November 2024
President’s Notes
The holiday season is just around the corner, and with it comes our annual LRAA Christmas party! Mark your calendars for Monday, December 16th, at 4:00 PM. We’re excited to share that Duane has once again volunteered to chair this year's festivities, bringing his enthusiasm and experience to make it a memorable event for everyone.
Continue reading this newsletter for all the details about the planned activities for the party. All LRAA members are cordially invited to attend with their families. We hope to see a great turnout and plenty of holiday cheer, let’s make this a celebration to remember!
Many other things are happening to complete another year for LRAA. Our display at the Gilford Library will be up until 12/2. We have a number of new artists participating, so be sure to stop in and see their work. In December there will be displays of children’s art from two sources in the Gallery for the first two weekends (12/5 - 12/8 and 12/12 - 12/15). The display being hung by Janice Beetle will hold a reception with an open mic for the children to talk about their art on Thursday 12/5, 6-7 pm. We will also have artwork from a local Home School group displayed at the same time.
Tanger will be hosting a Holiday Festival/Tree Lighting from 4-7 on Friday, 11/15. We will be offering FREE ornament painting for kids and could use as many hands as are willing to assist in this. The tree is right outside the Gallery, so this is a wonderful opportunity to bring folks into the Gallery.
Christmas decorations are going up! A call for help is hereby sent to you all. November 19th, 10 am… ‘til finished. Come and stay for as long or as little as you have time for. If you have ideas for decorating please contact Lynn Casey or any member of the Board.
I am challenging any and all members to bring your ideas to me, the board, or better yet, come to the December Board meeting (12/4 at 4:00). We are looking for proposals for fundraisers; members’ day trips, plein air painting days, solo displays in the Gallery, and any other ways to use the Gallery to the benefit of LRAA as whole, and to reach out to our local communities. There have been mumblings that the Association spent too much time promoting the Gallery and not enough time with non-gallery members. We’ve tried to change that, and hope many of you who are not hanging in the Gallery will bring forth your great ideas and abilities. We welcome your involvement!
Remember, this month’s Monday Art Talks is being set aside to vote for Secretary and Treasurer and open discussions about new displays and ways to move us forward as an association. Sann Lavallee is willing to continue her work as Treasurer. Susie French has served admirably as Secretary, but is looking at a year of family goings-on, and feels it would be best not to have the responsibility at this time. Christine Fogg has consented to be nominated as Secretary, but she is also involved in many other aspects of the Association, so we will actively be looking for a new Secretary. Our by-laws allow for nominations to be made from the floor, so although nominations typically occur in October, we will be happy to consider someone who might be willing to step in here.
Lastly; I’m wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Set aside the problems we all face daily and be thankful for your families, friends, and supportive neighbors. No doubt they are the best of the best.
L’art pour l’art
Sherwood Frazier
President, LRAA
SCHEDULE UPDATE:
Those helping with set up or bringing food items that need heating or set up time will be able to arrive from 4:00 pm onward.
The doors will open for guests at 6:00 pm for an evening of fun.
Join us for a festive and heartwarming evening on December 16th at our annual Christmas gathering and feast! This year’s theme, “The Sounds of Christmas,” promises a magical night filled with choral singers, a member sing-along, a potluck feast, a special visit from Santa, a50/50 raffle, and our always-entertaining Yankee Swap. We’d love to have you with us as we celebrate the season together. Please let us know you’re coming by signing up online. Can’t wait to see you there!
The fun part:
MC, Duane
Live choral singers, sing-along, lyrics provided
Yankee swap, please make your gift to the swap have a value of no less than $20.00
Visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus, funny!
50/50 raffle
Clean-up: All LRAA members please help with clean-up.
Click on the ornaments
to register!
All LRAA Membership is invited to this festive gathering on December 16th.
Bring a friend!
Bill of Fare: PotLuck.
Main dish: Lasagna (one w/ meat, one without) need complimentary side dishes to feed 6-8 people. Also, hors d’oeuvres, desserts, salads, and whatever reindeer eat. Please bring serving spoons, hot plates, and extension cords. LRAA will provide drinks, flatware, bowls, dishes, etc. In your RSVP reply, please indicate what food you’ll bring.
As we dive into the bustling holiday season, it's easy to get swept up in the whirlwind of preparations—whether it's organizing festive events, winterizing our homes and vehicles, or attending school activities with our kids and grandkids. However, let's not forget that this is also a fantastic opportunity for us as art purveyors to connect with our patrons and collectors and share our unique creations!
At our recent October ArtTalk meeting, Mike McQuade shared some exciting updates about the LRAA website. We are thrilled to announce that Phase II of our website development is underway, allowing each member to showcase their talent with a personal web page! Imagine being able to display up to eight stunning works of art across four different categories. Plus, Gallery Artists can display a magnificent collection of up to 32 pieces!
To make your profile shine, Linda Murphy is generously offering her services to take professional headshots for all participating artists. This is a wonderful opportunity to present your best self to potential buyers! Simply reach out to her at (lmphotonh@gmail.com / (603) 520-2106) to schedule your session—she'd love to hear from you.
If you're ready to bring your artwork to life digitally for the website, don’t hesitate to contact Mike McQuade to arrange a time to bring your pieces to the gallery for professional digitization. Just drop him an email at (mmcquade@photopiks.net) to set it up.
And the best part? All of these amazing services are completely FREE! Let’s seize this prime time to showcase our art and connect with our community. Your creativity deserves to shine this season!
Website Update
If you are interested in acquiring your own personal webpage, click on the link at right, read through the information and then download the worksheets to get started.
Yet Another Opportunity for All Members!
Check out their web page:
https://theflipsidenh.org/
You can order online most days. To see their menu click here!
Here is another opportunity to showcase your artistic talents to potential collectors. Sherwood Frazier has partnered with The Flip Side Restaurant in Laconia to display our art in their establishment. When I recently visited the restaurant at 10 AM to take a picture for this newsletter, it was busy, which is a good sign that the food must be delicious.
Just inside the front door is a long wall where LRAA members can exhibit their artwork. This space can accommodate several pieces, with artwork up to 30 inches wide.
The Flip Side is a community-focused restaurant that creates opportunities for individuals with developmental challenges. They prepare delicious dishes while providing unique chances for people in the community.
Sherwood will be installing the first round of artwork this month. A sign-up sheet for members interested in participating is available at the Lakes Region Art Gallery.
Current Call for Art Listings:
Holiday Inn Foyer Display (See below)
Flip Side Restaurant
Volunteers Needed:
Holiday Festival Kid’s
Ornament Painting- 11/15
LRAA Gallery Holiday Decorating- 11/19
Annual Christmas Party -12/16
New Business
• Managing Personal Emergencies: Recently, we experienced a difficult situation in the gallery when Martha AuCoin received word during her shift that her husband was having a cardiac event. She was reluctant to leave because there was only one other person on with her. Thankfully, she was finally convinced to rush to his side, and we want to make it absolutely clear: family always comes first. While we hope no one else has to face such an emergency, please know that if something does happen, you should never hesitate to leave and be where you need to be. The person working alongside you will call Sherwood or Gail, who will step in and handle the gallery. Your well-being and peace of mind are what matter most to us.
• We are working hard at rebuilding our Social Marketing platforms on both Facebook and Instagram after our gallery’s Facebook page was maliciously hacked. We are making a sincere effort to showcase our Gallery Artists, their artwork, and special events. What would be really helpful is if you could periodically check our Facebook Page and share to your own pages to help build awareness of our wonderful gallery. Also, when you have new artwork, please send pictures and information about your work to Wendy Oellers-Fulmer (contact@dreamscapejewelry.com) so she can promote it. We can work together to build awareness and as a result, get more customers to come in and see what we are all about.
• Call for artwork to replace what is currently in the Holiday Inn Express. It will be changed out on the first Saturday of the month; contact Linda Murphy. (lmphotonh@gmail.com)
• Call for fresh “green dot” wall art (vacant interior walls and outer North wall). Christine will put a recruitment sign for people to place green dot art (with a tag/label) on the open space SHELF on the right side wall just before going into the sink area. The GMC will hang it on the wall. Please write it in on the appropriate clipboard to the left of the sink. Christine will contact artists whose artwork is to be replaced/picked up.
We also have the opportunity to hang art in a fairly new restaurant in Laconia, The Flip Side. Anyone interested please contact Sherwood.
• Laconia Library Exhibit: This exhibit will end on Wednesday, November 13th. Please pick up your artwork from 10-12, or contact Sherwood if you won’t be able to make it. (Contact: P-603.998.7208 / Email: robinsviewphotography@gmail.net)
• Holiday Festival at Tanger will be on Friday, November 15th, 4-7. We will be offering FREE Ornament Painting for kids, made from wood slices. If you would like to help out, please contact Gail at 603-520-9986.
• Holiday Gallery Decorating will occur on Tuesday, November 19th at 10:00 AM. We could use some help with this fun event. Those wishing to help can put your name on the Volunteer List by clicking here.
• 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.
• 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: We recently made a move to online registration for all exhibits and shows. Nearly everyone has helped by registering per the guidelines set on the header of each registration form. If you would like a behind-the-scenes explanation of the mechanics behind this effort, check this out.
• 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.
• 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!
Art Classes in the Gallery
Clicking on the class below will bring you to the corresponding class information.