by Jennifer Jean Okumura, President

Art highlights the link between personal journeys and our creative community through shared experiences. It acts as a catalyst, connecting us with others. More updates are coming, including inspiring pieces to read, share, and enjoy.

‘Windchill Factor’ at Karen and Ted Koskores Gallery Full Page AD* *‘Break-through’ at John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse Seaport 3

EXHIBITS

Momentum and collaborations continue with two ‘Call for Art’ events. Resist Restrictions, an open-themed exhibition at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Seaport, is displayed in the Atrium and Harbor Park Galleries from Tuesday, June 30, to Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Theme: Our resistance to restrictions explores feelings of confinement and freedom, using imagery of chains and limitations—both literal and metaphorical—to symbolize the rest-rictions artists face. The artists featured in this exhibition can challenge autho-rity, question traditions, and express their desire to break free from these limits. The exhibit is juried by Hollis Taggart, President of Hollis Taggart Gallery and a dealer based in New York. The second ‘Call for Art,’ Playing with Fire, takes place at Galatea Fine Arts in the SoWa Art & Design District in Boston, from Fri-day, July 3, to Sunday, July 26, 2026. Theme: We entered the world with the cautionary phrase, ‘Be careful when you play with fire,’ addressing topics from politics and art to daily life and environmental issues. These sparks burn down the walls we build to contain our lives, suffocating us and leaving our thoughts and bodies in the ashes. Yet after the worst burns, a single ember dares to re-enter the world, seeking vitality—burning inside, racing wildly, unrestrained, and driven by addictive media. The desire for connection ignites hope and overshadows the noise and endless images around us. In this show, we both literally and metaphorically embrace the power of fire. Juried by Danielle Kry-sa, the writer and curator behind The Jealous Curator, who has curated exhi-bitions in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Toronto. Her nota-ble books include “How to Spot an Artist,” “Creative Block,” “Collage,” “Your Inner Critic Is a Big Jerk,” “A Big Important Artist: A Womanual,” and “A Big Important Art Book (Now with Women),” profiling unstoppable female artists and offering projects to help others become one of them. A new book is expected in Fall 2026. The Jealous Curator has been featured in Oprah Magazine, oprah.com, Brain Pickings, Fast Company, Apartment Therapy, Sunset Magazine, Frankie Magazine, InsideOut Magazine, Flow Magazine, The Vancouver Sun, Glamour Paris, and more.

2026 AND BEYOND EXHIBITIONS

‘LA FÊTE’ through February 13, 2026 [Gallery Sitka Newport]; ‘Wind Chill Factor’ March 23 – April 19, 2026 [Karen and Ted Koskores Gallery]; ‘Playing with Fire’ July 2026 [Galatea Fine Arts in SoWa Art & Design District] with juror Danielle Krysa; ‘Resist Restrictions’ June 30 – September 29, 2026 [John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse, Seaport (front, atrium & harbor park)] judged by New York dealer and President Hollis Taggart of Hollis Taggart Gal-lery; The James Center for the Arts, September 11 – October 15, 2026 [Liz Helfer, contact Silvina]. Our artist members engage with the arts and culture in many meaningful ways as our chapter grows, supported by a vibrant schedule of events: nawama.org/calendar.

GENERAL CHAPTER NEWS

We support our members through in-person and virtual exhibition op-portunities, PR visibility, and community engagement. We’re excited to wel-come back juror Hollis Taggart in 2026, president of Hollis Taggart Gallery, and we thank Victoria J. Fry, a New York City-based painter, educator, curator, and founder of Visionary Art Collective (@visionaryartcollective), @newvisionarymag, and @warnescontemporary, for her excellent guest presentation and for joining us at the end-of-2025 ‘Member Appreciation’ Soi-ree. Additionally, we offer ongoing rotating gallery shows on Newbury Street and partner with the Junior League of Boston to showcase works at their headquarters. Our ‘Marketing and Social Media as Part of Your Creative Arse-nal’ workshops continue to support our members, and we look forward to an-nouncing our 2026 scholarship recipients after April 1st. Thank you, Rosalie and Madolin, for your invaluable contributions.

We further boost member visibility through ‘Calls for Art,’ PR coverage, and our partnership with Artscope Magazine, which features our ads in January/February, July/August, September/October, and Novem-ber/December. Special thanks to Kim Alemian for creating the ads. Our PR ef-forts include articles in the Artscope Art Basel 2026 issue, displayed in the Art Basel Magazine sector, full-page ads, Artscope’s bi-weekly e-blasts covering topics such as multidimensional art, artistic analysis, and home and identity, and our social media platforms. We also participate in TransCultural Exchan-ge (TCE) TV, Hello World, and An Art Affair Around the Globe. Upcoming events include a Member Appreciation Soirée in December 2026, an Art Salon, and Social & Art Chat, with collaborations with local communities such as the South End Business Alliance. These initiatives are essential for supporting, strengthening, and unifying us as artists. Our chapter continues to grow with a lively lineup of opportunities and events.

PROFILES

Jacqueline Lorieo, NAWA NY President and Phenomenal Artist, shares her words below. Enjoy, and her sculptures were show-stoppers in ‘Power Surge.’ My background in nursing and Occupational Therapy influences the themes and styles of my art. The human body is endlessly complex and inspiring, con-stantly driving my creativity. I’ve woven universal themes of humanity and sci-ence into my bronzes, wooden torsos, fired clay pieces, and small, handheld medals. Each piece captures a moment in time and offers a small glimpse into my soul.

Memory and Repair, porcelain by Jacqueline Lorieo

Positive and negative honors are awarded to women who have survived breast cancer. They have confronted deformity and shifts in their self-image. They have healed, moved forward, and become warrior women.

Jacqueline Lorieo in her studio

The women are also discovering ways to keep their bodies and minds con-nected, continuing with spirit and energy.
Posing seems as if she has managed to keep her body intact, but we don’t know her mental state.

Liliana Marquez ‘Lilimarq’ is a Venezuelan artist and designer whose work reimagines the potential of discarded architectural samples through her sig-nature practice: REPOP ART. Rooted in the Bauhaus principle that form follows function, her creations blend geometry, structure, and vibrant color with soul and purpose. Each piece is a dialogue between artist and material—an intui-tive process of listening, reclaiming, and transforming waste into sculptural and functional art.

Liliana Marquez in studio

Influenced by Venezuela’s energetic masters and the cultural rhythm of 1970s Caracas, Lilimarq creates from a foundation of resilience, balance, and poetic sustainability. Her work has been showcased in Boston, New York, Miami, and Caracas, and is part of private collections across the U.S., Europe, and Lat-in America.

Every piece I create is an act of revalorization—giving materials a second chance after they’re considered obsolete. Through intervention and intention, they go beyond their original purpose, becoming symbols of ecological awa-reness and human potential. My art invites viewers to explore our relationship with material culture, envision alternative futures for what we discard, and recognize the beauty in what is often overlooked. Through the poetry of reuse, I aim to shift perceptions—honoring the dignity of materials by giving them a new life, a new voice, and a new meaning.

Louise Laplante

Louise Laplante, the artist, studied at the Art Institute of Boston, earned her BFA from the College of New Rochelle, and completed her MA in Fine Arts at SUNY Albany. She began actively exhibiting her work in the 1980s, in galleries across New York, New England, and nationwide. Currently, her work is repre-sented by Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson, NY.

The artist’s work investigates the past by using fragments found on old paper, highlighting their importance today and the vivid images they create. These pages are collaged onto drawing paper to serve as the backdrop for her drawings. Whether they come from a single book, a set of related letters, or a collection of unrelated sheets, they form the basis of her imagery. Each motif relates to those words in its own unique way. The pastel is rubbed into the pa-per for rich, deep tones, with lines radiating from each image to add energy. Sometimes, she joins multiple sheets to form a larger surface for more draw-ing, symbolizing the pieced-together nature of both our memory and our connection to the world. There is great beauty in the old, yellowed, foxed pa-per, in its stains and marks, as well as the birds, animals, hats, or other motifs on those sheets, and how they communicate with each other.

UPCOMING EXHIBITS/EVENTS

Let’s keep this positive energy flowing through our wonderful collabora-tions with colleagues, creative friends, and families, fueled by steadfast opti-mism for an incredible year. Art will always shine and inspire us, serving as the bond that holds laughter and tears together. We look forward to connecting with all our members and hearing about their achievements. 2026 is a mean-ingful year, especially since daily news often lacks inspiration and human connection; let’s make it a great one as we continue to make waves both as a chapter and as individuals. Congratulations to everyone as we move into spring, summer, and fall. You are appreciated for everything you do, from the incredible Board to our unmatched members. Great things are headed your way and beyond through nawama.org/calendar, which is updated regularly.

by Denise Cormier Mahoney, President

The year 2026 is beginning strong and we’re enjoying the activity. With an annual goal of three to four shows, these local opportunities help us participate in exhibitions closer to home. Upcoming shows include:

• Morean Art Center, St Petersburg, FL- A JOURNEY THROUGH MY IMAGINATION, January 16-March 26, 2026
• Herrig Center for the Arts, Bradenton, FL- 2^ND ANNUAL MEMBER SHOWCASE, March 24-April 17, 2026
• Naples Botanical Gardens, Naples, FL- NATURE’S PALETTE, April 25-June 21, 2026
• Court House Cultural Center & Gallery, Stuart, FL- THE FRAGILITY OF FLORIDA’S EXCOSYSTEMS, November 10-December 19. 2026

The Morean Art Center Reception was well attended, and we were able to congratulate many of our award winners in person.

• 1^st Place-Jenipher Chadley- THE LOOK
• 2^nd Place-Michaelann Bellerjeau- HOT NIGHTS, BRIGHT LIGHTS, POOL 1
• 3^rd Place-Neva Setlow- CHROMATIC 1

Honorable Mentions-

• Patti Robbins- The Future is Now
• Laura Waller- Out of the Darkness
• Patricia Richards- Storm Remnants
• Patricia Zalisko- In Judy’s Blue Heaven

Upcoming Exhibitions for 2027 and 2028

• The Elliott Museum, Stuart, FL- INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN, August 15-November 15, 2027
• Thomasville Center for the Arts, Thomasville, GA- A MOMENT IN TIME, January 2027
• Leesburg Center for the Arts, Leesburg, FL- VISUAL IMAGERY, Fall 2027
• Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, UNTITLED, December 12, 2027-April 15, 2028

Our membership is now at 105 with 14 new members for our current fiscal year.

East Coast scholarship chair Fran Mann Goodman’s team is hoping to choose one or two young female art students to receive our scholarship awards this spring. More details to come.

I am very proud of our artists members and applaud their professionalism, volunteerism and creative bravery as a sisterhood of like-minded artists.

1st Place-Jenipher Chadley- THE LOOK

2. 2nd Place-Michaelann Bellerjeau- HOT NIGHTS, BRIGHT LIGHTS, POOL 1, oil.

3rd Place-Neva Setlow- CHROMATIC 1

Morean Arts Center Award Winners

• 1^st Place-Jenipher Chadley- THE LOOK
• 2^nd Place-Michaelann Bellerjeau- HOT NIGHTS, BRIGHT LIGHTS, POOL 1
• 3^rd Place-Neva Setlow- CHROMATIC 1

by Lolly Owens, President

Exhibits

2026
We have one exhibition at America’s oldest artist club, The Sketch Club, founded in 1860 in Philadelphia. Dates: July 5 – July 26. Theme: Declaration of Art. Reception Date: July 12, 2026, 1 -3 pm in conjunction with another exhibition in the upstairs gallery; 2 images per artist; One large up to 40″ and one small (your definition); 25% commission to Sketch Club & 5% commission to NAWAPA. More information at Show Submit.

2028
Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens: March 10 – June 26, 2028. The theme is “Fertile Ground.” This site is centrally located between Pittsburgh International Airport and downtown Pittsburgh.

Stifel Fine Arts Center at the Oglebay Institute with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, WV, July- August 2028. Artists will be inspired by music selected by the Symphony.

Members in the News

Jennifer Kish, NAWA PA Treasurer, is having a solo exhibition at Cerulean Arts in Philadelphia, February 11, 2026 to March 8, 2026.

Cheryl Levin, NAWA PA Historian, has a solo exhibition March 7, 2026 to 22, 2026, “More Ink Meanderings with Cutaways & Folds (Accompanied by a Poem)” at DaVinci Art Alliance, 704 Catharine Street, Philadelphia, PA.

Gallery Talk: The Architecture of Obsession

The following is excerpted from a speech given by NAWAPA member Christine Knize at the University of Western Illinois, in March 2026:
“When you walk into a place like the famed Biltmore Hotel in Miami, or the private home of someone like Oprah, you see grandeur. You see the ‘whole.’ For thirty years, my job was to be the person who created that ‘whole’ while remaining completely invisible. My ‘canvas’ was measured in feet, not inches, and my ‘studio’ was an active construction site.  I was an architectural artist.

“I learned how to paint at a scale that would swallow most people. I learned that if a mural or artistic design is one inch off at 20 feet high, the whole room feels broken.”

Knize described how her 30-year career as an architectural artist not only taught her to be organized, to make deadlines, and to respect the architecture, but also gave her the discipline to handle scale and the technical mastery to execute her current work. She urged her audience to regard ‘commercial work’ as an opportunity to master the skills necessary for ‘fine art’. The skills she developed in decorative mural painting and restoration enabled her to create her large-scale paintings of orchids.

The title of her exhibition, ‘Orchidelirium’, comes from the Victorian era, in the 1800’s, when people “literally went crazy for orchids”. Knize said, “Where I live in Florida, the orchid is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It is a ghost in the swamp and a trophy in the foyer. My work seeks to capture that duality: the monumental presence of something that is essentially fragile.”

She uses the glazing technique of the old masters to create depth and the illusion of “trapped light”. It is a “slow meditative process” that requires sustained attention. She concluded, “Speed is the enemy of depth. If you want your work to have a ‘soul,’ you have to give it time to grow. …To be an artist is to give yourself permission to be obsessed with one thing until you’ve seen every detail the rest of the world missed.”

by Meyriel Edge, President

We have had a busy quarter organizing our upcoming Annual Exhibition and Members Annual Meeting and Lunch, working on increasing our membership, improving our online presence, developing our Succession Plan as part of Strategic Planning, promoting Professionalism and Education, and celebrating members successes such as solo exhibitions and receiving awards in NAWA and other exhibitions.

We were sad to wave off Vice President Susan Hammond to her well-earned retirement. She instigated the forming of our Chapter and remains in touch as our true friend and advisor.

We are thankful for Melinda Welker who, following the end of her Board Member term, continues to produce our impressive newsletter. She is also providing valuable assistance to our Exhibitions team.

Exhibits

Recent: Women’s Work: Threads of Labor exhibit.
This online exhibit commemorates America’s 250th birthday and draws the connection between the literal and metaphorical threads women wove throughout history.

The HMC, Aiken, DAR Chapter Sponsored Award was given to  “One Woman’s Work: A Framed Portrait”, by Linda McCune

1. One Woman’s Work: A Framed Portrait, by Linda McCune Sculpture: Wood; materials: wood, metal, fibers, paper, paint; 54”H x 78”W x 8”

First Place – Quilting Queen, Rhian Swain
Second Place – Phillis Wheatley, Enslaved Poet of the Revolution, Deidre Hayes
Third Place –  Sew Sad Sweatshop, Judith Carlin
Honorable Mention – Window on the World, Joyce Erb
Honorable Mention – Holding Fast To Her Beliefs, Sandy Dimke

2D First Place: Quilting Queen, by Rhian Swain, Acrylic

Upcoming: Spirited Aiken exhibit

This exhibit, at the Aiken Center for the Arts, will open with a gallery reception on June 18 and will close on July 23. Submissions are open March 1- April 16 through ShowSubmit. You must be a chapter member to submit. The use of a timeline, created by Melinda, has proved helpful and will be the template for succeeding exhibitions.

Flavia Lovatelli and her team continue to search for new, high-quality venues and they have made several promising connections. Members are encouraged to offer suggestions.

Selene Paschoal is currently exhibiting at our outreach exhibition venue, the SC Chamber of Commerce.

CHAPTER NEWS

The Board voted to provide a scholarship to a student, prevented from attending by financial restrictions, to attend the Aiken Center for the Arts one- week Summer Art Camp. Students learn about masterpieces, famous artists, art styles, and how to find inspiration in everything.

Rhian Swain is presenting a class on Marketing and Branding for members following the Annual Members Meeting and Lunch. An historic tour of Aiken is also being researched for members and with non-artist guests in mind.

The budgeting structure for Spirited Aiken will serve as a template for exhibitions going forward. Treasurer Marie Echols was approved to spend up to $500 without full Board approval.

Several social gatherings to introduce new members have taken place around the state. Thanks go to those members who have organized them.

Membership stands at 59 and there are promises for more, with our membership chair Deidre Hayes reaching out to more than 30 artists to apply for NAWA membership.

Our Strategic/Succession plan is already proving to be beneficial and far reaching. When Susan Irish relinquishes her role as Secretary, she will take on the role of Vice President until President Meyriel Edge steps down, but will remain as a liaison. This will allow for a smoother transition of board members.

Rhian Swain, Emi Sisk, and Francie Klopotic are responsible for our excellent online presence, and members are encouraged to participate by writing upbeat comments and sending in news of their art accomplishments.