QUARTERLY QUOTE 

I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way—things I had no words for.
Georgia O’Keeffe

• Summer is officially here, and outdoor painting opportunities are plentiful.
• Hub activities are surging.
• One workshop has concluded with one more coming soon.
• The Members’ Exhibition is still hanging, and the Juried Show will be opening in September.

 Continue reading below for more details.

CALENDAR OF 2024 UPCOMING EVENTS:

Jun 6 to Sep 22, 2024: Members’ Exhibition (ME) at Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, VT

Sep 25, 2024: Autumn Board Meeting via Zoom, 4-6pm

Sep 28-Nov 24, 2024: Juried Show (JS) at the T. W. Wood Gallery in Montpelier, VT

Oct 4-6, 2024: Barbara Jaenicke workshop in Bennington, VT

VPS REGIONAL HUBS UPDATE 

VPS: Champlain met in May and reviewed the Aline Ordman Workshop they had hosted, which helped encourage attendees to move outside their comfort zones. The hub celebrated successes of individual members and went over plans for their July Hub Show. Finally, they planned for a plein air gathering in June.

VPS: MidState got together in April to view a Susan Jenkins video entitled, “The Effects of Alcohol with Soft Pastels,” and challenged themselves to paint in her style. They then looked at pastels they all did the previous month, inspired by the Solar Eclipse, their theme being, “In the Path of Shade.” In May, they watched an Alain Picard video, “Painting Trees in Pastel,” and made that the challenge for June. Then they shared the results from the previous month’s challenge.

 VPS: SouthEast has been meeting monthly with an underpainting/ art-making session one month and a follow-up the next. May’s activity was starting an abstract painting in a method suggested by Matt Peake, and in June, members returned with where they had taken the underpainting. As usual, a critique of current work followed, with artists asking for suggestions from everyone. A plein air art-making activity was planned for July.

 VPS: UpperValley met for plein air painting in May, and then again in June, which prompted members to schedule a weekly plein air gathering during the favorable weather in the coming months. Conversations during their time together centered around strategies for painting in plein air. They also reviewed the status of their Hub Show up until the end of July, reporting the sale of two pastels.

VPS EXHIBITIONS

This year’s Members’ Exhibition (ME), hosted by VPS: SouthWest, opened at the Southern Vermont Arts Center (SVAC) in Manchester, VT on Saturday, June 8. This ME was in the modern Wilson Museum, providing a large venue which could accommodate the 90 paintings from 48 of our members. With the prompt in the title Pastel Panorama: Journeys with a Medium many of our pastel painters took on the challenge. The result was a really exciting display of our experimentation, innovation, imagination, and determination to work outside our prior comfortable painting zones. Brava/Bravo to VPS artists!! For those who have not seen the ME, please make every effort to do so before it ends. It will definitely inspire you.

One more item of interest: part of the ME Opening Reception organized by Ann Wickham, our Exhibitions Coordinator, featured a raffle to raise money for the VPS, using the generous donation of a former pastel painter who gave the VPS numerous pastels, boards and surfaces, fixatives, an easel, and more. Thanks to all those who participated in the raffle and congratulations to the lucky winners!!

The Juried Show (JS) will be hosted by VPS: Central at the T.W. Wood Gallery in Montpelier from Sep 28-Nov 24, 2024. The first notice has been sent, so stay alert for the second and final one and submit your paintings!!

VPS WORKSHOPS 

Aline Ordman workshop in May was a big success. Thirteen pastellists participated and the ten artists who returned surveys all were very satisfied.

Barbara Jaenicke will be giving a 3-day workshop October 4-6, 2024, in Bennington, VT. The workshop is full, with a waiting list, so if you want to attend this one, get your name on the waiting list today!

VPS BOARD NEWS

We will be having our Autumn Board Meeting remotely, via Zoom, on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, 4-6pm. All VPS members are welcome to attend. A link will be coming closer to the date.

As a VPS member, you are permitted to post two pastels on the website gallery. Remember to check what is up there now and update your images as you make new work. We get over 5000 visitors and 8000 visits a year, and the Gallery of Member Art gets the most traffic, so take advantage of the exposure:

https://vermontpastelsociety.com/participation-in-the-members-gallery/

Also, you can share noteworthy news about your artwork, about prizes you were awarded, about your upcoming shows, about your hub, or about other pastel items of personal interest. Check it out by going to the VPS website and clicking Member News on the drop-down menu or click on this link for submission instructions:

https://vermontpastelsociety.com/vps-member-noteworthy-news/

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 OUR VPS! 

With one more opportunity to exhibit our works, with another exciting workshop offering coming, and with most of our Hubs meeting regularly, there is great value in being a member of the VPS. Remember, we stay VPS Strong with the continual support for our organization which each of you provides. Thank you all so very much!

Matt Peake, VPS President