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Ne ws/etter January, 2008 W ST VAN COUVE MFMr°'4 ip North Shore Artists' Guild -- (formerly West Vancouver Sketch Club) wwwnsartists.ca P.O. Box91051 West Vancouver, B.C. L/7V3N3 Serving Visual Artists from Furry Creek to Deep Cove since 1947 - Next Meeting: Tuesday, Feb. 19,7--9:30 PM St. Stephen's Church Hall, nd Street West, West Vancouver, BC I NORTH SHORE ARTISTS GUILD President Alfonso Tejada 604-988-4801 atqada@shaw.cs A New Year's greeting to all fellow members and a warm welcome to those who have recently joined our Guild. It is essential for all of us to keep in mind that the present success of our Guild and the expanding awareness of our work in the North Shore is the result of many years of effort and dedication by current and past members. The Guild is growing and maturing as an organization and it is important that all of us know what is expected of us so we can work together to ensure the Guild responds to the changing needs of members and the opportunities and challenges of society. For many of the founders and long time members the vision of an inclusive group of artists and aspiring artists gathering with the purpose of enjoyment and personal development of their crafts was, I believe, firstly based on social interaction and friendly interest painting. Secondly, exhibitions were held mainly as a means to acquire recognition from peers and friends. Finally, again I believe, sales were not an end in themselves, but rather an incidental result of appreciation and admiration of a work of art by friends and strangers. Art was art and painting was a way for friends to connect. Belonging to a group of artists was a way of asserting an identity in the community. It was a sketching club. We are now a "Guild" and without medieval connections or institutional patrons, we have reinvented the concept of the guild as a transitional step from a club to a community of artists. This is our new strength, but what is a guild and what is expected from its members? First a Guild fosters fellowship, mentorship and demands loyalty, contribution and participation from all the members. We all have to adjust to change and growth with a fundamental principle of the survival of the group. However, there is something unique in the legacy of the forefathers of the sketch club that can't be lost or ignored in our present Guild, and that is the social interaction fostering friendship and contributing to the development of a strong fellowship. It is up to us how the future of this guild develops, but in this short message I want to remind you all that being a member of this Guild is a privilege that should be taken seriously. We need to be one as in a living hive of the ARTS gathering, building, producing, creating and contributing with your active participation in all aspects. Remember it is a privilege that requires your share of work that is the human values attached to the creative expression of an artist. Vice-President Jacquie Manning 604-980-8907 jacquie@keynotetech.com Happy New Year everyone. I hope you are all rejuvenated and ready to paint, paint, paint! I was aware that during our last artist's demo some of you were remarking on the less than brilliant quality of our guest's projected demonstration. The screen often flared white and colours were nowhere near true. The executive is aware of the problem and Larry Achtemichuk, your Past President, has already started researching cameras, projectors and screens. With such a large membership now, we definitely need our artists' demos to be projected so everyone has a clear and uninterrupted view of the artist's demo. Not everyone is close enough to the front or seated at the right angle to the demo table to see the tilted mirror properly. Because our guild is in a good financial situation we are able to address this situation. Our sound system, which has been the bane of my existence for the last three years, is also being looked into. The problem last Tuesday was with the church's built-in system so, hopefully, this will be remedied by February's meeting. Thankyou all for your patience as we shouted back and forth to each other!