September 2024
Vice President’s Notes
What It Takes…
If someone had asked me 5 years ago what it takes to make an organization run smoothly, I wouldn’t have known. When I joined the Lakes Region Art Association I had no idea, and when I was invited to become a member of the Board of Directors, I had no idea what that would entail. I was a member of the Board for 4 years, and now I’m Vice-President, and I can tell you definitively that I love being in the “thick of things”. I enjoy the working out of policy matters, and being part of a team of people whose focus is creating this beautiful space we call the Gallery.
What it take to run an organization (especially of volunteers) is people; all kinds of people. One thing that I’ve noticed over the years wherever I’ve been, is that some people are willing to take on a lot of responsibility because “somebody needs to do it”. That’s not always a great reason to take on a job, but it is the truth of the matter. Unfortunately, with a non-profit, volunteer organization, it tends to be the same people who are willing to take on a lot of responsibility. I’ve seen it, and I’ve been there… burn-out! Sherwood and I have tried to make it a goal to avoid burn-out among the doers in this organization. We are working hard at providing back-ups for each position (we are close to reaching that goal); because, you know what happens when “life happens:” And it happens to all of us. If one person is the only one who knows that job, the organization suffers. And often, their “job” ends up encompassing a variety of tasks, and suddenly that one person is engulfed with too many tasks, and POOF! Overload, Burn-out!
On that note, I’m asking each and every member of LRAA to consider what you can do in a small way to assist in the operating of the larger organization. (You do not need to be showing in the Gallery to be involved in other ways.) What are your skill sets? Are you organized? Are you savvy with a computer? Good with numbers? Do you enjoy meeting people? A good cook? (Think receptions.) Decorating prowess? Teaching skills? Fundraising, or maybe you just have some ideas that may be fun or helpful? Publicity/social media/marketing? We’re not looking for one or two people to do all of these things; we need many people to team up and work together to accomplish our goals without anyone feeling overwhelmed.
We set an ambitious goal this year to have a new, themed exhibit every month, which would be open to every member of LRAA. Our hope was to include more people from the overall membership in the active life of the Association. We’ve had some spectacular exhibits, but we haven’t seen many non-Gallery members participate. A core group of our Gallery artists have done the bulk of the organizing, decorating, and running of the exhibits, and because they have been so creative and innovative in their approach, the outstanding results have involved a lot of work for a few dedicated souls. We need to change that as we ready the Association and the gallery for 2025.
There’s a famous saying from the Bible that “Many hands make light work.” So we’re asking: could you make a small contribution of your time and expertise to advance the goals of the Lakes Region Art Association?
Check out our new website at www.lakesregionartgallery.org and find your fit!
Gail Brunt,
Vice President, LRAA
September 16th
at 7:00 PM
Watercolor on Canvas Techniques
with Stephanie McQuade
Art Talks Coming Up . . .
Since the dawn of time, artists have explored every conceivable surface for their creations, yet certain mediums have become synonymous with specific materials—oil and acrylics with canvas, pastels with paper. But what happens when we break these conventions? Watercolor on canvas, though not entirely new, offers a thrilling departure from tradition, sparking excitement with its fresh possibilities. This medium introduces a unique texture and depth, transforming the familiar into something extraordinary.
Join us Monday night at 7pm to delve into the world of watercolor on canvas. Discover how this innovative approach differs from traditional watercolor, offering new techniques and visual effects that could revolutionize your artistic journey. Whether you're an artist looking to expand you repertoire or an art lover eager to understand new forms, this event promises to enlighten and inspire. Don't miss out on exploring the vibrant, textural world where watercolor meets canvas!
stephanie@scmcquade.com
ww.SCMcQuade.com
October Speaker - October 21st at 7:00 pm
LRAA Member Leigh Stetson-Schoch, Landscape Artist
November & December 2024 - No ArtTalks as we take care of the annual membership business and in December have our Membership Christmas Party. ArtTalks will begin again in January 2025.
September 2024
Artist of the Month
Lakes Region Art Gallery congratulates
the September 2024
Artist of the Month winners.
Left to Right: Sherwood Frazier, Pat Anderson, Martha AuCoin, Jim Cryan, Sally Hibberd
Jim Cryan, this month’s First Place winner has the distinct honor to display his artwork at Annie’s Cafe & Catering in Laconia NH. Annie’s features a changing menu of seasonal foods, and always a tempting variety of goodies!
Sherwood Frazier- Northway, Meredith
Martha AuCoin - Franklin Savings Bank, Gilford
Sally Hibberd - Gilford Public Library
Pat Anderson - Northway, Tilton
Gail Brunt - Laconia Library
The art pieces for the Honorable Mention artists will be on display through the third week of September in the following locations:
This is a great opportunity that has been ongoing for years — our Artists of the Month program. Each month all LRAA members are encouraged to bring in a piece of art to our Art Talk on the 3rd Monday of the month (formerly the Monthly Members Meeting). The pieces are voted on by the people in attendance, and the artist with the most votes has the opportunity to display a number of pieces at Annie’s Cafe on Gilford Ave in Laconia. And you never know when your artwork will resonate with someone and you may make a sale!
We are currently in need of a new coordinator for the Artist of the Month Program. It's not a big job, but we need someone to make sure it’s in order! Contact Gail for more information: 603-520-9986.
Current Events
LRAA Member Artist Information:
>Art Drop Off: Complete
>Reception: September 21st from 2 PM to 4 PM
>Art Pick-up: September 29 from 10- 2
>Chairperson: Duane Hammond
Coming Events
Member Artist Information:
Registration: September 2 through Sept 24
*Please note we have now included a “Size of Art” field to the registration form that will enable us to preplan the exhibit layout.
Art Drop Off: September 29 ~ 10am - 2pm
Exhibit Dates: October 1st to October 27th
Reception: October 19 from 2-4 pm
Art Pick Up: October 27
Volunteers are Needed on: Sept 30, Oct 19, Oct 27
Laconia Public Library, Upper Library Gallery
695 Main Street, Laconia, NH 03246
Dates: Opens September 20th
This is an open themed exhibit open to all members of the Lakes Region Art Association. Registration for the event is required. Click here to register with the association.
Drop off Dates: We prefer you drop off at the library on the dates specified.
September 16 from 11:00am to 1:00pm
September 18 from 1:00 to 3:00pm
Or at the LRAA Gallery by September 15th
Pick up: To be determined. We will email all the participants in the exhibit when the pick up date is communicated to us.
Reception: September 20, 2024 at 3:00pm
Gilford Public Library
31 Potter Hill Road, Gilford, NH 03249
Dates: November 1st through 30th
This is an open themed exhibit open to all members of the Lakes Region Art Association. Registration will open on October 1st for this event.
Drop off Dates: We prefer you drop off at the library on the dates specified.
November 1st from 11:00am to 1:00pm
Or at the LRAA Gallery by October 27th
More Information to Come
Laconia Public Library, Upper Library Gallery
695 Main Street, Laconia, NH 03246
Dates: Opens Mid-October
This is an open themed exhibit open to all members of the Lakes Region Art Association. Registration for the event is required.
Details for this event are still being negotiated. An email will be sent out when details are available.
Castle in the Clouds ~ Christmas at the Castle Event
”Christmas at the Castle" in the Clouds: Theme -
"Home for the Holidays”
We will be decorating the large Christmas Tree in the Upper Hallway.
All ornaments should be handmade
artwork 4” or larger.
455 Old Mountain Rd, Moultonborough, NH 03254
Schedule Details
Ornaments & Artwork drop off at the Gallery no later than November 12, 2024.
Ornament & Artwork will be returned to the Gallery by a date to be determined.
The Upper Hallway will be filled with members artwork. Please consider the “Theme” for the artwork however, any winter paintings will be considered. The installation will take place in November. We will use as many pieces of artwork as we can fit in the hallway.
All artwork must be property wired and framed. Artwork size: minimum of 14” (on any side) to maximum of 24” (on any side). All artwork must be properly identified with “title card” including artist name and title of artwork. Please place “title card” on the back of the artwork. Artwork must be properly “bubble wrapped” for safe travel to and from the castle.
If anyone has questions, please feel free to email me or call me: PatEdsallDesigns@gmail.com
(603) 472-3733 landline or (603) 289-5437 cell phone.
Are you Missing Something?
As of the weekend of September 7th, the following art works were still in storage at the Lakes Region Art Gallery. Please pick up your artwork as soon as possible. It is safer in your hands than in our bulk storage in the back room.
Michelle Palys
Fay Lee
Mary Ann Logsdon
David Moore
Pam Taylor
C. “Franchy” Villeneuve
Russ Schundler
Wendy Oellers-Fulmer
Karyn Knutson
Beverly Barry
Pat Anderson
James Cryan
The Gallery is open
Thursday through Saturday
10:00 to 8:00
And Sundays
10:00 to 6:00
Art Classes in the Gallery
Clicking on the class below will bring you to the corresponding class information.
Adult Watercolor Workshop with Pat Edsall
Saturday Morning Drawing & Painting with Tom Hitchcock
Watercolor on Canvas Class with Stephanie McQuade
Things all members need to be informed of.
New Business• Call for artwork to replace what is currently in the Holiday Inn Express. It will be changed out the first Saturday of the month; contact Linda Murphy
• Show Registrations: Due to the added complexity and work associated with late registrations, we are now requiring that all art submissions and payments be made by the "Art Drop Off" date. We will no longer be able to accept late entries into exhibits. Art Drop Off dates are listed in the events listing on the website. It is also important to register by the date listed on the site.
• Sold during exhibits/shows: No show artwork is to be removed from an ongoing exhibit (if sold, it is to be picked up or shipped after the show is finished)
• Green Dot Art: Gallery Members wishing to place art on unassigned wall panels should list their name, title of the work and date, on the clipboard for unassigned Wall Space located by the sink. Then place their art/art label (one piece per person only) on one of the 4 open metal strips just right of the door to the back area of the gallery. Art submissions will be hung on open areas once approved. On a space available basis, those who have not had artwork in the open spaces in the last 3-4 months will be approved first and then approvals will be on a first come first serve basis.
• Scheduling: We still have one shift that needs an additional "sitter" in order to comply with Tanger requirements. If you are on a shift that has three members and are willing to help fill this void, please reach out to Gail Brunt.
• lakesregionartgallery.org - A reminder to those wishing to have a personal web page on the Lakes Region Art Gallery website: Mike McQuade is in the process of building the individual artist web pages. If you desire to be a part of this website and have your art displayed on your own page, 1) email Mike (mmcquade@photopiks.net) to confirm you are interested, 2) then watch for a return email with a list of things you will need to gather and send in.
• The "lraanh.org" URL is back in our control. This URL currently links to the home page of the "lakesregionartgallery.org" site. This may change in the future, but for now, both URLs link to the same site.
• Two new artists grace the walls of the gallery earlier this month: Sharon Seaward (Photographer) and David Moore (Artist and Photographer).
• The Gallery will be participating in the 2024 Castle in the Clouds Christmas Holiday display again this year. The theme is “Home for the Holidays.” We are once again providing ornaments for the Christmas tree and this year there is space for 28 framed artworks. Start planning your submissions now and watch for more information in the near future.
• HELP WANTED! - The Board of Directors is looking for a volunteer coordinator:
○ LRAA Field Trips - If you are interested in coordinating a few trips a year to various exhibits, shows, and events, reach out to Sherwood or Gail.
○ Artist of the Month Coordinator: The function of this member is to set up voting tools needed at each monthly meeting, count the votes, and communicate the results.
• 2025 Gallery Exhibit Update: We are cutting back to five member shows next year. The shows will occur every other month starting in February 2025. We hope to intersperse these shows with shorter-term events like Children's Exhibits and a few single-member shows. If you have ideas for new themes, please reach out to a Board Member with your concepts.
Old Business worth repeating• Online Registration: In order for our monthly shows to run smoothly, we find it necessary to require online registrations. Payments will be made at drop-off. In order for wall tags to be printed in a timely fashion, and to get all the information about each artist and their work, online it is! There will be links to each event’s registration form on the website. If you have any difficulty with the form, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
• Do you have something to say that belongs in the newsletters? Each month LRAA publishes two newsletters - one for our customers and another for our paid membership. If you have news or information you would like published in either or both newsletters, send that information to both Gail Brunt and Mike McQuade. Items for the Member Newsletter must be submitted by the Tuesday following the Board Meeting (1st Wednesday of the month), by noon. Items for the Customer Newsletter should be submitted by the 24th of each month. Send your article to:
○ Gail: gbrunt57@gmail.com
○ Mike: mmcquade@photopiks.net
Static Information• Table Exhibits: Maximum size for artwork appearing on the table space is 14” on the longest side.
• Overflow from the monthly exhibits may end up using table space.
• Art Book Library: Did you know that we have a pretty large collection of art books that have been donated for members’ use? Check them out!