Massachusetts
By
Jennifer Jean Costello
President, Massachusetts
One of the autumn joys is watching nature’s colors shine brightly and, in a way, share their hopes for the year ahead – like more outside events, creative collaboration pieces created together, pictures that celebrate achievements we’re working towards in and out of the studio. This time of year, through conversations, many colleagues and friends ask those same questions: What are we hoping to get out of this year? Who are we hoping we’ll be?
We hope, of course, that we stay kind and caring and thoughtful: confident, competent, and capable. Of course, we get to make those choices from our many influences, interests, models, talents, and environments. We most certainly guide, open doors, create experiences to help set us up for success, whatever that means to the creative. But, especially, after all the disruptions we’ve lived through these past two years, we’ve (as a chapter, as a whole) become ever more confident that it truly does ‘take all kinds.’ The artists and friends in front of us bring so many different personas, curiosities, and perspectives, but if we’re able to make sure that they know that “we see you, we hear you, we know you,” then we’re doing our work, both as colleague and friend.
The NAWA, MA Chapter, and Signature Consulting awarded Scholarships to High School Graduates Sadie Chandler Fountain, Ashley Chavez, and Amy Jimenez, the three 2021 scholarship award recipients. They all received a $1500.00 scholarship based on overall achievement in art, academics, community, and extra-curricular work. Please join the board and me in a huge THANK YOU to Rosalie Cuticchia, Scholarship Chair, for bringing smiles to us all as we move into our fifth year for awarded Fine Art Scholarships.
Some of the highlights of our Chapter have been continuing our members’ visibility through Hello World, An Art Affair Around the Globe (a virtual travelogue of artworks created by nearly 250 artists working in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Australia: https://transculturalexchange.org/activities/hw/venues.htm) and our online ‘Shops’ and the power of local community collaboration, e.g., SEBA (South End Business Alliance) to support, strengthen and unify us as artists. To maximize our members ‘ artistic talents, we continue to foster sales, upward climb in the virtual as well as bricks n’ mortar presence.
This leads to our two upcoming shows in November, ‘Art Forward’ at Galatea Fine Art in SoWa Art & Design District and ‘Manipulation is Art and Play’ http://www.pianocraftgallery.com in a beautiful and raw 2000 sq ft space. In addition, we celebrate our member successes such as being the featured artist in Artscope Centerfold July Issue, Cape Ann ARTWaves, Harp Publishing, the People’s Press ‘The Marrow of Longing,’ MiA Magazine (Asian American Artist), Sanctuary Magazine (Argentinian American Artist), and retrospective solo shows among others.
Heather Buechler at Art and Activism Show.
We are also pleased to announce two Call for Entries. The first, ‘Art Forward’, is a group exhibition of 2D and 3D works that explore all things that have their turn to change with time. In us, past, present, future meet. They collide and synthesize cultures—allowing time to change, end, and begin anew. Change is life, inconsistent as our future is time’s excuse. The future frightens us, too profound and vague, but change is hopeful, healing, and leaves us smiling ahead.
The second is ‘Manipulation is Art and Play’. Artistic manipulation is mysterious, unseen—she is a force of nature, a master of the dark and light and all in-between. This group exhibition of 2D and 3D works gives you a glimpse into the artists’ minds—their desires and cravings as they purposefully change, alter, or influence their material of choice. Juried by Arts Educator and Host of The Podcast ‘Hood grown Aesthetic’ Althea Bennett; feature films, television, and commercials prop maker and set dresser Rebecca Rose Greene; and Gal Friday Consulting’s Haley Neville.
Kirsten Ilse at Art and Activism Show
Our Chapter continues to grow with a healthy roster of 2021 and beyond exhibitions: www.nawama.org/calendar. We have scheduled demo/talks such as ‘A Few Basics of Marketing and an Introduction to Instagram’ as part of ‘Your Social Media Arsenal II-VI’ with our next on October 14 from 1-3 pm; ‘THE 15 WORD EXERCISE’ follow-up in the fall to ‘SHELTERING IN PLACE SOCIAL IV’ along with PR coverage via sponsor Artscope Magazine, Artscope E-blast, IG, and Facebook. Marketing—like Art—has the power to mold and shape itself into whatever you want it to be.
Our collective energy, experience, passion for the Arts will be filled with sun, fresh autumn air, and an excellent opportunity to recharge and connect with those fantastic friends and colleagues around us.
Jennifer Jean Costello and Lisa Goren at Lisa’s retrospective 2021.
Florida
By
Roberta Millman-Ide
President
Look at just some of what this Chapter has been up to:
SOME LIKE IT HOT II – A sassy, bold exhibit to kick off the summer, and shake off of the pandemic blues, combining SC, FL, and MA Chapters in this virtual experience museum of art.
Topic: PERMISSION TO SCREAM – An Art Presentation by NAWAFL Member, Joanna Coke
AND MORE TO COME:
July 7th– An Online Art Salon where we’ll meet new members, and everyone present can share current pieces they’re working on.
Aug 11th– Online presentation by Susan Hammond: Susan G. Hammond is a past President and Executive Director of NAWA and is a professional contemporary photographer. She will be giving a slide presentation of a variety of her photographs, and offer tips and suggestions about photographing your artwork. She will answer questions about NAWA and her photography career.
Sep 15th– Online presentation, by (myself) Roberta Millman-Ide, on creating Narrative Art as a second language.
In addition, this August NAWAFL has an Exhibit at the 621 Gallery in Tallahassee.
There’s a lot more planned… but this will take us through the end of September…which is the end of our NAWAFL fiscal year.
South Carolina
By
Fran Gardner
President
Greetings from South Carolina. This is always a beautiful time of the year in our state. From the upstate hills to the coast, Fall offers warm days but cooler nights and plenty of farm fresh produce along the roadside stands. We hope you will visit us for the natural beauty of SC, but also for the exciting art our state offers. Our chapter has big changes to announce as we move into Fall.
SC CHAPTER ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT
During their August meeting, the SC Chapter Board elected Fran Gardner to succeed Kate Kennedy as Chapter President. Gardner is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of South Carolina Lancaster where she taught studio foundations and art history for 32 years. In addition, Gardner is the Community Development Coordinator at the Lancaster County Council of the Arts where she develops public art outreach projects and writes grants. Gardner’s art has been published in Fiberarts and Needle Arts magazines, and in the books Crafting Personal Shrines by Carol Owen, the North Carolina Folklore Journal, The Art of Textiles, by Mary Schoeser, Fiberarts Design Book Five, and Scanning the Hypnoglyph: Sleep in Modernist and Postmodern Representation, by Nathaniel Wallace. She was the National Park Artist-In-Residence at Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico in 2012.
She has exhibited regionally and nationally with the Embroiders’ Guild of America, the American Craft Council Spotlight, Craftforms, Womanmade Gallery, and the National Association of Women Artists among many others. She writes critical essays, leads retreats, teaches workshops, and judges exhibitions. Gardner’s art combines painting, drawing and stitchery to create complex collages that reference ways in which women protect, heal and advise. She uses allusions to magic, conjuring, and invoking, to advocate for empowerment and voice in a slippery cultural and political landscape.
About her recent election Gardner said, “I am thrilled to be able to use the skills I developed throughout my teaching career to work in the important area of advancing the voices of women artists. When we put art into the world it is a powerful act of bravery and communication. Together with the exceptional women on the SC Chapter Board and our volunteers, we offer exhibition opportunities and professional development in support of women artists.”
A SPECIAL NOTE OF THANKS
The SC Board would like to thank Kate Kennedy for her service to the SC Chapter. The signature of her leadership was navigating the pandemic and moving exhibitions to an online format in a difficult and stressful time. She, along with the SC Chapter Board, demonstrated flexibility and strength, offering exhibitions and professional development in a virtual format. Working with the MA and FL Chapters, she spearheaded “Some Like It Hot” in 2020 and 2021. She also worked with the Vendue, an art hotel in the historic district of Charleston, SC, to present an in person and online exhibit titled “Inspirational Journey.” Our sincere thanks to Kate for her leadership during a particularly challenging year.
NAWA SC CHAPTER MEMBER FEATURE
Get to know: Artist Melinda Welker
In Melinda Welker’s artist statement, she writes about the subjects of her photography, “By studying birds in their natural habitats, I’ve learned to anticipate their behavior and capture images of birds as they go about their daily behavior – preening, spearing fish, nesting or displaying courtship behavior.” In addition to her photography, she is an active volunteer for the SC Chapter of the National Association of Women Artists. Together with Sandy Dimke, SC Chapter Board Secretary, Welker’s recent focus is developing a NAWA SC Chapter exhibition at The Aiken Center for the Arts titled Spring Fusion: Renew and Reinvent, March 31 – May 6, 2022. As Welker and Demke describe in the prospectus: “The exhibit theme allows artists to capture the energy of Spring. Not only the revival and rebirth in nature, but in a rejuvenation of ourselves. While nature constantly recreates itself, so too does the artist.”
The Aiken Center for the Arts is in the heart of vibrant, historic downtown Aiken, SC. The opening reception will be at the gallery on March 31, 2022.
“By directing this exhibit, I’ve had the opportunity to meet more women in the local art community and beyond, as well as increase my skill set. I recommend members to become involved in organizing an exhibition. There are lots of moving parts, but there are also members with varied experience who are willing to help and advise you. Another plus is you get to make more “artful” friends,” said Welker.
A founding member of the SC Chapter, Welker is past membership chair. “I made a point to go to area art exhibits to specifically view the work of female artists. I contacted many whom I thought were deserving of NAWA membership, informed them about NAWA and suggested they apply to national and subsequently, to our SC Chapter,” said Welker. She further credits NAWA members for the support and encouragement they have given her to explore combining her photography into collage.
(We encourage readers to go to NAWA’s home page (www.thenawa.org )and click on Magazine. In July 2019 issue archived, one of our featured SHOUT OUT artists was Melinda Walker. You can enjoy more of her thoughts and exquisite work. SB)
UPCOMING EXHIBITION
Spring Fusion: Renew and Reinvent will take place March 31-May 6, 2022 at the Aiken Center for the Arts, a dynamic engaging Gallery in the heart of downtown Aiken, SC. This exhibit coincides with the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta and is a prime tourist time for Aiken. We are working to obtain special rates on overnight accommodations for members who wish to attend the reception on March 31, 2022, from 6-8pm. A Welcome Lunch is being planned for members who arrive early on the 31st. The prospectus has been released to all current SC Chapter members. Smarter Entry opens Oct 12 and entry deadline is Nov. 12, 2021.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
Of special note, membership renewal information will be arriving via email by the end of August and is due by October 1st. Please get your renewals in soon!
NAWA SC is proud to be a part of the National Association of Women Artists and further the national mission – to promote awareness of, and interest in, visual art created by women in the United States – in our state of South Carolina. Please contact fran.gardner24@gmail.com if you have questions about this news update, have news to share or wish to join the NAWA SC Chapter.
The two photos attached are of Melinda Welker, exceptional NAWA SC Chapter volunteer and past board member and an example of her work as a wildlife photographer, capturing the depth and beauty of nature.
