#YellowSpringsOpenStudios

Gratitude for the Holidays

 

What does it take for a tiny Arts Council, on a tiny budget, to get everything done? Volunteers! Lots of fabulous volunteers.

How does our Arts Council keep a Gallery open, have a Permanent Collection, put together a Wheeling Gaunt Sculpture Project, an Art History Series, run an Open Studios event and have a Holiday Art Jumble and …well, just do so much?

We have a Board of volunteers and a few part time staff- but it’s the volunteers that make so much possible in Arts Council!

So who are these wonderful volunteers?

The Board. Jerome Borchers, Nick Gaskins, Matt Cole, Valerie Blackwell-Truitt, Tim Barhorst, Sean Devine and Christine Klinger

The Gallery Committee-

Mary Cargan, Kathy Moulton, Dianne Collinson, Theresa Mayer, Jonatha Wright, Mia Knight, Maxine Skuba, Angie Day, Talitha Greene, and Angela Smith

I call them the Glorious Gallery Committee because they are Glorious. We meet once a month.

They help plan what is coming up, one thing we’ve got planned for next year is a wonderful, goofy, interactive surprise for the community.

We discuss things that come through the arts council e-mail and how to answer it.

This past year we started an Art Blog on the YSAC Website, thanks to our newest member Angela Smith.

The Gallery Committee gives advice when I’m panicking-they get e mails titled Help!

They hang the members show and make the party happen for the reception.

They put together the Jumble in November, which is a lot of work sorting, cleaning, hanging, arranging and pricing the myriad of fabulous arty stuff that we get donated.

They plan special events and help host at receptions and bring yummy food.

Kathy Moulton makes individual name tags and wonderful reception games and beautiful signs for us.

She also painted (for the second time, she made our last one too!) a fabulous new Arts Council sign for the building.

The Gallery Committee shows up to scrape fences and pull weeds.

This past year they have put together a new program we are starting next year called The Emerging Artist Program. Dianne Collinson and Maxine Skuba wrote the details and designed a brochure.

The Stewardship Committee

Julia Cady, Kathy Moulton, Anna Arbor, Margrit Petrie, Brian Maughan, Bette Kelley, Pat Robinow, Debbie Chlebek, Nancy Howell-Koehler, Aaron Zaremsky, Christine Klinger and Paige Babbs is our Archivist

The Stewardship Committee was started to support and protect the Permanent Collection. The Permanent Collection is about the art and the artists of Yellow Springs.

The Stewardship Committee makes decisions about what, when and where the art is collected, keeps records of donations of art and struggles with how best to keep the collection safe and in view of our community. Kathy Moulton is making a wonderful book of pictures and information about each piece in the collection. For years she has kept a spread sheet record of the collection that grows ever larger as the collection grows. A couple of years back, Kathy made us a wonderful brochure for the collection with a map of where all the art is.

This past year we planned and hung and did the receptions for the “Timeline Show” and the “Nature of Things” show. These shows take place at the John Bryan Community Gallery which is the home base of the Permanent Collection. The Village Arts & Culture Commission partners with us in care giving for the Collection. Much of the Collection is still hosted by Antioch University Midwest. So there is a lot of moving of art between our 2 venues. Right now we are working on moving about half of the art from Antioch University Midwest to the John Bryan Center.

The Gallery Hosts

Mia Knight, Mary Cargan, Susan Harrison, Chris Hodgson, Brian Maughan, Holly Underwood, Margrit Petrie, Deb Henderson, Chris Zurbuchen, Susan Gartner, Christine Klinger, Mary Frost Pierson, Brian Millar, Luan Hite, Gayle Sampson, Talitha Greene, Marty Davenport, Angela day, Barbara Vandecreek, Nora Chalfont, Maxine Skuba, Harriet Dadras, Parviz Dadras, Jonatha Wright, Julia Cady, Bruce Parker, Sondy Kai, Lincoln Castricone

Gallery Hosts- We couldn’t have a gallery without them! They greet guests, take sales with our very primitive receipt system and are our early warning system that something needs fixing or changing. Like the toilet is broken, the lock box key has gone awol again or we are out of paper towels or please give us information about the artists, so we can talk about them to our guests. They come up with great ideas. And after sitting with the art for 3 hours, they tend to purchase art!

YS Open Studios Committee

Sara Gray, Dianne Collinson, Kathy Moulton and myself.

These volunteers are powerhouse women and artists, they created the YS open Studios and work hard on it every year. Karen Wintrow and Alex Scott from the Chamber work on this event too as partners.

And the wonder man is Nick Gaskins, of Bing Designs who volunteers his time to design the

YSOS Web Site, banners, brochures, rack cards, and ads.

Jumble Elves

I have a very soft spot in my heart for the Jumble Elves, because I love the Jumble and it takes a ton of people to make it happen- people donating and people getting the donations unpacked, sorted and cleaned and people who set up the Jumble, coordinate the Members Only Sneak Peek reception, and restock the Jumble daily and the ones who Gallery Host and do all the sales.

They are the Gallery Committee plus Susan Gartner (a woman of great heart and ingenuity, creating lovely things with bits of this and that. She designed gorgeous window scenes for the Jumble for a couple of years.), Sondy Kai,(who has also helped design and fix and refix our garden many times and for years was a member of the Gallery Committee) Holly Underwood (who has given us storage space for our left over arty stuff for a couple of years now-thank you, thank you!) and Julia Cady (who basically has done everything from cutting green boughs for decorating the tables to spending hours, gently untangling long strands of fiber art for a huge textile sculpture we were donated.)

Arts Council Shleppers

So whats a shlepper? It’s some one who moves stuff-art, boxes of Jumble arty things, tables and chairs for receptions etc.

Hays and Kathy Moulton answered an emergency, need-help-now kind of call to move tons of Jumble boxes this past year, Jerome Borchers our Arts Council President, is like the Ghost Busters- when we need something done”Who ya going to call?” He is a man with a van and a trailer and he is not afraid to use it. He is a shlepper par extraordinaire.. Holly Underwood, like superwoman, moves tons of jumble boxes into her attic and out of it each year. Julia Cady shlepps boxes of jumble donations to her home for overflow storage. Steven Deal is my husband and tends to pick up the pieces when I am desperate, he made up the shlepper designation. He has much experience in shlepping.

Gallery Host Coordinator

Mary Cargan is amazing- she quietly handles coordinating the Gallery Hosts- which can be a lot of communicating with people. She does many Hosting sessions herself and has personally pulled many a weed in our garden plots. All this besides being a member of the Glorious Gallery Committee.

Help with Advertising– Julia Cady was a well loved member of the Gallery Committee for years and still puts in our monthly gallery press on local internet calendars. She is also a member of the Stewardship Committee and bakes delicious cookies for our events! She gallery hosts and is storing boxes of jumble goodies and cuts greens to make our Jumble shop smell like the holidays. Nick Gaskins, of Bing Design is our Vice President and has designed our YSAC web site and the YS open Studios web site for us and updates them with Alex Scott. He designs our Brochures, monthly flyers, banners, 4 ups and ads.

Alcove Gallery Coordinator– Angela Smith is our latest member on the Gallery Committee. She moved to town 6 months ago and immediately started volunteering. Angela bowls me over with her answer to questions she says “I can do that.” And she can.

Art Shorthand Blog– Angela Smith said Yes and now runs our Art Blog.

I didn’t even add in all the volunteers on the Wheeling Gaunt Sculpture Project which is an amazing group on it’s own, with many wonderful partner organizations.

So that’s how a tiny Arts Council can do so many things. You are all appreciated greatly!

Thank you!

 

 

 

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Getting Ready for Yellow Springs Open Studios

As a recent transplant to the area I have been looking for ways to connect to my local community. It was serendipitous for me to be able to connect with Nancy Mellon and join the Yellow Springs Art Council, and it was even more helpful when her blog, “How to Meet Other Artists in 10 Easy Steps”, came out.

So far some of the steps I have been able to check off are:

3. Join art organizations in the area.

9. Answer Calls for Artists.

10. Show Your Art

So far I have been able to join the Yellow Springs Art Council, so that I may connect with the local artist communities.  I have taken part in the Village Artisans “Art on the Lawn” event, and currently I am setting up for the Yellow Springs Open Studios for this upcoming weekend, October 19-20th. Most recently, I was able to showcase my photographic work at the Yellow Springs Brewery, where they have a wonderful rotating schedule of various local artists displaying their work in their taproom. All of this activity has inspired me for future artistic endeavors and for the upcoming Open Studios.

 

As a first time participant I have been trying to figure out the best way to connect with the visitors that may come.  Currently my studio space isn’t fully functional but the location of the space is still very open so that I am able to set up some of my work, some snacks, and have a demo ready to go for visitors.

Reaching out to several of the artists, that have participated in this event before, they said that showing the various stages of their medium was the best way for visitors to gain a better understanding.  Artist Sara Gray, Reflecting Whispers Glass Works, spoke about how different examples of her glass work is the best way to showcase the process and allows her to explain her use of molds for her intricate designs. She will also have her kiln on display for explaining the final steps of her process.

Bruce Parker, Azur Creations, is excited and will have plenty of his work on display.  He is working on displaying work that is in various stages as well, so that visitors can gain an understanding of how he formulates and makes his larger pieces. Eclectic, whimsical, sometimes kinetic his functional furniture and art made from interesting wood and reclaimed materials will definitely inspire visitors in his space.                                                                                     

Talitha Green, Talitha Green Studios, works with sterling silver, gold and mixed media for her jewelry. She will have pieces at different stages to show how she cuts many of her own stones and use them in her work.

                

Looking for a way to encourage visitors to participate at her studio Libby Rudolf, Libby’s Art, is going to be painting alongside those that stop by her space.  Having explanations of her process, her various paints, brushes, and more she is going to have a hands on experience for those who are interested in learning more about her painting process.

   

I, Angela Smith, am planning on showcasing printmaking works, photography pieces, and running a digital photography demo for visitors and their phones.  With photography being so present in our daily lives I will be marking interesting locations around my yard so that I can work with visitors on using the various settings their phone cameras may have and also help them gain a more discerning artistic eye.  Working on framing and composition can happen anywhere and at any moment, especially with our cameras conveniently in our pockets these days! So definitely swing by my studio to gain some insight into Digital Camera Photography this weekend.

               

18 Talented Artists  *  10 Local Studios  *  1 Incredible Event

Join us this upcoming weekend and connect with your local artists!

Yellow Springs Open Studios

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YSAC Open Studios

We are heading into push time for the Yellow Springs Open Studio. The brochures are designed and at the printer, I’ve noticed some of the artists have the cover of the brochure on their FB sites and are already inviting people to come visit their studios on the Open Studios weekend. Theresa Mayer mentioned she was tickled her piece was on the cover of the brochure. It looks wonderful Theresa!

An inside view of Kathy Verner Moulton’s studio

I’ve been writing some of the press for the tour and starting to send it out. Plus I’ve been looking through my picture files for what I should get reproductions made from. I had such fun seeing again some of my “Crazy Dog” series that it made me want to do some more. This is the first time I am on the Open Studios tour. (But it’s not my first venture onto a studio tour, I had the pleasure to be on Lisa Goldberg’s YS Studio Tours some years back.) This year, Kathy Moulton invited me to be a guest artist at her studio (Nancy Mellon). (She has invited me every year and this year I surprised her and said yes. I think she is just hoping, I will talk to everyone while she demos:) Kathy calls herself the “Not So Vocal Local” (She really does beautifully talking and showing people how she creates her funny and charming art!)

Karen Wintrow, at the Chamber is writing press too, with Nick Gaskins, designing the ads for Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Springfield and more. The Yellow Springs Chamber partners with the YS Arts Council to put on this event. And a wonderful YS Open Studios Committee of 4 artists-Sara Gray, Kathy Moulton, Dianne Collinson and moi have been working on this annual event for 4 years now. Dianne, a ceramic artist decided this year to visit the tour, instead of be on it. We will miss her lovely studio and art. But it will be fun to have her come by and chat. That is the one thing all the artists say after it is over, “I wish I could have visited the other studios!”

Artists are checking their studios for what needs to be cleaned up. Beth Holyoke has said the best part of YS Open Studios is it gets her to clean up her studio! But I think the best part is seeing what characters will inhabit her ceramics this year.

When I was talking to the lovely Kathryn Pitstick, at Village Artisans, an art co op she is part of in Yellow Springs, she said she is thinking about what she could demo. Kathryn is a printer and it conjured up in my head, an image of her carving and showing how her different tools work. What ever she does it will be cool to see.

From the “Crazy Dog” series by Nancy Mellon

Theresa Mayer is already promising on FB to do more bead making demos. If you haven’t seen her making beads-with the fire going and the glass melting and at the same time, Theresa calmly explaining what she is doing- you’ve got to make sure to go to her studio this year. It’s unforgettable!

On Friday, Talitha Greene was up at 6 am creating jewelry, and it was her birthday! She almost forgot to come for our traditional lets-go-pick-out-a-slice-of-fabulous-Current Cuisine-cake to celebrate, because she was in the zone, working on art for the tour.

Giving each other matte boards and advice, loaning art racks or card racks – just like a bee hive, the artists are buzzing around making art and choices, cleaning and preparing for the YS Open Studios.

There is a list of the artists and a short description of their art and some pictures of their work at: ysopenstudios.ysartscouncil.org Come visit with us October 19th-20th 11-5 pm.

Yellow Springs Open Studios

Free, Self Guided Tour of Yellow Springs Artists Studios

October 19-20th

11 am-5 pm

18 Artists, 10 Local Studios, 2 Great Laid Back Days.

Visit our web site ysopenstudios.ysartscouncil.org to use the interactive map on your mobile device or your computer to find participating studios and plan your visit. Some studios are within walking distance of our vibrant downtown, some will require a short drive in the colorful countryside.

Printed guides will be available in Mid-September at Yellow Springs Station on the bike trail, YS Arts Council, Gallery, at 111 Corry St. and various other locations around the village.

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