3 paintings were sold by 3 artists. * SECOND INSIGHT - November 1-30, 2020 had 30 artists entering 117 paintings. The show yielded 8 paintings being sold by 4 artists. * RECOLLECTIONS and HELD-OVER RECOLLECTIONS – December 1, 2020 until January 31, 2021 had 28 artists submit 124 paintings. This show sold 4 paintings by 4 artists. The Grand Total of 15 paintings sold was $3335.00 with an average Price of $222.33 netting the Calgary Sketch Club after all expenses $935.76. * C-SPACE ONLINE JURIED SHOW – May 1-31, 2021 has 26 artists with 81 paintings. I am hopeful our 2021-2022 in person shows will resume. C-Space has been bookedfor September 6-23, 2021 for our Juried Show. The Dalhousie Community Centre hasbeen booked for our Fall Show for October 23, 2021 and April 2, 2022 for our Spring Show. I hope everyone keeps painting this summer and we have lots of new and exciting work to exhibit in the fall. I would like to acknowledge all of our members who have helped on our various Show Committees and for all the hard work done to set up and run our Juried and Online Shows NON JURIED SHOW COMMITTEE JURIED SHOW COMMITTEE Corrie Buwalda Virginia Carr Linda Clowes Mary Leigh Doyle Yanina Eberhard Carolyn Oldale Adams Susie Hiscox Hazel Skavberg Carmen Miller Laurie Thompson Carolyn Oldale Adams Ingrid Vincent Ingrid Vincent Beatrice Wilhelm has done a tremendous amount of work and is instrumental in bringing CSC Online Shows to our club. I want to send a huge Thank You to her for all her work and dedication to the club. Thank you to all of the members I have mentioned - Sharron Bowen. 4. Approval of CSC Board Reports: VOTE: * Motion Spoken By Beatrice Wilhelm to approve the current Calgary Sketch Club Board Member Reports. * Seconded Spoken with a show of hand By Ingrid Vincent confirming the motion. * Polling confirmed the passing of the motion, approved by all present. C. New Business: Laurie Thompson and Virginia Carr 1. CSC cSPACE Online Juried Show: Laurie Thompson * The Online Show is ready, Jim Graham is working on a few items before it goes live. * The CSC Online Juried Show will go live on May 1st, 2021 and the end date is May 31st, 2021 * Issues with the Online Show - Sizing of Images - Laurie Thompson felt that CSC should have a tutorial on how to resize the images for both Apple and Microsoft software. 2. Next CSC cSPACE Live Show: * The CSC cSPACE Live Show is scheduled for September 6th to 23rd, 2021. This show is at the beginning of Calgary Sketch Clubs year. The submissions for the show will open July 10th, 2021 and close August 14th, 2021. The CSC Members will have 5 weeks to submit their images for the show. * Laurie Thompson called cSPACE and left a message asking if there are times available in November for the show if the show is cancelled due to COVID Protocols. No one returned her call - Show is a-go for September. QUESTION: Laurie Thompson asked Heather Dorscher if she is the Instagram Coordinator and could she post paintings from the show on Instagram, to promote the show? ANSWER: Heather Dorscher - yes she will post paintings from the show, showcasing a variety of work. 3. Virginia Carr: * Virginia Carr explained the publicity coordinators will refresh advertising with a new painting on the poster every week. Heather Dorscher/Amogh Katyayan will download a painting from the show and refresh the posts to the Calgary Sketch Club’s social media. D. Acknowledgements The entire volunteer team has been learning from each other and putting that new knowledge to work for the betterment of the club. Thank you for your engagement and commitment to building a sustainable and welcom- ing Calgary Sketch Club – Beatrice Wilhelm. E. Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at: 8: 35pm • Forward Spoken with show of hand by Jim Uniake to Adjourn CSC Annual General Meeting. Minutes certified accurate by: Beatrice Wilhelm, President ______Cynthia Pasloski, Secretary______