New Business

• Would anyone like to lead a “sip and paint” evening? These are popular and could bring a number of folks into the Gallery.

• We are forming an “Art in the Community” committee- 3 - 5 people from the Association (not just the Gallery) who will work to maintain the Association’s footprint in the community. The stated Mission of the LRAA “ is to enhance the ability of its members to create art and to further the appreciation of the arts in the greater Lakes Region area of New Hampshire by education, promotion, display, and sale of the visual fine arts.” We need further participation by members who aren’t already doing it all. LRAA is in its 85th year of operation, and if we are to fulfill the Mission, we need people to combine their skills and energy to accomplish it.

•Scheduling: Gallery Members should review their settings to be sure they are receiving all notifications from Homebase. In order to make the best use of the program, it is essential that all members get the notifications. We now have a new email address for Scheduling issues only: schedule@lraanh.org

• To maximize attendance and engagement, we need to plan further ahead for events, ArtTalks, and Art Shows. The earlier we can finalize and share information and dates through newsletters, social media, and the website, the greater the potential for a strong turnout. We welcome your ideas and your participation!

• Back-Ups! We have been working hard this year to provide back-ups for every job that is done by our members. Sometimes that involves divvying up a job so that one person isn’t responsible for it all. However, we’ve found that it is often someone who already has a job who is volunteering to be a back-up! We are preparing job descriptions for each position, which will be available soon. Most of the time a back-up is not needed, but life happens…vacations, illness, family crises… and if only one person knows what to do, that leaves the Association without anyone who knows how to, say, pay the artists each month, prepare and submit reports, etc. Perhaps you may be one who has the skills to be a back-up?

• Bar codes! Yay! Each artist should send info for their art to inventory@lraanh.org. (NEW email!) Include your artist #, title of the piece and if original, print, card, etc. In The Book of Clover you will find a bar code for your monthly exhibit fee, Custom Items, Show Fees, and Yearly Membership Fee. You may also choose to have a single bar code in the Book for cards or a certain size matted print, rather than individual stickers on each piece. We are completely “bar coded”. Each artist has their own Custom Item bar code on their page in the Book of Clover so that the sale will be linked to their name. Gallery attendants - please use that bar code for any item that lacks one. All pertinent info still needs to be written in the log book as a back-up. Hopefully we will come to the point where reconciling the books will be a “piece of cake”, rather than a tiresome scavenger hunt that wastes hours of time each week!

•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 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.

We also have the opportunity to hang art in a fairly new restaurant in Laconia, The Flip Side, and in the Holiday Inn in Tilton. Anyone interested please contact Sherwood.

• 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. The first group has gone LIVE! It’s quite impressive. 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.
Linda Murphy has been voluntarily taking headshots of participating artists for the website directory. If you plan to have a personal web page, reach out to Linda to make an appointment.

• HELP WANTED! - The Board of Directors is looking for volunteer coordinators:
○ 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.

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 Gail Brunt. 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: vicepresident@lraanh.org

Static Information

• Table Exhibits: Maximum size for artwork appearing on the table space is 14” on the longest side. If you have a piece that could be displayed on one of the tables, contact Christine.

• Call for fresh “green dot” wall art on the 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.