QUARTERLY QUOTE

Art is a step in the known toward the unknown.

Kahlil Gibran

•  Our Members Exhibition finally came down.
• Regional hubs are in need of innovation for remote activities, using platforms like zoom.
• Workshop planning is continuing for 2021, as our workshops this year have been cancelled.
• Our Juried Show for November/December is being changed to an Online Show.

Continue reading below for more details.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:

August 17-21, 2020:  Alain Picard workshops “The Painterly Landscape” and “The Painterly Portrait,” East Montpelier, both canceled, rescheduled date is pending.

October 2-4, 2020: Lyn Asselta workshop, North Bennington canceled, rescheduled for April 30-May 2, 2021

November-December 2020: VPS Juried Show will be Online

 VPS REGIONAL HUBS UPDATE

It’s not surprising, with physical distancing, that most in-person hub activities have not been happening since February or March. VPS SouthWest, which has been meeting regularly via zoom during the winter months, when many of their members are not in Vermont, continues to meet via this platform. VPS Midstate is planning to start up again in the fall, but I haven’t heard from the other hubs as to what they are planning for their activities, given the restrictions of physical distancing. Please let Judy Albright know of your activities as we want to continue the connection with our artistic communities especially during these isolating times.

VPS EXHIBITIONS

The coronavirus has really been a log jam in the river of VPS exhibitions this year and may continue to be so in the coming years. Our Members Exhibition was interrupted by the shutdown back in March, and although the exhibition remained in place for several more months, the takedown was complicated.

Some galleries and museums are now opening up, including SVAC, where we were going to have our juried show this November/December. But with the uncertainty of the times, the possibility for another wave of CoViD-19 coming, and the prospect of a complicated hanging and take down process, not to mention a limited reception, the board decided to make it an online show this year. Interestingly, other pastel societies are doing the same. Right now, Susannah is laying the groundwork for the 2020 VPS Juried Show to be online Nov/Dec 2020, our first—and maybe–first annual. Details will be coming soon and we hope to get many of your entries.

Susannah‘s grand plan for ongoing exhibitions is still in the works.  Depending on the coronavirus trajectory, however, it may not be able to be implemented in the coming year. The hope is that every year there will be two VPS shows–one, a Members Exhibition, and the other, a Juried Show. As we have six hub regions, that means that a hub will host one or the other of those exhibitions every three years. Further, we hope that each region would have a venue that could be depended upon every three years for that exhibition. Susannah has secured venues in some of the regions so far, but not in all. She does have SVAC committed to showing our work in May/June of 2021 if the situation is positive. Needless to say, we all need to stay tuned. For now, however, set your sights on the first VPS Online Juried Show this fall.

VPS WORKSHOPS

Unfortunately, the workshops that were planned this summer had to be canceled. The participants were divided as to wanting an online course versus an in-person one, and there was not a critical mass for either option to make it financially feasible to hold either of our two workshops. It is disappointing to have a workshop cancelled, especially to those who have been working so hard on plans so far in advance. This is one of those painful lessons of impermanence, but with the indefatigability of our VPS members, they assure me the workshops will happen again.

BOARD NEWS

Because we have an occasion for email meetings from time to time—and now even more of a need for remote meetings–we are working on a process to allow more streamlined voting for our members. Because this requires bylaw changes, we will need to put these changes to a vote of our membership, information for which I will be sending out soon. Given that we will most likely not be having an in-person membership meeting this year–and may have to do it via a zoom platform–these bylaw changes will be important to implement ahead of time. Please stay alert for Constant Contact mailings with regard to these bylaw changes.

The job of putting on two exhibitions per year has become less complicated, but it would be even easier if there were two or more people collaborating with Susannah on the many little jobs that need to be done. Most hubs have agreed to provide this assistance when a Juried Show or Members’ Exhibition comes to their area, which will happen every 3 years. The board thanks you!!

As a reminder, as a VPS member, you can show a painting on the VPS website and have it linked to another image and a short bio. So if you want to do this for the first time, or if you want your image changed in the VPS Website Gallery, please use this link: https://vermontpastelsociety.com/participation-in-the-members-gallery/.

Don’t forget that you can also rent DVDs for free as a member. The information is on our website.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN VPS!

Even during pandemic times, we are who we are because of the undying belief in our organization that you all provide. Keep it coming, as you keep on making pastel art!

Matt Peake, VPS President