January Newsletter

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LETTER FROM YOUR VICE PRESIDENT: "Some Assembly Required"

Dear Members,

Sometimes I imagine the Bangor Art Society a little like a holiday gift that comes with a warning: “Some Assembly Required”. Our Society is powerful and vital in the community as each of us members finds the place where we can contribute our gifts and where we can fit in perfectly.

As the vice president of the Bangor Art Society, I see my role not only as assisting our president to manage the gathering of our Society, but to help each member find their “fit” in our Society and to build up each artist to encourage our collective success. Because when we do assemble, we can affect change in a powerful and creative way for our community in the arts. It's actually how we collectively give back and become a gift to our community. You see, I believe a successful art society accomplishes more than personal art growth among its members. We are also about being a lively, multi-talented, society that equips its members to impact the world around them through the arts.

We members experience the true riches of our creative abilities by giving our time, money, and talent. And in this exchange of extending a hand we receive a wise and valuable creative insight into our own art making process. We don't just gather and consume, but we come alongside others and find out what they can do and where they can be of assistance. One of the “true riches” of being a member of BAS is in promoting the practice and appreciation of art in our community.

I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting not only as a consumer, but as a member with the intention of extending a helping hand, ready for a fantastic year! All of us are needed to make our society flourish, but the truth is that some assembly will be required.

All the best, Michael E. Vermette

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WE CELEBRATE THE LIVES AND MOURN THE PASSING of BAS members Mette Watte and Helen Wolfhagen.

 

NOTICE OF COMING EVENTS

Next BAS meeting is Tuesday 24th January, 6-8pm, Bangor Public Library. Our presenter, Dr. Mimi Killinger, will draw upon her forthcoming book on The Garden Artists of Houston, a women's art collective that painted together in the 1970s in Houston, TX., and of which her late mother was a part. She will show us how the Garden Artists' art and their work together proved liberating and formative for these women in times of profound personal and societal change.

Mimi is the Rezendes Preceptor for the Arts in the Honors College at UMaine. She has a PhD in American history with a particular focus on twentieth-century women and the environment. She is the author of The Good Life of Helen K. Nearing (Univ of Vermont Press 2007).

February is our Members' Show at the Library. Each member is welcome to bring one or two pieces of art for us to hang for the month. Please bring items on February 1st, between 4-7pm. If that poses a problem for anyone, please call Uli (942 6593) and arrange to drop off art at her home (360 Lincoln Street, at corner with West Broadway in Bangor) earlier that same day OR the previous weekend.

This time we will have our reception together with our February 28th meeting, after which folks can take their art pieces home. This year the member show will be judged and ribbons (no cash prizes, sorry—we do that for the May Open Juried Show) awarded on the 28th. Volunteers, please, to help with: intake and hanging on Feb 1st , labeling (2nd, 3rd?), reception refreshments, etc.

Oriental watercolorist Wendilee Heath O'Brien's paintings are on display at the White Gallery at Husson University, January 23-February 24th. She uses watercolor, pastel, Asian ink, and Asian gold leaf Kinpakku technique. She will do a demonstration Feb 8th, 4-6pm at the opening reception, to which all are invited..

Pamela Healy daughter of former BAS president Ed Healy asks whether anyone knows of or has any of her father's paintings? Contact her at shell574@hotmail.com

MINUTES OF MEETING, NOVEMBER 22nd, 2011

6:10 p.m. Uli Guthrie, President, opened the meeting with introductions and announcements:

  • Our first Downtown Bangor Art Walk with generous hosts Mass Mutual was very well attended. We circulated a thank you card among those at the meeting.
  • Circulated sign-up sheet for member showings at Mass Mutual for 2012.

January 2012, Helena Bosse
February, Jan ?
March, Russ Cox
April, Lynn Bolduc and Gail Waite
May, Carol Brooks
June, Wylie Beckert
July, J. & Josephine Bright
August, Ulrike Guthrie
September, Jim Toothaker
October, Becky Whight
November, Diana Young
December, Carol Michaud

  • The Grant Committee met to begin the work of applying for a couple of grants to help us: a) bring in stellar artists and speakers and pay them better, b) put on a really great Paint Bangor Day 2012 on September 8th. We can use more help for the next month. Any volunteers? Also specifically we need your digital photos of BAS events like Paint Bangor Day, the auction, meeting (presenters/presentations), etc to support our application for grants.
  • Check out and enter the Poster competition for Paint Bangor Day 2012. Details on our website www.bangorartsociety.com Please tell others, and enter your own work!
  • Winter Project: The idea that garnered the most votes was for a miniature (a work of no more than 20 square inches, eg. 4 x 5", 2 x 10", etc) in any medium. Due by May 2012 meeting at which time we decide on our Summer Project.
  • Status of website: At Mary Mailler's request, we discussed the possibility of paying her (or someone else) to handle our website, now that Linda Packard has stepped down. This was voted down; members felt this position ought to remain voluntary and unpaid, like Pres, V-P, Treasurer, Secretary. So we are still urgently in need of volunteer help with our website. Anyone? Please contact Ulrike Guthrie or Michael Vermette.
  • Treasurer's Report: Jim Toothaker reported a balance of $6259.04.
  • Michael Vermette introduced Eric Glass, who did a wonderful demonstration of painting in oil from a watercolor study, and also spoke of his work illustrating scientific and children's books, and picture frame restoration work. Thank you, Eric!
  • The meeting adjourned at 7:45 pm. Next meeting is January 24th, 2012 at 6:00 pm. UG

HISTORICAL NOTES ABOUT THE BANGOR ART SOCIETY

From the small 1955-1971 history of the BAS by Marcia E. Bailey, some interesting comments about the original aims of the society, its early involvement in photography, how it made Bangor into a prime art exhibition center nationally, and grew a formidable art book collection at the library.

“The Bangor Art is…greatly indebted to the men…who organized the club known as Fotocraft in 1913. Although their photography was the prime motivation, it is evident from the beginning that they had no such restricted program in mind. Their purpose stated in their constitution was: (1) the encouragement of the knowledge and love of art through exhibitions of art works and lectures on art subjects, (2) the acquisition of an art library and museum (said corporation not to be run for any financial return)….

Considering the geographic distance from the metropolitan areas and the expense of packing and transportation, it is an indication of deep interest in art that "loan exhibitions of amazing quality were brought here as early as 1913", according to a daily paper, for nearly ten years, "placing Bangor in the rank of exhibiting centers such as Buffalo, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle."

(A little later in the history, we read that –in 1973?--) "the Bangor Art Society continued to cooperate with the Bangor Public Library and new books were willingly added by Mr. Rantlett, librarian, and his successor, Mr. Woodward until today the library lists 25,000 volumes on art, probably the largest such collection in any public library in New England with the exception of Boston and Providence."