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Newsletter February, 2008 North Shore Artists' Guild (formerly West Vancouver Sketch Club) wwwnsartists.ca P.O. Box 91051 West Vancouver, B. C. V7V3N3 Seiving Visual Artists from Funy Creek to Deep Cove since 1947 Next Meeting: Tuesday, March 18, 7--9:30 PM St. Stephen's Church Hall, 22nd Street West, West Vancouver, BC 885 NORTH SHORE ARTISTS GUILD -- I Alfonso Tejada 604-988-4801 atejada@shwv.ca President , Fragility in the Artist's Heart In the spirit of growth of our guild we are transforming our image from a small painting club into a dynamic and well structured group of artists. The direction our guild is taking is to build up the understanding of what artists must do to survive. In other words, how art can also be a business. For some members this represents the major change needed for the guild to survive and a natural step into the new century. However, I feel compelled to once again bring to your attention those basic components that have been the foundation of today's NSAG, those being love, care and fragility. Love for the arts, care for friendship and fragility as individuals always in need of fellowship and support. As a relatively new member, I can relate to others who have found it challenging to get to know other members through attending meetings. For some individuals meeting others is not something that comes easily or is not a priority in their lives. I have been extremely lucky to meet several members that have made me feel welcome in the guild by opening small parts of their lives and allowing me to share their joys and sorrows. This aspect of the guild is not about producing art, but about nourishing the spirit, creating bonds of fraternity and respect. I want to share my feelings on some current incidents and sad developments that have touched the lives of some of our members. In the past few months several of our members have had losses of dear people in their lives, while others have suffered the negligence of care services and others survive in palliative care. The guild has lost wonderful long time fellow members. Becoming aware of others' fragility is one step in accepting our own. and by doing so we build links with others. I am deeply stroked by our loss of members. Some of them I never met, while others I was fortunate enough to meet and develop friendships with, based on the love and interest in the arts. I invite you to share the feeling of condolence for the loss of some of our members and send our moral support to their families and friends. "It is without names that memories are kept in our hearts because, that humanity of others touched my soul and now are part of me. This feeling can only exist where friendship and fellowship is cultivated." This is an essential part of what we as a guild need to foster and develop to honor the foundations of our group and to be if not better artists, then better human beings living the fragility of life and dreaming in the eternity of ART. Vice-President Jacquie Manning 604-980-8907 jacquie@keynotetech.com Greetings everyone and a big "welcome" to all our new members. First of all I have some sad news. Two long-time members have passed away since the last meeting: Jacky Hansell, who's been a member of the guild since 1992 and Barbara MacAdams, who's been with us since 1999. They will be missed!