President’s Letter

Greetings and Happy New Year!

The Guild’s busy 2015/2016 season continues as we head into the new year. The January business meeting will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at the Alliance for the Arts beginning with refreshments at 10 AM. If there is no one interested in going through our Peer Review Process, the program will be the Fine Craft Expo, which is right around the corner now! If you’d like to sign up for Peer Review, you may contact Sue Archer at archerartpost@gmail.com. Information about the Peer Review can be found on the Guild’s web site. Our last Guild exhibit of the season and the Fine Craft Expo are both coming up at the Cape Coral Arts Studio in February. The schedule for Elemental Art: Wind, Fire, Earth, and Water can be found in this Newsletter, and the Prospectus has been distributed. Planning for the Fine Craft Expo is in its final stages, and will be discussed at the January business meeting. We will have a joint reception for the exhibit and the Expo on Friday, February 12 from 5 – 7 PM. We are really good at putting on receptions, and I’d like this to be our best ever! We will need to provide the food and libations, and we need to heavily promote the reception. Please invite everyone you know by any means possible so that both the exhibit and the Expo are huge successes. The art work donated for the Expo raffle will be on display that night as well as workshop examples for the Expo. Expo teachers will be in attendance as well as exhibiting artists. The awards ceremony will be held at 6 PM.

The second Artists@Work event of the season will be held on Saturday, March 5 from 9 AM – 1 PM at the Alliance for the Arts. There are one or two spots left for demo-ing artists, and one or two helper spots available, so let me know if you are interested in participating in this fun event. On a personal note, I look forward to 2016 with mixed emotions. While Doug and I are excited about our move to Colorado and to new adventures ahead, it means we’ll be saying goodbye to many fantastic friends in Southwest Florida. Not only that, but I’ll be stepping down as president of the Guild in April, which will begin another chapter in my life as well as in the life of the Guild. I’m happy and relieved that my successor, Nancy Gray-Giffin, is newly-retired and ready to step in! Please join me in congratulating Nancy on her recent and much deserved retirement! I know that there are great days ahead for the Guild! So, let’s make the second half of the season as much fun as the first half. I wish you and your families the very best for 2016 and the years to come! Warm Wishes, Lorraine

Southwest Florida Fine Craft Guild Business Meeting

December 19, 2015

President Lorraine Capps called the meeting to order at 10:30pm. Minutes of previous meeting, November 21, 2015, were approved

unanimously.

New members and Guests

Guests Marty Murello, John Flaherty, and Arthur Rieser were welcomed.

Treasurer Dee Cooper reported that we have an ending balance of $3,446.43 in the treasury. We will need to have more in the treasury to

fund the scholarships we give in the Spring. One way we make money is the Fine Craft Expo raffle. We are asking members to buy raffle

tickets and to please encourage your friends to buy raffle tickets also which will help us make much needed money.

Membership Update

Kathy Erickson reported that there are 117 members. Keep recruiting! Dues are now $35 for 2016.

Art Council News The next Co-op Gallery receiving is Monday, January 4, 2016, 10am to 1pm. There are six items allowed, three of which

can be wall pieces. The January reception is scheduled for Thursday, January 7th from 4 to 6pm. All members are eligible to participate in

the Gallery.

Fine Craft Expo The Fine Craft Expo (formerly Craft Bash) is scheduled for February 13th. There will be 15 half-day workshops offered. See

our website for details and the Facebook page for the Expo. Lorraine will be sending out email blasts with more details.

Elemental Art: Wind, Fire, Earth, and Water, the February Guild Exhibit will be held in conjunction with the Fine Craft Expo at the Cape

Coral Arts Studio gallery. The run of the exhibit is February 5th to the 25th, 2016; receiving is Monday February 1st from 9am to noon;

reception is Friday February 12th from 5 to 7pm and will promote the Fine Craft Expo. Removal is Friday, February 26th from 9am to 3pm.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:50am.

Program: Dirty Santa Gift Exchange.

Reminders:

Next meeting: January 30th at 10am at the Alliance for the Arts

January Art Council meeting is Tuesday, January 12th at 9:30am at the von Liebig Art Center in Naples.

2015-2016 SWFFCG Business Meeting Dates:

All meetings will be held at 10:00 AM At the Alliance for the Arts:

10091 McGregor Blvd. Ft. Myers, FL 33919

Saturday, September 19, 2015 Saturday, October 24, 2015

Saturday, November 21, 2015 Saturday, December 19, 2015 Saturday, January 30, 2016

NO MEETING IN FEBRUARY DUE TO THE FINE CRAFT EXPO AT CCAS ON 2/13/16

Saturday, March 19, 2016 Saturday, April 16, 2016

JANUARY 2016

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 NEW YEAR’S DAY

2

3 4 Receiving at Co-op Gallery-- 10AM-1PM

5 SanCapReceiving--BigArts—Creative Space-9AM—12:00PM

6 7 Reception at Co-op Gallery-- 4-6PM

8 SanCap Reception—Big Arts Creative Space—5:30-7PM

9

10 11 Fine Craft Expo Committee Mtg.—CCAS -11AM

12 ACSWF Meeting at von Liebig Art Center, 9:30AM

13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 SWFFCG Board Mtg—CCAS—10:30AM

24 25 26 27 28

29 30 SWFFCG Business Mtg@Alliance for the Arts-10:00AM

31

FEBRUARY 2016

1 Receiving for Elemental Art-CCAS-9AM-12PM Receiving at Co-op Gallery-- 10AM-1PM Art Council Spring Show Receiving-SBDAC—10AM-4PM

2 3 4 Reception at Co-op Gallery-- 4-6PM

5 Art Council Spring Show Reception-SBDAC--6-10PM

6

7

8

9 Art Council Meeting—Sanibel Library—9:30AM

10

11

12 Reception for Fine Craft Expo and Elemental Art-5-7PM

13 Fine Craft Expo—CCAS—9AM-4PM

14 15 16 17 18 19

20 SWFFCG Board Mtg—CCAS—10:30AM

21 22 23 24 25 26 Removal for Elemental Art- CCAS-9AM-3PM

27

28

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

Francine Gerson has glass stands for sale: call her at 239-495-6477 or glassbyfrancine@gmail.com for more information. Petra Kaiser will be teaching classes in fused glass at the Sidney Berne Davis Center in Ft. Myers, beginning Wednesday, Jan. 20. For information: http://kaiserlee.com/weeklyclasses.html. Toni Ory has a Tommy Bahama style queen sized sofa bed for sale. If you are interested please contact her for photos at toni@toniory.com. Maryanne Olson has moved back to Illinois. Her new address is: 13502 Dearborn Trail, Huntley, Il 60142.

In Memoriam

Jacqui and Walt Smith’s niece recently lost her battle with

cancer. The Guild sends its’ deepest sympathies to Jacqui, Walt

and their family.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS:

Bev Londono, (Photography), 1624 Pine Valley Drive, # 217, Ft.

Myers, FL 33907, 239-454-6316, beved2425@aol.com.

Jeanette Igoe, (Clay and Mixed Media), 9690 Raven Court,

Estero, FL 33928, 239-572-3269, Jigoe5@aol.com.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE:

There are currently 118 members. Dues are $35 for individual

and $50 for a family. All members need to pay for the 2016 year no

matter when they joined. Your new membership card has been

printed and can be picked up at the next Guild meeting. Many of

you have not picked up the 2015-2016 Yearbook and it has your

name on it. Please pick it up so Kathy doesn't have to carry it to

each meeting! See you January 30, 2016!

Remember to notify Kathy Erickson, kathye1745@exede.net, if any of your contact information changes. She is already making corrections for next year. CO-OP ART GALLERY UPDATE:

January Receiving is Monday, January 4, from 10 AM – 1 PM. The Receiving process must be completed by 1 PM. In order not to be rushed, please arrive at least by noon. Participating artists are allowed a total of six pieces in January, three of which may be wall pieces. Remember, Receiving is always on the first Monday of the month. The Gallery will be open six days a week (Tuesday – Sunday) during season from 12 Noon – 6 PM, which are the hours every day the Gallery is open. The January reception will be held on Thursday, January 7 from 4-6 PM. Participating artists are encouraged to help advertise the receptions and invite friends and family. The cost to participate is $25 per month, and the Gallery keeps 30% of sales. You must sit the gallery one day per month. The Gallery sitting schedule can be found on the Art Council’s web site. If you must change your sitting date, it is your responsibility to find a replacement AND you must email Ginny Whiteman at ginny@whiteman.net AFTER you have found a replacement. Ginny must have updated information regarding the sitting schedule. There is a list of people at the front

desk who are willing to sit for a price of $50. For the latest information on the Gallery, you may consult the Gallery Prospectus and Art Council newsletters for details. Both can be downloaded from their web site: www.acswf.org.

If you haven’t been to the Gallery, please stop in the next time you

are at Coconut Point. It is next door to Panera Bread. All Guild

members are eligible to participate in the Gallery

CCAS GUILD CASE:

The Guild’s display case is located in Building 2 of CCAS. CCAS retains 30% of the sales, so work should be priced accordingly. New members and members who have never shown in the case before should take advantage of this opportunity. Contact Alex Chung at alexchung 20032003@yahoo.com to reserve your spot. January 2016: Fine Craft Expo February 2016: Fine Craft Expo March 2016: Kelly Williamson April 2016 May 2016 June 2016 July 2016 August 2016

ALLIANCE FOR THE ARTS: Many opportunities exist at the Alliance for both members and non-members. The Alliance offers many membership benefits and Guild members receive a $5 discount! Check their web site for further information: www.artinlee.org, or call 239-939-2787. ART COUNCIL OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA: Biennial Spring Art Show 2016, at SBDAC in Ft. Myers. Registration begins Dec. 1st and runs until Jan. 21st. Receiving is Feb. 1 from 10A- 4PM. Copies of the Prospectus can be found at: www. acswf.org. BIG ARTS: It’s a Fine Line, juried drawing exhibit. Receiving is January 5 from 9AM to 12PM. For more info contact Lauren Huff at lhuff@bigarts.org. Journeys, open juried exhibit, on-line submissions Feb. 2. More information about the on-line submission process can be found on their website; bigarts.org. CCAS: Creatures – Fact or Fantasy, open to creative interpretation in all media. Receiving is Jan. 4 from 9AM -12PM. Artists reception is Jan. 8 from 5-7PM and Removal is Jan. 29 form 9AM-3PM. SANIBEL-CAPTIVA ART LEAGUE: The 40th Annual ACSWF Exhibit, Creative Space will be held from Jan. 6- Jan. 30th. Receiving is Jan. 5th, 9am-12pm, at Big Arts. The prospectus can be viewed at http://www.sancapart.com. The exhibit is open to all members of the Art Council art leagues.

There are many exhibits open to Art Council members throughout the year. More information can be found in the Art Council Newsletters and on their website.

The Guild is a small, all volunteer organization, and it is vital that all members volunteer in some way. We are extremely flexible and will work with you to ensure that we consider your schedule and other needs. You must volunteer in order to participate in Guild art exhibits. If you volunteer for a one-day event, such as Receiving at an exhibit, or Artists@Work, you will be able to participate in one exhibit. If you volunteer for two one-day events, you will be able to participate in two exhibits, and so forth. However, if you volunteer for an on-going position or job such as officer, director, committee chair, committee member, etc., you will be able to enter all Guild exhibits during your tenure. Advertising Committee: John Hampton is heading up our Advertising Committee, and Teri Chan is a committee member, but they can still use help. This function is more important now than ever since our Treasury is in need of replenishment after a busy Scholarship season! If you’d like to help them out, please contact John at madfish1a@att.net. Art Council Delegate: The Art Council Delegate goes to most Art Council meetings (November through April), and reports to the membership all Art Council and Co-op Gallery news and developments. The Delegate also collects information for the Art Council’s biennial Winners Circle Exhibit, presents it to the Board for approval, and provides that information to the Art Council. Fine Craft Expo: Newly named for 2016, this is our annual fundraiser for CCAS where we conduct workshops throughout the day. We have all of our workshops and teachers lined up! We will have 15 workshops this season! This event will be held on Saturday, February 13, 2016, and will replace our monthly business meeting. Participation in this event will earn you credit for attending the February meeting. We are still in need of volunteers. We will also need donations of art work for our raffle, which will benefit our scholarship fund. If you would like to help out, please contact Lorraine Capps. For those donating artwork to the raffle, please send a photo of your piece(s) ASAP to Angela Aradia at dreamlink126@yahoo.com so she can include the photos in her publicity. Peoples’ Choice Awards: This job involves printing the paperwork for the awards, as well as tallying the ballots after each exhibit. There are copies available of all paperwork from previous awards to make updating easy. Recruiting Committee: We are in need of a Chair and committee members. This too is more important than ever because we have a new meeting place at the Alliance for the Arts which will allow us the space to continue to grow our membership. Webmaster: Since Nancy Giffin will be our next President, she needs to turn over her duties as Webmaster to someone else. If you have experience with web design, this is the perfect job for you!

Please contact Dave Sampson at davesamp@comcast.net to discuss volunteer needs and assignment. UPCOMING GUILD EXHIBIT: Elemental Art: Wind, Fire, Earth, and Water, CCAS: Run of the exhibit: February 5-25/16 Receiving: Monday, February 1, 2016, 9-12 Reception: Friday, February 12, 2016, 5-7 (Joint Reception with Fine Craft Expo) Removal: Friday, February 26, 2016, 9-3

SPONSORS NEEDED!

We've had a very successful summer season of giving to kids' arts camps

at the Alliance, CCAS, and BIG ARTS; however, it has left our Treasury depleted. We all need work to find advertisers and sponsors for the Guild

so that we can fund our scholarship program for the upcoming season. One way that would help is to find sponsors for our exhibits. Costs for our exhibits vary with the venue, and the cost for our CCAS exhibit will be

$1,500. We will heavily promote our sponsor(s) on our web site, in our newsletters, on social media, as well as in print in our publications and

publicity. We are a 501(c) (3) charitable organization, so the sponsorship would be tax deductible. Proceeds will be used to fund our scholarship program with art awards at FSW, FGCU, and Cypress Lake High School,

as well as summer art camps for kids at CCAS, the Alliance, and BIG Arts. Sponsorship brochures are available for download on our web

site: www.swflfinecraftguild.org. Please approach any businesses that you are familiar with and ask for their sponsorship.