QUARTERLY QUOTE

An artist discovers their genius the day they dare not to please. (Forgive my gender-neutral substitutions, Andre!)

Andre Malraux

Summer has arrived, Vermont has lifted CoViD restrictions, so we are able to meet again in person!

• Regional hubs continue to meet regularly, and now for several hubs, Zoom meetings can be on hold.
• Holding an in-person workshop looks promising.
• One Members’ Exhibition has successfully concluded and one more is coming in the fall.
• Our next board meeting via Zoom is in October.

Continue reading below for more details.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:

Sep 1-Oct 31, 2021: VPS Members’ Exhibition at T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, VT

Oct 13, 2021: VPS Board Meeting, 7-9 p.m. remotely via Zoom

Oct 21, 2021: VPS Members Meeting, 6:30-8:30 remotely via Zoom

Oct 23-25, 2021: Dawn Emerson workshop in Bennington, VT

VPS REGIONAL HUBS UPDATE

Our Hubs Coordinator, Cristine Kossow has been supplying us with Hub Happenings over the last three months, and we have been excitedly reading what all the hubs are doing remotely. Some activities included painting a nocturne, an abstract, a self-portrait, a landscape with figure; doing a tonal piece; exploring green; exploiting textural effects in a pastel; painting in the style of Degas; using pastel pencils; trying a 20-minute pastel; critiquing other’s work; and planning for hub exhibitions.

Remember, all that was accomplished via Zoom! And this is about to change as VPS: SE set up a meeting at a member’s home for June and VPS: SW announced that they are no longer meeting remotely.  Please let Cristine know what your hub is doing, so we all can vicariously experience what you all are actively participating in. We learn from everyone so keep us in the know! And thank you!

VPS EXHIBITIONS

Coming off our first Online Juried Show in January, our VPS did something innovative once again: we organized our first Wholly-Hub-Hosted exhibition. In the past, our Exhibitions Coordinator did all the preliminary work to enlist the venue and to get the show going, and asked the hub hosting the exhibition to help with activities directly related to hanging the show and putting on the reception. As we currently do not have an Exhibitions Coordinator, the board asked the hubs to take on one exhibition or show every three years and to manage all the details, such as coordinating with a venue, communicating with members, finding prizes, selecting a judge, and on and on.

Just to remind those who know, and to inform those who do not, our philosophy as a pastel society has been to have two types of shows. Our Juried Show (JS) showcases our most accomplished pastel painters, as determined by a pair of nationally recognized pastel artist jurors. That was our JS this past winter.

Our Members’ Exhibition (ME), on the other hand, celebrates our diversity, our varied interests, our courage to take risks, our membership’s depth and breadth. Accordingly, we hang one or two pastels of every artist who submits to the ME, and we ask our judge to pick pieces according to categories of subject matter (landscape, still life, abstract, etc.) and compositional element (line, shape, color, texture, etc.). This offers a chance for everyone to be recognized for their work.

VPS: SouthWest did an outstanding job with our inaugural Wholly-Hub-Hosted Members’ Exhibition (ME) at the Southern Vermont Art Center (SVAC) this April and May. And because we could not gather as a group during the months it was hanging, VPS: SW had the innovative idea to do the awards presentation on Zoom, where judge David Francis talked at length about the winning pastels. After the ME came down, our board sent out a survey to members who either submitted or did not submit to the ME to listen and learn whatever we could so as to improve our process for subsequent ME and JS.

Coming up this fall is another opportunity for VPS members to show their work. This will be another ME, this time Wholly-Hosted by VPS: Central. Scheduled to run from September 1 to October 31, 2021, a save-the-date memo has already been sent, so remain alert for more details coming soon.

VPS WORKSHOPS

With many Vermonters getting the CoViD vaccine, and, as venues are opening up in our state, it is likely that our workshop with Dawn Emerson will take place in Bennington from Oct 23-25, 2021 as scheduled.

VPS BOARD NEWS

We will be holding our next board meeting virtually via Zoom on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 from 7-9p.m. We always have a number of interesting subjects to discuss, so please feel free to attend. The link for the meeting will be provided as we get closer to that day, but put it on your calendar now.

Also, after last year’s successful Members’ Meeting via Zoom (with more people attending than in the previous year’s in-person event), the board has decided to hold this year’s meeting virtually as well. The link will be coming, but the time and date are Thursday, October 21, 2021 from 6:30-8:30p.m. As before, we will have a short business meeting in the first hour. Following that, something new: a presentation by Dakota Pastels in the second half. Linda Masten has already seen this presentation as a member of another pastel society and enthusiastically testifies to it being of interest to all of us. Put that date on your calendar too!

Remember, as a VPS member, 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:

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 VPS!

With another Members’ Exhibitions coming this year, a workshop planned for the fall, and our Hubs meeting in person again, there is much to be gained by being a member of the VPS. Thank you to those who have renewed, and who continue to be active in our society. We are who we are because of the undying support for our organization that you all provide. Keep it coming, as you keep on painting in pastel!

Matt Peake, VPS President

QUARTERLY QUOTE
Art has a voice—let it speak.
Rochelle Carr

• Spring is here, and a renewed feeling of hopefulness abounds. Let’s celebrate in whatever way we want…including by painting!
  
• Three regional hubs continue to meet regularly, via Zoom, and three others are hoping to meet this way soon.
• Holding an in-person workshop continues to be fraught even as the pandemic winds down, but our VPS artists persevere in planning for 2021.
• Exhibitions for 2021 include two Members’ Exhibitions: one now, and one in the fall.
• Our next board meeting via Zoom is in April.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:

April 3 to June 4, 2021: VPS Members’ Exhibition at the Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, VT

April 20, 2021: VPS Board Meeting, 7-9 p.m. remotely via Zoom

Sep-Oct 2021: VPS Members’ Exhibition at T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, VT

Oct 23-25, 2021: Dawn Emerson workshop in Bennington, VT

VPS REGIONAL HUBS UPDATE

With VPS: SW modeling how to stay connected as a hub during physically distancing times, two other hubs, VPS: SE and MS, are now meeting regularly via Zoom. And VPS: CEN has begun with remote meetings as well. VPS: CHP and UV promise to give things a try soon. The spirit of hubs gathering in-person was inspirational in early 2020, but the pandemic put an abrupt halt to that. With the real possibility that artists can safely start meeting again soon, these remote meetings now offer a transitional bridge to that brighter future ahead. So, thank you, VPS: SW for showing us the way, and thank you to our other hubs for embracing the virtual approach while we dream of the real thing to come.

VPS EXHIBITIONS

Our Board decided, with our VPS Juried Show occurring so late last year, and being displayed on our website from November 2020 through January 31, 2021, that we will not have a Juried Show this year. Added to that, we have been isolated from each other for a year and have been unable to visit galleries and see actual pastel paintings on the wall. So, with venues opening up again, our Board felt it would be better to welcome all our VPS artists to exhibit now, in a Members’ Exhibition, one in the spring, and then later on, in the fall of 2021.

Just to remind those who know, and to inform those who do not, our philosophy as a pastel society has been to have two types of shows. Our Juried Show showcases our most accomplished pastel painters, as judged by a pair of nationally known pastel artists. Our Members’ Exhibition (ME), on the other hand, celebrates our diversity, our varied interests, our courage to take risks, our membership’s depth and breadth. Accordingly, we hang one or two pastels of every artist who submits to the ME, and we ask our judge to pick pieces according to categories of subject matter (landscape, still life, abstract, etc.) and compositional element (line, shape, color, texture, etc.). This offers a chance for everyone to be recognized for their work.

For the April ME, we have 50 paintings to be displayed. They will be judged by Master Pastellist Dave Francis during the opening week. Although there is no opening reception, our pastels will be able to be viewed in person during the show’s two-month run, and there is hope that by the close of our ME, there might be opportunity for larger groups to gather in public.

This ME is notable for another reason. Because we don’t have an Exhibitions Coordinator, we have asked the hosting hub to do all the organizational aspects of putting on a show. VPS: SW has been our first hub to do this, and they’ve done superbly. Please find any opportunity you can to let them know how much you appreciate their efforts. Without them, we would not be having this ME!!

VPS WORKSHOPS

Unfortunately, our Lyn Asselta workshop slotted for April 30 to May 2, 2021 in Bennington, had to be cancelled, but it is being rescheduled for 2022.

With many of Vermonters getting the CoViD vaccine, and, as  venues are slowly opening up in our state, it is likely that our other workshop with Dawn Emerson will take place in Bennington from Oct 23-25, 2021.

VPS BOARD NEWS

We will be holding our next board meeting virtually via Zoom on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 from 7-9p.m. We have a number of interesting subjects to discuss, so please feel free to attend. The link for the meeting is included below

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85244204701?pwd=VEltYm9wSmg4dWlTamJsTlVBVGFIdz09

Remember, as a VPS member, you can show a painting on the VPS website with a link to another image and to a short bio. 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!

With two Members’ Exhibitions coming this year, a workshop planned for the fall, and our Hubs rebounding from a pandemic-imposed isolation, there is much to be gained by being a member of the VPS. Thank you to those who have renewed, and, to those who have not, please consider renewing your membership today.  We are who we are because of the undying support for our organization that you all provide. Keep it coming, as you keep on painting in pastel!

Matt Peake, VPS President

QUARTERLY QUOTE

A true artist is not one who is inspired but one who inspires others.
Salvador Dali

Our first VPS Online Juried Show is still available for viewing on our website until January 31, 2021.

• One regional hub continues to meet regularly, via Zoom, and two others have begun to meet this way, too.
• Workshop planning is continuing for 2021.
• Exhibition planning for 2021 continues but needing a new format.

Continue reading below for more details.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:

January 1-31, 2021: Final days of the 2020 VPS Online Juried Show.

April 20, 2021: VPS Board Meeting 7-9 p.m. remotely via Zoom

April 30-May 2, 2021: Lyn Asselta workshop in Bennington, VT

Oct 23-25, 2021: Dawn Emerson workshop in Bennington, VT

Oct-Nov 2021: VPS Members’ Exhibition at T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, VT

VPS REGIONAL HUBS UPDATE

VPS: SouthWest continues to meet monthly via Zoom. VPS: MidState re-united this fall on Zoom, and VPS: SouthEast is meeting remotely as well on Monday, January 4, 2021. We have a new Hubs Coordinator, Cristine Kossow, and you probably recall having received a Hubs Happening Constant Contact message from her.

Of note, when our hubs system was first adopted in 2017, we didn’t intend that hubs isolate themselves, but wanted a hub’s activities, whenever possible, to be open to artists in the other 5 hubs. We realized, however, that some activities a hub did, because of space limitations, could not be opened up to all VPS artists. Also, distance would make it impractical for all VPS members to attend. So, we used the terms “open” and “closed” to characterize the activities that a particular hub was doing. “Open” meant that the hub’s activity was open to attendance by VPS members of any hub. “Closed” signified that the activity was only for artists of that particular hub.

Now, however, because several hubs are using Zoom, space and distance issues are less restrictive—although obviously, too large a zoom meeting can limit an individual artist’s time to show a painting and invite feedback. Accordingly, we have been discussing how to make one hub’s Zoom meeting available to VPS members from other hubs. Mark Grasso and Linda Masten are looking into getting a VPS Zoom account for this purpose, and we will be talking about how to communicate the date, time, and zoom link of a particular hub’s meeting, and to develop a sign-up process so that there will be an optimal number of participants for such a hub meeting.

So, stay tuned—or better yet, get in touch with your hub point person or persons and give them any input you may have.

VPS EXHIBITIONS

Our first ever VPS Online Juried Show is still happening—look at our website to see the exhibition and the award winners, if you haven’t already. But don’t delay, as the show ends January 31, 2021.

With Susannah’s departure as our Exhibitions Coordinator, and with no one willing or able to take her place, in order to continue to have exhibitions, we will have to do some creative thinking. For our first online juried show, for example, four board members worked together, and, in a relatively short amount of time, put together a virtual exhibition. That required partnering with ShowSubmit for the submission process and the jurying and judging; finding jurors and a judge willing to do those tasks; and posting the images and contact information for the selected artists on our website. In some ways, a virtual show is easier to put on.

With a Members’ Exhibition upcoming in the fall, assuming we can all safely gather, we will need to do more than manipulate images on a screen. We will need real people—VPS artists—receiving paintings, hanging the show, hosting the reception, photographing and publicizing the event, and more. Just like before. But we will need someone or some cadre of artists to organize the whole process. Will that be members of the board or will that be members of the hub of the region where the show is going to take place? Your input will be valuable to working through these and other questions, so please communicate with your hub point person or persons!

As for our annual Juried Show for 2021, we are tentatively scheduled to exhibit at the Southern Vermont Arts Center in spring, but there is still a real question as to whether we will be able to gather safely by then. We will keep you posted, as it is only three or four months away!

VPS WORKSHOPS

Let’s keep our hopes high that we will have workshops this year! So far, the following are in the planning stages:

Lyn Asselta workshop will be Apr 30, May 1 and May 2, 2021 in Bennington.

Dawn Emerson workshop is planned for Oct 23-25, 2021 in Bennington.

BOARD NEWS

At our 2020 Annual Membership Meeting, held via Zoom on November 9, 2020, we elected one new board member, Cristine Kossow, as Hubs Coordinator, but we are down a board member, with no Exhibitions Coordinator. Please visit our website to see who is on the board, and please don’t hesitate to volunteer to serve on the board, especially if you are interested in exhibitions.

We will be holding our next board meeting virtually via Zoom on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 from 7-9p.m. The link for the meeting will be sent out closer to the date.

Remember, as a VPS member, you can show a painting on the VPS website with a link to another image and a short bio. 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!

With a vaccine now being distributed, we seem tantalizingly close to being able to meet again in person. But even if that doesn’t happen right away, there is still much to be gained by remaining a member of the VPS, so please renew your membership today.  We are who we are because of the undying support for our organization that you all provide. Keep it coming, as you keep on painting in pastel!

Matt Peake, VPS President

QUARTERLY QUOTE

An empty canvas is the safest addiction in the world; art is the only drug that won’t kill you, instead it’ll save your life.

Nikki Rowe

 Our first Online Juried Show will be accepting submissions October 1-31, 2020.

• Regional hubs are still in need of innovation for activities.
• Workshop planning is continuing for 2021.
• Our upcoming Board Meeting will be on Zoom on Wednesday, October 7, 2020, and our Annual Members’ Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, October 17, 2020, also remotely.

 Continue reading below for more details.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:

October 1-31, 2020: Entry into the Online Juried Show via ShowSubmit.

October 7, 2020: VPS Board Meeting 7- 9pm via Zoom

October 17, 2020: VPS Annual Members’ Meeting 1- 4pm via Zoom

VPS REGIONAL HUBS UPDATE

It’s not surprising, with continued physical distancing and many of us not comfortable being inside closed spaces, that most in-person hub activities have not been happening since February or March. VPS SouthWest continues to meet via the Zoom app. VPS Midstate got together again this fall, but we haven’t heard from the other hubs. With summer coming to a close and fall arriving, there may be time to get together for outdoor events, which are safer. 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

Our first ever Online Juried Show is happening—entries are being received through the ShowSubmit app from October 1-31, 2020. The entries will be looked at by two jurors—Lyn Asselta and Jeanne Rosier Smith—much like our live shows were juried. They will score the pastels we submit, and from their scores, 30-40 pastels will be chosen to be in the show. Then our judge, Alain Picard, will look at those paintings to pick winners in first, second, third places with three runners-up. All that will happen in mid November, right before the show goes online for the public from November 24, 2020, through January 31, 2021. We hope that everyone will enter one or two pastels. There is an entry fee to cover the costs of ShowSubmit and the jurors and judge, but the commission originally listed in the prospectus has been removed. You receive full price if your painting sells. We hope to promote the show to the other IAPS member societies to get a wider viewing audience.

VPS WORKSHOPS

Let’s keep our hopes high that we will have workshops this year! So far, the following are in the planning stages:

Lyn Asselta workshop will be Apr 30, May 1 and May 2, 2021 in Bennington.

Dawn Emerson workshop is planned for Oct 23-25, 2021 in Bennington.

BOARD NEWS

We had a vote recently on bylaws changes allowing us to hold remote meetings via apps like Zoom, which means we can have board meetings and our annual members’ meeting online. We are having our next board meeting Thursday, October 7 from 7- 9pm. Here is the zoom link Please join us if you can.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88516259072?pwd=cnFVWEd1Q1VkdFA2RmNzU1h0WU53Zz09

Our annual members’ meeting will be October 17, 2020 from 1- 4pm via Zoom. We will be electing new board members, as each year 5 of the 10 members’ 2-year terms are up, so we need your votes! We will be sending an agenda and Zoom link closer to the date.

Remember, as a VPS member, you can show a painting on the VPS website with a link to another image and a short bio. 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 with our world being turned upside down, we are who we are because of the undying support for our organization that you all provide. Keep it coming, as you keep on painting in pastel!

Matt Peake, VPS President

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

QUARTERLY QUOTE
“The memories of influenza, it seems, are surreal, and to write them is seemingly to write nonsense or dreams or poetry. Perhaps this meant that even those who might vividly describe injuries to the body (like those caused by the war) would have found themselves incapable of representing to others the experience of having the flu.”

Catherine Belling, from The Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919: Perspectives from the Iberian Peninsula and the Americas (2014)

In the age of CoViD-19, the time of our pandemic, we have perhaps the same difficulty describing how it is affecting us, as people, let alone as artists. For us pastel painters, and our VPS, things have changed for now, and for the foreseeable future. For that reason, we can only hope for a resolution in the next several months, but until we know for sure, we must follow the guidance of those we trust, keeping ourselves, our families, and our friends and neighbors safe from the infection. And we must keep painting, if we can.

• Our Members Exhibition is still up until the pandemic is over.
• Regional hubs are in need of innovation for remote activities.
• Workshop planning continues, although we can’t be sure they will be held.
• We need an Exhibitions Co-Chair and …
• We have a new Secretary, Anne Taylor!

Continue reading below for more details.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:
Thursday, January 16 to date uncertain, 2020: Members’ Exhibition, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, 4th floor

August 17-21, 2020: Alain Picard workshops “The Painterly Landscape” and “The Painterly Portrait,” East Montpelier

October 2-4, 2020: Lyn Asselta workshop, North Bennington

November-December 2020: VPS Juried Show, Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, VT

VPS REGIONAL HUBS UPDATE
In the last quarter, just before the pandemic hit us, 5 of 6 hubs met once. One of those hubs, VPS: SouthWest, did it remotely via Zoom. VPS: Upper Valley hosted the monumental Joint Members Exhibition at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. With the recommendation to limit our contacts and stay in place, we will need innovative solutions to help us continue hub activities within the parameters of social distancing and restricting our travel to essential needs.

VPS EXHIBITIONS
Our Members Exhibition for 2020 featured a coordinated show of the Vermont Pastel Society with the Pastel Society of New Hampshire. Nearly 120 works from 60 artists lined the expansive medical center hallway where hundreds of people walked through to view them every month. Or did so until recently, when the corona virus pandemic struck New England. Now the show still hangs, and fewer viewers will be seeing it per month, but it remains in place indefinitely until the threat of infection is gone. Still, for those who helped receive the paintings, hang them, and attend the reception, this was an exhibition to remember—not only in scope and scale, but in the quality of the works on display. Thank you to VPS Upper Valley for making it happen, and thank you to Susannah Gravel for the fabulous idea of a combined show!

Our Juried Show will be in November 2020 at the Southern Vermont Arts Center, enough months away to be optimistic about it happening. We will be using a new on-line submission platform this year, ShowSubmit, which has a great reputation among many pastel societies in the US.

VPS WORKSHOPS
Alain Picard will offer a combination of workshops in East Montpelier, VT: The Painterly Landscape, August 17-19, 2020 and The Painterly Portrait, August 20-21, 2020. Artists can sign up for one or both. Details will follow. Given the late summer dates it is scheduled for, this workshop may still happen!

Lyn Asselta will offer a workshop October 2-4, 2020, at the Taraden Art Barn in North Bennington. Stay alert for details coming to you, and again, given the autumn dates that it is scheduled for, this workshop may also still happen!

BOARD NEWS
As you may recall, in December, we elected Mark Grasso, VPS: SouthWest, as our Vice President, and in January, we elected a new Secretary, Anne Taylor, from VPS: MidState. Thanks to the two of them for offering to serve on our VPS board, and to everyone who voted. Our board is once more complete!

But, before celebrating too soon, we need someone to volunteer to join Susannah Gravel as Exhibitions Co-Chair. The job of putting on two exhibitions per year has become less complicated, but it would be even easier if there were two people collaborating on the many little jobs that need to be done. Please contact your hub point person(s) if you are interested, and please consider it, as exhibitions are one of the offerings that encourage pastel artists to become members of VPS.

The Board will be holding its meeting on April 18, 2020, from 11a.m. to 1 p.m. via Zoom. Anyone may attend, so if you would like to do so remotely, contact Mark Grasso ([email protected]) who will be the Zoom host and can give you the link to join the meeting.

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/policies-procedures/.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN VPS!
We are who we are because of the passionate participation in our organization that you all provide. Keep it coming, as you keep on making pastel art!

Matt Peake, VPS President

QUARTERLY QUOTE
Why not spend time on art: painting, sculpting, charcoal, pastel, oils? Are words or numbers more important than images? Who decides this? Does algebra move you to tears? Can plural possessives express the feelings in your heart? If you don’t learn art now, you will never learn to breathe!
Laurie Halse Anderson

The Winter Solstice has signaled a return to longer days, with more hours of light for painting;
We have our Members’ Exhibition opening in a matter of days,
Regional hubs are continuing to thrive;
And we have a new Vice President.
Continue reading below for more details.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:
Thursday, January 16, 2020, 5-6:30pm: Reception for the Members’ Exhibition of the VPS with the Pastel Society of NH, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, 4th floor main hallway.

VPS REGIONAL HUBS UPDATE
In the last quarter, 4 of 6 hubs have met once, and one hub has met twice. Many hubs are using a challenge-prompt, asking members to do, in the intervening time, an abstract painting, or painting a bold landscape on a black surface, or painting in color from a black and white reference. Many hubs are taking advantage of local venues to exhibit their pastels. As for using hub money, one hub paid a workshop presenter to come to them, and another hub used their money for purchasing tickets to MASSMoCA and The Clark, for a visit in early January.

VPS EXHIBITIONS
Our Members’ Exhibition (ME) for 2020 features something new: Susannah Colby, our Exhibitions Co-Chair, has coordinated this year’s exhibition with the Pastel Society of New Hampshire to make a really big show. We will be having about 120 works from 60 artists lining the expansive hallway in a large institution where hundreds of people will walk through to view them every month. As in our last ME, we will be awarding prizes in five genres (landscape, waterscape, still life, figurative, and abstract) and in five elements of composition (color, value, line, shape, and texture). Plus, the same two new categories will be kept: a Judge’s Choice and the People’s Choice. The judge this year, recommended by PSNH, will be Mary Eselin, a professional artist with gallery representation in several VT and NH galleries. Our goal for the ME has been to showcase the range of experience and diversity of pastel painting in our VPS, so the awards have tried to reflect that. Come see our VPS members’ works along with our neighbor pastel society’s paintings. You won’t be disappointed.

Our Juried Show will be in November 2020 at the Southern Vermont Arts Center.

VPS WORKSHOPS
Alain Picard will offer a combination of workshops in East Montpelier, VT: The Painterly Landscape, August 17-19, 2020 and The Painterly Portrait, August 20-21, 2020. Artists can sign up for one or both. Details will follow in February.

Lyn Asselta will offer a workshop October 2-4, 2020, at the Taraden Art Barn in North Bennington. Stay alert for details coming to you near the end of March.

BOARD NEWS
As you may recall, our board has 10 members who serve 2 year staggered terms. Every year, therefore, 5 members’ terms are up, and we hold elections, usually at the Annual Membership Meeting. This past November, at that meeting, Grace Cothalis, her Vice Presidential term up, wanted to step down, and she ran for one of the Member-at-Large positions, leaving the VP spot vacant. As we had no candidates to fill that position, we asked our hubs for volunteers. Mark Grasso, of VPS: SouthWest offered his candidacy, and he was elected in an e-mail meeting vote on December 19, 2019.
We still need a Secretary to record the minutes of the two board meetings and one annual membership meeting that occur every year. Please let us know if you want to serve the VPS by being on the board as our Secretary.

Members Gallery
As a reminder, if you want your image changed in the VPS Website Gallery, please use this link.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN THE VPS!
We are who we are from the devoted support that you all give to our organization. Keep it coming, as you keep on mark-making in pastel!

Matt Peake
VPS President

QUARTERLY QUOTE
Even in certain kinds of impressionism, one can more or less imply perspective, but when you paint realistically, perspective has to be perfect.
Daniel E. Greene

Spring is here and the VPS has, and not so quietly, been springing to life;

We have two workshops scheduled and one exhibition almost ready to hang;
Regional hubs are continuing to thrive;
And, as has been said before, it can only get better!
Continue reading below for more details.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:
May 17-July 6, 2019: Juried Show, White River Craft Center,
Randolph, VT
July 29-August 2, 2019: Richard McKinley Workshop, 4
Corners School House, East Montpelier, VT
September 2019: Members’ Exhibition, TWWood Gallery,
Montpelier, VT
September 21,22 and 23, 2019: Jacob Aguiar Workshop,
Taraden, 183 Park Street, North Bennington, VT

VPS REGIONAL HUBS UPDATE
Our regional hubs continue to meet regularly, with VPS:SouthEast, VPS:MidState, and VPS:Champlain being the most active ones, at least as far as being reported through Hub Happenings. If other hubs are doing things, please let Judy Albright know so she can share your activities on Hub Happenings with the whole membership. Ideas and
opportunities your hub finds interesting offer options to other hubs as well!

Remember that VPS now has allocated money for hubs to use ($100 promised to each hub, with an additional $5 per member) for hubs to get speakers, attend museums, purchase materials needed, etc., to broaden the range of activities they participate in. Procedures to follow to get reimbursed have been given to the hub point people. So let us know what you are doing with the money!

VPS EXHIBTIONS
Our Juried Show is scheduled for hanging on May 11, 2019  at the White River Craft Center, Randolph, VT. We used an on-line submission platform, Online Juried Shows (OJS), for our Juried Show this year to eliminate some of the many hours of work it takes to put on such a show. As of midnight, March 31, the deadline for entries, VPS artists have submitted over 70 entries. The jurors go to work from April 1-7, choosing the best 20-25 paintings submitted. Special thanks to Laura Winn Kane for coming on board as Exhibitions Co-Chair with Susannah Colby to help make this year’s Juried Show a reality. And more thanks—in advance—to VPS: Upper Valley for hosting the
2019 VPS Juried Show!

VPS WORKSHOPS
The Richard McKinley Workshop, July 29- August 2, 2019 is now full, with18 participants and three on the waiting list. 
Thank you to Joyce Kahn for successfully promoting and filling this workshop!

The workshop for September 21-23, 2019, with Jacob Aguiar, is also full, but new names can be put on a waiting list should current registrants need to drop out. Anyone who signed up by March 31 got into the workshop and will be getting an email
soon with payment details. Please note that the workshop has been changed to a new location, Taraden, 183 Park Street, North Bennington, VT.

Thanks to Linda Masten or Shelli DuBoff for their stewardship in securing a great instructor and in making this workshop happen for the VPS.

BOARD NEWS
Board members are working, as we go to press, on the VPS Workshop Scholarship program that was approved by the board and membership last year. Please check the VPS website for details!

As a reminder, if you want your image changed in the VPS Website Gallery, please use this link: https://vermontpastelsociety.com/policies-procedures/ .

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN THE VPS!
We are who we are from the line, shape, color and texture that you all give to our organization. Keep it coming, as you keep on art-making!

Matt Peake VPS President

QUARTERLY QUOTE
Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do.
Edgar Degas

Our new year has just begun;
We have two workshops scheduled and two exhibitions in the works; Regional hubs now have some VPS money to help enrich their activities.
And it can only get better!

Continue reading below for more details.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:
May-June, 2019: Juried Show, White River Craft Center, Randolph, VT
July 29-August 2, 2019: Richard McKinley Workshop E. Montpelier, VT
September 2019: Members’ Exhibition, T W Wood Gallery, Montpelier, VT
September 14-15, 2019: Jacob Aguiar Workshop, Bennington, VT

VPS REGIONAL HUBS UPDATE
It was decided at the board meeting in October, and presented at the annual
membership meeting in November, to give money to each hub, in the form of a
pledged amount per year. There will be an equal amount of $100 promised to each
hub, with an additional $5 per member to allow hubs to get speakers, attend
museums, purchase materials needed, etc., to broaden the range of activities they
participate in. Procedures to follow to get reimbursed will be given to the hub point
people in the coming month. So let us know what you are doing with the money!

VPS EXHIBTIONS
Our annual Members’ Exhibition will be at the T W Wood Gallery in September and
our Juried Show is scheduled for spring (May-June) at the White River Craft
Center, Randolph, VT. One new item of interest was discussed at the Membership
Meeting in November: the VPS will be using an on-line submission platform
(perhaps OnlineJuriedShows.com) for our Juried Show to eliminate some of the
many hours of work it takes Susannah to put on such a show. That means that there
will be an entry fee required to submit your pastel(s) to be juried into the VPS Juried
Show (not for the Members’ Exhibition). The VPS will still obtain its own jurors, will
still have the show in a real venue, and will still have a judge come to the venue to
select award-winners. So only the entry process has changed.

VPS WORKSHOPS
An initial announcement has gone out for the Richard McKinley workshop, July 29-
August 2, 2019 requesting interested participants to enter their name into a lottery,
as the expected interest in this workshop will be great. As this will be a multipronged
process, keep an eye out for a Constant Contact detailing the next steps.
Linda Masten is organizing a workshop for September 14-15, 2019, with Jacob
Aguiar. Details for this exciting event will be forthcoming.
Also, see Board News below for more workshop news!

BOARD NEWS
Cindy Griffith is partnering with John Landy (VPS: Central) as VPS Website comanagers.  Together they have implemented a new on-line system for paying
membership dues, bringing the VPS into the 21st century. You can enter your
membership information on line, then use your credit card/debit card or PayPal
account, if you have one, to pay. Please be assured, that VPS will not keep any
personal or credit/debit card info on the website. Maggie, as membership secretary,
will be relieved of much paper work, so please use this method, if you can, for
paying your dues.

Additionally, if you want your image changed in the VPS Website Gallery, please use
this link: https://vermontpastelsociety.com/policies-procedures/

We have a new board member, Shelli DuBoff, (VPS: SouthWest) as member-at-large.
She will be taking over the DVD lending library duties from Grace Cothalis, to allow
Grace to devote herself to assisting VPS members in organizing workshops

And speaking of workshops, the VPS board also approved money for workshop
scholarships. Joyce Kahn, the other member-at-large, will be the head of workshop
scholarships, and she, Grace Greene, and other VPS members will be letting us know
in the coming months the details of applying for one and the process for deciding on
who will be awarded them and the amounts to be awarded. So please apply if you
want to attend a workshop, but find it difficult to manage financially.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN THE VPS!
We are who we are from the imagination, vision, and dedication that you all give to
our organization. Keep it coming, as you keep on art-making!

Matt Peake
VPS President

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.

Edgar Degas

SUMMERTIME…AND THE LIVIN’ IS EASY We now have six active hubs and one more to bring into the fold—up in the Northeast Kingdom.

We’ve had one successful show and one to come. And we’ve had one successful workshop, and one more to come as well

Finally, we are unveiling a new communications tool—Constant Contact—to help all of us visually gifted people to see at a glance what information is coming to us from the VPS. 

Continue reading below for more details

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:

We have another great workshop this summer:

Doug Dawson September 15-17, 2017 in Newfane, VT

Currently there are 16 participants, but there is room for 3 more so contact Jean Pollack [email protected] if you want to sign up.

We will be having another VPS show this year:

VPS Juried Show September 14-December 27, 2017 in WRJ, VT.

The venue is small, so only 29 paintings were able to be selected for the show, but the Coolidge Hotel seems to sell a lot of paintings and the time of year should encourage many visitors. Stay tuned for more information.

VPS REGIONAL HUBS UPDATE

Over the last three months, I have had the opportunity to meet with three more groups of VPS artists in three different parts of our state, as we continue the process of forming regional hubs according to the proposal made at the end of last year. I am finding a lot of common themes with each group I meet with, a recurring one being hubs providing opportunities for artists with a love of pastels to get together and share the love in a multiplicity of ways. 

Three new regions have had their first meeting, have adopted a name, and have chosen a point person to facilitate their hub activities. They are VPS SouthWest in the Bennington/Manchester area; VPS Upper Valley centered around White River Junction; and VPS Champlain uniting the Burlington/ St. Albans regions. Activities that their hubs want to engage in have been brainstormed, and once more, many are similar from hub to hub, but some are unique. Overwhelmingly, the response has been enthusiastic for regional hubs to allow members to gain that sense of community that comes with becoming part of the VPS.

I will be getting together with the artists of the St. Johnsbury/Newport region soon, and with that meeting, we will have our 7 hubs up and going as proposed.

We also have a Director of Hubs, Judy Albright, who has sent out several Hub Happenings communiqués letting everyone know what each hub is up to. Hopefully this will give ideas to artists in other hubs for activities to engage in.

VPS MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION AT SVAC

Numbers to remember: 40/9/5

We had 40 artists participating (40 paintings displayed). Robert Carsten was our judge and awarded prizes in 9 categories. Five paintings were sold–those of Karen Baker, Wendy Soliday, Norma Jean Rollet, Angela Arkway, and Ann Wickham. Congrats to all participants, to award winners, and to painting sellers! Read more at https://vermontpastelsociety.com/vps-exhibition/.

VPS WORKSHOP WITH DESMOND O’HAGAN IN NORTH BENNINGTON, VT

Desmond O’Hagan’s workshop was greatly successful, with 12 attendees. It made a modest profit, but more importantly, it generated a lot of enthusiastic discussions among not only the participants, but in at least two hubs where paintings, begun in his workshop, were shown and talked about to all hub members present. Let’s give a big shout out to Linda Masten for her organizational efforts in getting this workshop for the VPS.

 OPPORTUNITIES TO USE VPS FACEBOOK

We have two opportunities to show our art-making on FB:

One is for an artist who is willing to take pictures of their work during the painting process and send that to Carol Corliss at [email protected]. By doing so, we can all get an idea of a member artist’s approach, mistakes that were made and corrected, or serendipities that occurred that changed the course of the painting for the better. After all, it’s all about the process, right? So please email her with your interest, and/or send her 4-6 photos of a painting from start to finish, each image with one or two sentences explaining something special about that step in your creative process.

Two is the 40/4 Challenge announced in June: Paint four paintings using only 40 strokes each on 4 separate days. You can do a painting a day for four days or  in a time frame that works for you. Post your paintings on the Vermont Pastel Society Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Vermont-Pastel-Society-1526769437591380/?fref=ts and share a little about your experience.

 THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN THE VPS! These are action-packed times for all of us, especially as we continue to attract new members every week who want to share in what we, in the VPS, are all about.

Matt Peake