FALL NEWSLETTER September, 2026
Fall around the corner!

First on the list is our MEMBER MEETING, Monday, October 19, 2026: Business meeting from 5-6 PM followed by a ZOOM Demo presentation by Karen Israel from 6-7 PM! Hope to have a great member attendance – see you there!

FALL BOARD MEETING, September 14, 2026

The Board has determined it is time to update/change our Website and we are actively engaged in doing so. If there are any members out there with art website experience and would like to contribute ideas for such, please let John Landy (Treasurer) and/or Ruth Sterling (Web Services Coordinator), other Board members or Hub leaders know so they can pass on names and contact info. A subgroup of Board members will begin reviewing what our website does, needs to delete, upgrade, change, etc. beginning next week!

REPORTS

HUB Coordinator Marcia Blanco reported that all HUBS have been busy sending her activities on a regular basis, all of which have been posted on the website – the artistry keeps growing and is awesome.  Hope you have been looking at it all and getting inspired with new and interesting ideas!

Membership Coordinator, Maggie Smith reports 97 current paid members, 9 of whom are new!!

Ann Wickham, our Exhibitions Coordinator, summarized our recent Member Show at Artistree in Pomfret (which goes on until September 27) with 45 artists showing 80 paintings, 10 of which have already sold!! Check out the site as it is a beautiful place to present our art with proximity to Barnard and Woodstock… a great place to show and sell! The reception was VERY well attended on a weather perfect day. Our Judge was Aline Ordman who thoughtfully described all awards: watch for a separate VPS website report with pictures of them coming  up soon.

First Place: Christine Kennedy, “Welcome Little One”
Second Place: Brian Livingstone, “Meadow”
Third Place: Jocelyn Randles, “Last Dance”

Subject Awards
Luminous Landscape: Katrina Thorstensen,, “Late Afternoon Light”
Reflective Waterscape: Ann Wickham, “Sheltered”
Lively Still Life: Judy Albright, “May You Always”
Figuratively Speaking: Marla Ianello, “125th and Broadway”
Abstractly Appealing: Debra Kraemer, “Window Shopping”

Design Element Awards
Totally Tonal: Maria Riley, “Passing Thoughts”
Touchingly Textural: Pamiglia Smith, “Booth Quarry Vinal Haven, Maine”
Colorfully Crafted: Joyce Kahn, “A Glorious Morning”
Lovely Lines: Marianne Nealy, “Melting”
Shapely and Edgy: Kate Cone, June Light”

2026 Workshop:
Oct 2-4, 2026: Marlene Wiedenbaum, Bennington CANCELLED
2027 WORKSHOPS:
Marla Baggetta: Oct 8-10 and Oct 11-13 in Bennington at the Monument Art & Cultural Center, $450 members/ $500 nonmembers

Mark has had input from the SW Hub only. If there are Hubs which have other ideas or
which would like to coordinate a workshop, let him know!

EXHIBITIONS

2027 Juried/ Member Show
May 2027: sponsored by the South Burlington HUB at Artistree in Pomfret, dates TBD

2027 Member Show
August – September: sponsored by the Southwest HUB at the Southern Vt Arts Center
dates TBD

ELECTIONS

Here is our slate of offices needing to be filled…NOW,,, with only a couple of
candidates so far:
President: candidate Andrea McSweeney Stoehr
Vice President: ?
Secretary: ?
Hub Coordinator: ?
Exhibitions Coordinator: candidate Ann Wickham
Workshop coordinator: ?

PLEASE consider putting a little bit of extra effort into VPS for its continued
success! Terms are only 2 years. New blood is needed this year and we can’t do all that
we do to support YOU without YOUR supporting VPS. None of these jobs are full-time or
require lots of effort. And you will have retiring members available to answer any questions
as well as guide you along the way! Soooooo….time to answer the VPS call! Keep VPS
the vibrant, active organization we’ve become – let’s not lose that!

Shirley Carlson
VPS President