We don’t have a newsletter yet, but with the whirlwind pace of stuff happening we wanted to put out some announcements and updates. Some of the items will open a new page.
The Richmond History in Art Project: Seniors New Horizon Grant Application
We think this is a great project for the RAA. Despite the firehose of information inundating us from the Internet, we are losing our history. And the problem with books, recordings and photographs is that they usually spend their entire existence on shelves or in archives. But when you turn history into art and place it in a public space it continues to speak to the community. #RAArichmondhistory
The Workshop Committee
At our meeting in Point Michaud in August we began putting together a workshop committee. So far we have four people: Anne Rogal, Rita Warner, Elaine Mandrona and Archie Nadon.
The first thing we did was get on a Zoom meeting with Jack Leonard, the president of ArtWorks East in Guysborough. They have an enviable workshop program and put on over 100 last year and Jack shared the lessons they’ve learned and some great tips.
So, the goal of the committee is to dream up, fund and market as many workshops as we can to: 1) share our artistic skills with the public; 2) aid our members professional development; and 3) put money into the pockets of artists so they can keep on making art.
We have one application in so far, the Seniors New Horizon Grant, and we will be tackling more once we have a chance to meet regularly.
The Meet Our Artists Night
Our gallery’s first Meet Our Artists night was a great success. Of course, with a new group every project is the first and you always feel like flying by the seat of your pants.
For example, I bought two cases of wine for a two hour meet and greet, not knowing how much wine artists would drink in two hours. It’s not 24 bottles, I’m happy to say. It was five.
The Gallery
The gallery has been a great success. Everybody loves it. The two comments we hear most is: “It’s so great that this is here” and “I didn’t know this existed.”
From the moment Daphne Pottie-Campbell told Breann Calder-Pottie (sounds a little like a Doctor Seuss book doesn’t it?) that there was a space for us at the D’Escousse Civic Improvement Society Hall for us if we wanted it, we’ve been huffing and puffing to keep it going.
A venue was on the top of the wish list when we canvased potential members last January and February, but we didn’t think it would happen so soon.
What some people don’t realize is that it was the second one that was offered to us. We were offered one in Port Hawkesbury by a real estate company but insurance (of course) became the obstacle.
Getting the word out has been a challenge and publicity is dependent on a very small core of volunteers and of people posting and you folks liking and sharing what we put up.
We do best when there is a big event at the DCIS Hall, like their breakfasts, but we have had walk-ins on a quiet day leave with $200-plus in purchases.
It just shows, that the art is wanted. But how do we get people to make the trek?
More Tracking for the Gallery
We have ordered more picture hanging tracking and will install it later this month. This has been a gift from the D’Escousse Civic Improvement Society. We had already put up some tracking and Ronnie Leblanc liked it and suggested they could finish the rest of the gallery.
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays:12-4pm
And when there are events.
#RAAgallery
AGM in March Project
Our plan is to have our first AGM in March 2025. We incorporated in March of this year so we think that a year is long enough to become known (or notorious) and for people to be excited (or alarmed) enough to want to have their say.
We don’t even have a committee yet, but that will be coming soon.
An Artists’ Gathering with Greg Davies from CBU
This will be our second show-and-tell type event but it will be special because our partner will be Greg Davies and the Cape Breton University Gallery.
Greg is the curator of the gallery there and has put on many of this style of meetup. We will learn new things this Saturday. I guarantee it. Click for more