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