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JANUARY 2017 NEWSLETTER PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The Board and I want to wish you all a happy and productive new year. For many this is a time of

thoughtful reflection and resolutions, a time to turn a page or to begin to write a whole new book.

For others it is a time of some anxiety as we take a look at the challenges facing the planet and it’s

inhabitants. Yoda can feel “a disturbance in the force” and Henny Penny keeps repeating herself. It

is at times like this when the artist’s role in culture becomes even more important. Art matters. It is not

simply a self indulgence for the artist. Art is an advocate for life, truth and beauty and we need to

make sure that its’ voice is heard. Colour and light are most vibrant when laid against the deepest

darks.

“Do not ask what ART can do for you but what you can do for ART!” (JFK abridged)

The stated mission of the FCA is to “advance the knowledge and appreciation of art and culture to

all Canadians, offering education, exhibition and communication in the visual arts, and to support

and promote emerging to professional member artists”.

At this point we are experiencing some success in the area of supporting and promoting our member

artists through our workshops and exhibitions and most of our volunteer efforts are directed at these

activities. However, if we are going to take on the challenge of advancing the knowledge and

appreciation of art and culture to the Canadians who live in our neighbourhood, we will need more

volunteers who share a commitment to this rather daunting aspect of the mission.

As the second law of thermodynamics states, everything moves from a state of organization to

disorganization (chaos) unless energy is applied to the equation. In the case of the FCA in Calgary I

would suggest that the energy that will sustain it is the commitment of its’ membership to active

participation.

Speaking of participation, our “Treasurer Hunt” continues. The last two members to hold the position

have opted to withdraw from this role. The optimist in me is embracing the notion that “the third time

is a charm.” I choose to ignore the more pessimistic baseball analogy. If you are interested in joining

the board in this capacity, please contact me or a member of the board. In the coming days we will

be sharing other opportunities for you to get involved.

Given the energy and enthusiasm of our current board and volunteers, I am confident that we will

enjoy continued success this year. I look forward to seeing you at our first general meeting of the

year. Stay warm and be safe.

Bob McAllister

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CONTENTS

President’s Message

Meeting Dates

Newsletter Submission details

Need for a Treasurer

Upcoming Events

- January Meeting Demo

- Next Workshops

Art Show Committee Report and 35th Anniversary Photos

Workshop registration process

Art Education – workshop schedule Feb to June 2017

Minutes of last Meeting November 2016

MEETING DATES

Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month at Lakeview Community Centre, 6110 – 34th

Street SW at 7 pm.

Parking is available but if the meeting is well attended you may have to park on the street. The

centre is close to several bus routes.

January 17th 2017

February 21st 2017

March 21st 2017

April 18th 2017

NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS

If you have an item for the newsletter, please send it to cassandra.arnold@gmail.com by the 26th of

each month for inclusion in the next newsletter.

I am happy to format items if you send me text in the body of an email, alternatively a JPEG of a

poster for an event etc is easy for me to insert.

Thank you, Cassandra Arnold

TREASURER: CALL FOR A VOLUNTEERT

We urgently need a volunteer to take over the role of Treasurer. If you can help orhave any

suggestions about this role, please talk to the president, Bob McAllister, email

iambobmcallister@gmail.com

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UPCOMING EVENTS

JANUARY MEETING

DEMO BY MELANIE MORSTAD

Melanie will give a demo for us at the January meeting. Be inspired to attend by her bio and images

below.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

One can hardly grow up under the canvas of Saskatchewan’s “Living Skies” without feeling an

intimate connection to the vast landscapes that often inspire the paintings of Melanie Morstad. As

an active outdoor enthusiast, Melanie’s passion for nature is boldly expressed with colour and an

emotional connection

Melanie’s Business Degree in Marketing combined with the study of painting at the Alberta College

of Art and Design, has led to a thriving career as a professional artist. She curated and implemented

over 175 pieces of original art in a permanent outdoor gallery in Alberta’s Fish Creek Provincial Park.

She is the President of the Burns Visual Arts Society, co-founder of the Parkland Solstice Festival

Society, full member of the Alberta Society of Artists and participates in various arts organizations. A

positive and enthusiastic mentor, Melanie has developed a loyal following of students since 2005.

Her work can be found in numerous collections and galleries.

www.melaniemorstad.com melaniemorstad@gmail.com

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NEXT WORKSHOPS

JANUARY 2017

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FEBRUARY 2017

REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 18

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ART SHOW REPORT

PHOTOS FROM THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW

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NEWSLETTER REPORT: ART SHOW COMMITTEE

Please refer to the Minutes from the November General Meeting. A number of items about the Earl

Grey Golf Club show were shared in our evening report along with other information on upcoming

shows and plans.

“Thank-yous” were missed in the November newsletter. Thanks to Ron Czemeres for bringing these to

our attention. The show signage that directed guests directly to the Earl Grey Golf Club was placed

by Dianne Middleton, Brent Ciccone and Branko Marjanovic. We thank the three of you for taking on

this voluntary responsibility for the Chapter. Well done!

Other Business:

Beatrice Wilhelm has stepped up to take on the Art Show Co-Ordinator job. Please consider signing

up to co-chair this exciting committee with her.

Next Show: “All Things Spring”:Calgary Chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists: March 4, 2017:

Edgemont Community Center, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. Set up will take place starting at 4:00 pm on

Friday, March 3rd. The call for submissions should be going out soon. Deadline for your submissions will

be February 10. Each participating artist may submit a maximum of four paintings. Door prize voting

will take place on February 21st. Two member pieces will be selected. One will be used for a door

prize and the other will be placed at the Charity Donation table. We will be supporting the Calgary

Food Bank at the show.

Spring Show: We have booked Earl Grey Golf Club for Friday, May 26th and Saturday, May 27th 2017.

There will be an opening show on Friday from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The show on Saturday will run from

10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Co-ordinators: Anne McGilvary: amcgilvary@shaw.ca, Judie Popplewell: jpsales@telusplanet.net

WORKSHOP REGISTRATION PROCESS

Registration for the workshops will also be open to the other organized “art groups” or “artists” as our

educational programs are meant to benefit all artists within our community. Members and non-members may

only register for the workshop being offered for that current month. Registration will open on a first come, first

served basis on the day of the General Meeting (the third Tuesday of each month).

Registrants are encouraged to pay the registration fee utilizing the PayPal option on the FCA website.

There will be an opportunity for those who wish to pay by cheque to do so at the FCA General Meeting

scheduled for one month prior to the workshop. The cash payment option will no longer be available.

Should you wish to use your casino voucher for payment, please email Sheila Mitchell

(smitchell1742@telus.net)

Pre-registration will no longer be available. Once a workshop is full we will have a waitlist which will

accommodate registrants in a first come first served basis.

Workshop Coordinators: Sheila Mitchell, Caran Magaw

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WORKSHOP SCHEDULE FEBRUARY TO JUNE 2017

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MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING - NOVEMBER 2016

Federation of Canadian Artists – Calgary Chapter

General Monthly Meeting: Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Lakeview Community Centre

President, Bob McAllister, called the meeting to order at 7:08 PM.

Minutes of April Meeting. Natalie Kurzuk moved that the minutes of the October 18, 2016 General

Meeting be adopted as circulated. Motion seconded by Dianne Stewart. Passed.

Treasurer Report. Bob McAllister delivered the Treasurer’s report. The closing balance of the AGLC

Account as of October 31, 2016 was $71,083.44. The Operating Account is at $24,083.61, however

this amount will decrease shortly as the expenses for the 35th Anniversary Show at Earl Grey Golf Club

have yet to be paid. The Treasury function is now being handled by a committee. A non-member

has been sourced to conduct the monthly reconciliation. However, a member is still required to fill

the title role of Treasurer when making AGLC and government reports. Lorrie Warkentin has stepped

up to take on this role. Thank you Lorrie!

Mad About Art Show – and 35 Year Anniversary Celebration, Earl Grey Golf Club. Anne McGilvary

and Judie Popplewell gave a report on the outcome of this banner show that was held October 29

and 30th, with a members and guests only gala event that was held during the evening of October

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Sales:

19 paintings sold over the two days and sales totaled $19, 183.00. The number of paintings sold was

comparable to the Edgemont Show last spring, however, the sales number was smaller this time.

Note: that the Earl Grey show was 2 days long compared to the Edgemont show, which was a 1 day

only. There was some interest from a few members of the public in attendance to join the FCA,

Calgary Chapter. We need to have a brochure handy in futures shows to give out to people that

are interested in joining. (We have about 180 members now).

Show Statistics:

Some of the show statistics were shared with the membership in attendance. Of the 12 items tracked

it appears that the top five items that drew attendance were: emails, the Canada Post mail outs,

signage, friends of the artists, and Facebook.

Acknowledgements:

Anne and Judie thanked the many volunteers that contributed to the show’s success. The door

prizes were supplied by Anne McGilvary and Judie, as voted on at the last General Meeting by the

membership. Dianne Steward announced the winners of the door prizes.

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Award Winners:

First Prize: Judie Popplewell for “Team Huddle”

Second Prize: Kathy Hildebrandt for “Planes Trains and Automobiles”

Third Prize: Amanda Crozier for “Hood of the Green and Told”

Honourable Mention: Dee Poison for “Ladybug on Chive”

Honourable Mention: Marija Petricevic-Bosnjak for “Saul”

Honourable Mention: Donna MacDonald for “Morning News”

Show Expenses:

Printing: 1) Invitations by mail: $295.35 (300 invitations and 50 posters)

2) Invitations by Canada Post mail drop: $507.34

Postage: 1) Invitations by mail: $124.95

2) Invitations by Canada Post mail drop: $363.34

Bold Signs: (6 of them): $819.00

Brochures: $705.60

Easel Delivery: Altay Moving Services: $456.00

Hall Rental and Food Beverage Total: $4321.63

Food and Beverage: 1) Gratuity: $402.84

2) GST: $132.04

3) Total: $2772.88 (minus ticket sales for the Member’s evening)

4) Rent: $1548.75 (3 days) Set-up day was complementary

Incidentals: Individual member costs for items such as printing and paper – unknown

Total to Date: Approximately $7600 (minus ticket sale revenue from the Friday gala event)

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Other Show Related Items: From Membership feedback at the show, the following items were

discussed at the November Executive meeting:

Painting Title Tags: There will be no displaying of any tags that announce sales to the general public.

Lighting: We will continue to place paintings and lighting with best viewing in mind. We will also

reintroduce a staging area where a piece can be brought and isolated for display with

concentrated lighting.

Accommodating More of the Membership during a Show: Our Chapter has 180 members and we

are growing at a steady rate. We hope to accommodate more of our membership at Edgemont on

March 4th by limiting the number of submission pieces to four. We also hope to purchase and place

more easels. We used all of our Gridwalls at Earl Grey. An estimate of $415.85 for 10 more Gridwalls

includes delivery to our warehouse. By a show of hands the General Membership was in agreement

with this additional cost to the Chapter.

Privacy on Written Receipts: Guests may choose not to share personal information such as addresses.

Receipt is adequate for our purposes.

Further Comments from the Membership: There was a discussion as to why invitations cannot include

images of paintings featured in a show. The situation is that the timing from getting back the

accepted paintings from a submission from Vancouver and the printing of the invitations is too tight.

Other Business: Earl Grey Golf Club has been booked for Friday, May 26th and Saturday, May 27th for a

one day show with a possible opening night on Friday. It was suggested that the Friday evening

could also be open to painting sales from 5:00 to 9:00 PM, or even start earlier at 3:00 PM to catch the

rush hour crowd. A discussion on opening longer on Saturday was initiated, but there is a time

consideration regarding the closing of the warehouse we store our materials at. These timings will be

discussed later at another General Meeting.

Beatrice Wilhelm has stepped up and has started her training for the May 4, 2017 show at Edgemont.

Another volunteer is needed to work on the next year’s shows. It was decided that we will have a

charity table at the Edgemont Show and the charity of choice is the Food Bank. We will need a

volunteer to handle the charity table. Lorrie Warkentin stepped up to take this item on. We will also

have a charity table at the show at Earl Grey Golf Club as well.

The call for submission to our Edgemont show on March 4, 2017 should be going out soon. Closing

date for submission will be February 10, 2017, and members will be allowed to submit 4 pieces for this

show.

Member’s paintings will only be used for door prizes. A second painting may also be selected for the

charity table.

Workshops. Caran Magaw and Sheila Mitchell handled this item. The Hermann Brandt Workshop

held on November 12 and 13 was a success. Half of the participants were non-members. There are

still 4 spots open for the Veronica Funk Workshop to be held on December 17. An email will be going

out before the next General Meeting regarding the Workshop by Alice Helwig that will be held on

January 21 and 22, 2017. Caran and Sheila asked the membership for suggestions regarding the

Workshops for the 2017/18 year. The Life Drawing sessions will continue until mid-December. A new

organizer for Life Drawing will be needed starting in January. The organizer gets to participate in the

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Life Drawing sessions for free. A long pose is being considered for one of the Life Drawing Sessions for

people who want to do paintings.

Membership. The cut-off date for new memberships is October 1st. For any new member that joins

after October 1st, their fee will be good for the entire next year.

Website. Bob McAllister reported that the Chapter is working on a new website that will have more

functionality. The cost of this will be covered by AGLC funding. An assessment is needed as to what

is lacking in our current website. As the new website will be funded by AGLC, it can’t be an

entrepreneurial one (involving sales). However, links to member’s websites will be allowed. It was

suggested that the person doing the new website have an artist background and not be strictly an IT

person. Various options are being evaluated as to who will be contracted to build our new website.

Fine Arts Department U of C. Bob McAllister has met with a representative of the Fine Arts Department

at U of C to discuss a donation that could be used for a bursary. The FCA, Calgary Chapter, has

been providing a bursary to U of C in years past. The discussion is on going.

Adjournment. Bob McAllister adjourned the meeting at 8:00 PM for the social break prior to the

Program.

Program. Nadine Johnson introduced Hermann Brandt who gave an overview of the crisis and the

complexities and challenges faced by those involved with the Tashinga Initiative – a conservation

organization in Zimbabwe, which is on the front lines of dealing with poaching and conservation.

Submitted by Ron Czemeres