As I write this letter, it is a cold, early April evening. Hopefully by the time you read this newsletter, the weather has turned into a lovely spring. We had two successful events in March that were well received. They were our biennial Collector’s Choice and our annual Savory Affair. I attended both events and came away with two wonderful paintings from Collector’s Choice and a full stomach from our dinner at the Serenity Café. During the cooking demo at the Savory Affair, Greg Manning served up an interesting and entertaining mix of appetizer, entrée and desert. We all had a great time.
I want to thank Victor Lido for taking over the Collector’s Choice from Mary Jo Austin after she was displaced due to Hurricane Sandy. Mary Jo did the preliminaries and Vic carried it through to a successful end. Thanks to both of you for a great job. When Mary Jo got back into things, she chaired the Savory Affair Dinner with the help of Diane Yesunas. It was a good evening. Hopefully, Beverly Golembeski will remember to attend next year! Thanks to Mary Jo and Diane for planning this successful evening along with Greg, of course.
Coming up on May 5th we have our Annual Outdoor Art Show & Street Fair along with the opening reception of our monthly Gallery Shows. The band “Custom Blend” will again perform gratis during the day from their perch on the porch. The Studio Print Show and two solo artists, Bill Unger and Barbara Keller, are featured in the indoor galleries. Please come to join us either as a participant or as a guest. We thank you for your support.
I hope all of you have seen the Fiber Arts Invitational. This exhibition continues through the month of April in all three of our galleries. We have nine wonderful artists joining us, each with their very different styles of expression. I was a textile designer for thirty-eight years, so I thoroughly enjoyed having this particular medium here in our very own galleries. It even inspired me to begin some new work with needle and thread , embellishing fabric with beads and other decorations.
This is about all for now. I hope you are enjoying a nice spring. I will see you all on May 5th at our outdoor show, street fair, and opening receptions.
You may contact me at fmvostrand@yahoo.com or at 732-505-6607 at any time. Sincerely,
Francine Van Ostrand
Vice President/Events Chair
Calendar of Events
April 24 (Wednesday)
Members’ Meeting and Demonstration: Miniature Watercolor with Special Effects
by Carol Opderbeck, 7 PM
May 1 & 2 (Wednesday & Thursday)
Bring in prints for Studio Print Show, 1 - 4 PM
May 3 (Friday)
Poet’s Meeting Coffee House, 7 PM
May 5 (Sunday)
Opening Receptions: solo artist Bill Unger, solo artist Barbara Keller, and Studio Print Show for embers, 1 - 4 PM
May 14 & 15 (Tuesday & Wednesday)
Workshop: Classical Drawing
by Joseph Rogine, 10AM-3:00PM
May 17 (Friday)
Concert: The Acoustic Musicians
Guild Members’ Showcase, 8 PM
May 21-25 (Tuesday-Saturday)
Bring in new items for the Gift Shop, 1 - 4 PM
May 22 (Wednesday)
Members’ Meeting and Demonstration:
Oil Painting Related To Fabric Design
by Lisa Ficarelli-Halpern, 7 PM
May 29 & 30 (Wednesday & Thursday)
Bring in work for Members’ Show, “Artist’s Choice”, 1 - 4 PM
June 2 (Sunday)
Opening Receptions: solo artist Linda Coulter, solo artist Alice Grega, and Members’ Show “Artist’s Choice”, 1 - 4 PM
June 4 (Tuesday)
Board Meeting, 7 PM
June 7 (Friday)
Poet’s Meeting Coffee House, 7 PM
In the Galleries in May
GALLERY 1
Adventures in Color
Bill Unger is exhibiting his work in Gallery 1 during the month of May. Here is his Artist’s Statement which tells us something about artistic life:
“After retiring from 45 years of practicing Cosmetic Dentistry, I have devoted my life to painting in oil, acrylic, and watercolor. Over the years, I have taken many classes in Clay Sculpture, Watercolor, Acrylic, and Oil Painting and am still a perpetual student. Now I can devote full time to my art.
I am in a continuous process of exploring new ways to express the beauty and the mystery of life. My aim is to create a new reality for the viewer using humor and color and to stimulate an emotive response to the work and therefore to life. Painting and sculpting have always been my passion and first love. Ever since being stuck in bed as a child with measles I discovered the joy of sketching with pencil and paper and sculpting in clay." Click here to read more about Bill Unger!
GALLERY 2
The Wonderful World of Mutts and Cats
Barbara Keller is exhibiting her work in Gallery 2 for the month of May. Here is her “Artist’s Statement” which tells us about her love of art and animals.
“My Grandparents were farmers, and I grew up in an environment of farm animals, barn cats, and lots of dogs. When I was a little girl, the geese used to chase me and my grandmother told me the reason why was because the geese thought I was afraid of them. “But gran’ma,” I said, “I am afraid of them.” Click here to read more about Barbara Keller!
May Demo
Old Masters’ Technique
Wednesday, May 22, 7PM
On the 22nd of May, following our general members’ meeting at 7 PM, Lisa Ficarelli-Halpern will give a demonstration on painting a still life in oils using a technique referred to as Grisaille (French for ’in gray’). She will follow the Grisaille with the addition of applied colored glazes. She will provide a hand-out describing this old-master method, along with a supply list to do Grisaille painting using either oil or acrylics. Click here to read more about Lisa and her demonstration.
CALL FOR ENTRIES
Peto Studio Museum is planning a show on May 18th entitled: “Island Heights and Beyond the Original Artists’ Colony”. If you have any art dating from 1880 through 1950s depicting Island Heights (homes, vistas, etc.) and are willing to loan it for the show, please contact Don Roberts (Board member of Peto Museum Studio). He would appreciate a photo sent to his cell phone, if possible. His number is 732-330-6510. Also, if you have any current artwork from Island Heights artists prior to Superstorm Sandy, that will be considered as well. If you are unable to transmit via cell phone image, contact Joyce Kaiser (OCAG) at 732-929-8976. Thanks so much for your consideration.
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CONCERT SCHEDULE
AT OCEAN COUNRTY ARTISTS’ GUILD
April 26 - The Basement Musicians with Tony Pileggi and Joe Stamboni
May 17 – The Acoustic Musicians Guild Members’ Showcase
June 28 – Harbortown, featuring Bob Wright and Bill Doerge
July 26 – Gail Gibraine, Denise Miller & Mary Lutton (solos and trios)
August 23 - Custom Blend with Marie, Joe, and Paul
September - to be announced
October 25 - Bob Andrews
November 22 - Mary Lutton and guest artists
December - Holiday Community Sing with the performers
Marcie Falconetti and Carol Ann Oporto co-chair the volunteer/new member committee. Marcie can be reached at 732-818-0849 or at marciefalco@aol.com. Carol can be reached at 732-504-7217 or at carolann645@comcast.net. They work with the membership chair, Patricia Santanello, in welcoming new members to our Guild. The new members are introduced at our monthly member/demo meetings held on the 4th Wednesday of each month. New members receive an informative membership packet and meet other members at that time.
Volunteers are needed to help the respective chairs with these upcoming events.
May 5th: Outdoor Art Sale and Street Fair, 10 AM - 4 PM. Chair-Carol Colvin and Ellen Scharfenberg
June: Fifties Dance, Chair needed.
We thank each and everyone of you who help us make a difference
Please remember to keep an hourly record of your volunteer hours. This is one of the most important ways for us to be approved for our state and local grants. Our bookkeeper, Diane Yesunas, will record those hours at year’s end. Thank you.
We are still in the process of compiling a “Procedure Book” for all volunteers, to guide you through a few of our department/special events/chairperson tasks, etc. If you have a procedure that worked or did not work for you, please try to remember to add that page to the “Procedure Book”. Thank you.
Marcie and Carol Ann would like to hand out a special “Thank You” to Dennis Callan, who has graciously volunteered to host the Member/New Member/Demo in the way of refreshments, taking attendance, distributing name tags and tidying up. He has volunteered to do this every month from February - October. Great job Dennis! Also, a special ‘Thank You’ to all the new members who attended as well. Hope to see you all again next month.
Highlights OCAG Executive Board Minutes
April 2, 2013
Volunteers are needed for the Barnegat Bay Festival and for the Island Beach Festival.
During the month of April, the galleries will exhibit the Fiber Arts Show.
The Grounds Committee is scheduling a clean-up day.
To increase our publicity, OCAG events are now listed at the Toms River Patch and information is updated for the Shore Guide and the Ocean County Out & About.
Invitations are being sent out to encourage new members to attend their first monthly general meeting and demonstration.
A bus tour to the Brooklyn Museum is being planned for July.
Please submit NEWSLETTER articles and information for the March issue to newsletter@ocartistsguild.org no later than Monday, February 4, 2013. The deadline for the April issue is Monday, March 4, 2013.
