Presidents Letter:

Greetings! Season is in full swing, and our last two exhibits are right around the corner! The Prospectuses for both Mirroring the World Around Us at CCAS and Art on the Edge of the Gulf at the Marco Island Center for the Arts have been distributed. Let me know if you need copies, and make note that Receiving for Mirroring the World Around Us is SOON: Monday, February 3 from 9 AM 12 Noon. Please have your paperwork and checks filled out before you come to Receiving to make the process smoother. The Reception for this Exhibit will be held on Valentines Day, Friday February 14, 2014 from 5 7 PM. Please plan to attend and invite all of your friends and family as well. Contributions of wine and food will be greatly appreciated! Im looking forward to both exhibits! We had another successful Craft Bash last Sunday. A good time was had by all, and we generated a lot of interest in CCAS classes and Guild membership! I hope the result will be new students for the Studio and new members for us. Our raffle was a success as well! We collected $438 for our scholarship fund: more than we collected last year!!! Thank you to the small army of volunteers who taught, assisted, manned the parking lot, helped with the raffle, demo-ed, and contributed to the raffle. The date for Craft Bash 2015 will be set soon. There were two mystery tickets chosen at the raffle that had no name on them. The numbers are 430837 and 430692. We believe these were sold at the November business meeting. Please check your tickets to see if they are yours. BOTH of our February and March meetings have been rescheduled. Our February meeting will be on Saturday, February 8 at 12:30 PM, and our March meeting will be on Saturday, March 22, at 12:30 PM. Please make sure they are correctly entered in your calendars. Anne Dalton, Esq. will be speaking at the February meeting on Artistic Integrity and the Law, the notion that artists should receive residuals for their work when it re-sells similar to the royalties that writers receive when their work re-sells. Annes presentations are always fascinating and informative, so you do not want to miss it! The demonstration of our peer review process after the January meeting was a success! Thank you to the three artists who participated as well as to the members who agreed to review their work. Everyone enjoyed this learning experience. We have some tweaking to do to control the enthusiasm, but this is a great problem to have! The Peer Review Committee is pleased with the result and will be working to improve the process for the next peer review at the March business meeting on March 22, 2014. Many thanks to the Co-Chairs, Sue Archer and Louis Ford, as well as to the entire Peer Review Committee, for their continued hard work and dedication to this process. An extremely important job which has opened up for the Guild is that of Scholarship Chair. This is one of the most important and rewarding jobs in the Guild. I will be assuming the responsibilities this year, and I am looking for someone to work with me to learn the ropes in order to take over next year. It involves contacting Cypress Lakes High School and FGCU about their art exhibits where we give out awards, finding Guild members to act as judges, and attending the receptions. In the future we will be looking to expand our scholarships further, so looking for and working with new schools will be part of the job as well. It is not a difficult job. Guild members are always willing to act as judges because it is such an enjoyable and enlightening experience. Seeing the art work of these young people is amazing. I urge all members to attend the awards ceremonies so that you can experience it for yourselves. I will announce them when I know the dates. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks for your attention to this newsletter. I hope you enjoy it. Warm wishes, Lorraine

Southwest Florida Fine Craft Guild Business Meeting Minutes Jan. 18, 2014

Meeting called to order 1:06PM by President Lorraine Capps Matters presented and discussed: > New members and guests stood and introduced themselves: Randy and Analilia Clay, Patty Arenburg, Bonnie Langenfeld, Mary Zettel, Martha Grattan. > Lorraine introduced Lydia Black, Executive Director of the Alliance for the Arts in Ft. Myers. She spoke, in part, about:- The socio-economic impact of the Alliance and all other nonprofit art groups on SW FL - That she and Lorraine have been collaborating on how to get the Guild and the Alliance together with mutually beneficial activities. - That the upcoming Mar.15 Demo day (possibly to be called Art In Action as a result of requesting suggestions for an event name) is a way to educate the public in the diversity of the arts. - That the focus should be on the Guild demonstrations, more than selling. She will need demo artist names-media, bios, work area requirements for set-up and promotion. - That she appreciates the interest and support of the Alliance by the Guild. > Lorraine reported that Shelly the Seahorse is still at Harborside until the gala in March. > Lorraine recommended that everyone view Jims exhibit in the Fine Art Gallery and vote. > Motion made and passed to approve minutes of Dec. meeting. > Lorraine announced the slate of officers for 2013-2014 season. > Prospectuses for next two exhibits are available on the Guild web site. > Lorraine asked that members make note on their calendars that the Feb. meeting is FEB 8 and that the March meeting will be MAR.22. > Lorraine related that the Guild received a very nice letter of appreciation and photos for our support of Holiday for Heroes, from Jonette Kessack who started the project seven years ago. If you were one of the artists that donated work, make a copy of the receipt that Jonette sent you, add the value of the piece and give the copy to Dee Cooper for our 501c3 requirement. > January 25, Friendship Meeting will be hosted by Sherry Moesch. > Rose Young announced a free lecture re fiber art at the Alliance and another at the CC Library. > At the meeting conclusion there will be a live working practice session by the Peer Review Committee of the proposed peer review process that they are creating to replace the previous standards review. Three artists submitted their work for review and members reviewed the work per instructions and using work sheets. Motion was made to adjourn the meeting and start the Peer Review at 2:05PM Respectfully submitted; Jim Sobel, Secretary > Lorraine noted that she was approached by an egg shell artist as to whether any Guild member would be interested in the materials she uses in creating this art medium. > Dee Cooper gave Treasurer Report. Current balance $6,031.41. > Kathy Erickson gave Membership report. We have 83 paid members currently and she is working on resigning some laggards. She also explained the importance and relevance of signing in at each meeting. > Lorraine read the current Volunteers Wanted (poster) list, which included Craft Bash, Marco exhibit, Art Council delegate, Scholarship Chair, Ding Darling event, Advertising Chair. ( Uncle GuildySam NEEDS YOU! ) Thank you for stepping up. > Toni Ory gave a report on the Ding Darling event that she and Trudy Sampson have been working on. There will be a Recycle Art Fest there Apr. 16, 9 4:00. The Guild will procure a judge (of the 25 artists attending) and mentor kids who will be doing crafts during the day. > Dee Cooper reported on the ACSWF Coconut Pt Gallery. The Guild had the highest sales of all participating art organizations in Dec. > Lorraine reminded that the ACSWF Spring Show reception is Jan. 31, 5:30 7:30. > Jeanne Kostrub noted that the Guild sales case has June and July (only) available if you are interested.

Judy Anderson is participating in the Tropical Textiles Fiber Art Exhibit at Physicians Regional Healthcare System, located at 6101 Pine Ridge Rd, Naples, FL. Work will be on display through February 10, 2014; hours are M- F, 6:00 AM 8:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday 9 AM - 8 PM. Lorraine Capps is one of 6 artists who have been invited to demo in conjunction with the Naples Art Associations 60th Anniversary celebration on February 20 at the Naples Beach Club and Resort during their silent auction. Sue Archer will assist! Thank you, Sue! Dee Cooper will be the visiting artist at Harbor View Gallery in Cape Coral for the month of February, 2014. The Reception is Tuesday February 4 from 6 8 PM. Kathy Erickson will be participating in the Fabulous Arts Boutique 2014 in Sarasota, at the South Gate Community Center, 3145 South Gate Circle. The opening reception is Wednesday, February 12 at 6 PM ($10 donation), and the show runs from February 13 - 15 from 10 AM 4 PM. Admission is free those days. This is a great place to take friends and visitors! Kathy has new email addresses. She prefers the first address. [email protected] and [email protected]. John Merchant will be participating in Dinner with Artists on February 6, 2014, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Veranda E at Hotel Escalante in Naples. This event combines visual and culinary arts into unique evenings to remember. John and Michael Kang will mix their ingredients to deliver striking abstract sculpture paired with the best in non-traditional

Chinese-French cuisine. The evening features a presentation by John, creative cocktails, sit down dinner with wine pairing, and beverages. Tickets are available for $75 and are all-inclusive. For more information call 239-262-6517 or visit www.naplesart.org. John has also just been accepted into the Florida Artist Group (FLAG). Congratulations! Sherry Moesch will be the visiting artist at Harbor View Gallery in Cape Coral for the month of March, 2014. The Reception will be Tuesday, March 4, 2014 from 6 8 PM. Jacqui Smith has a new email address: [email protected]. Also, Jacqui is looking for someone who is skilled at pouring and casting resin molds so she can produce copies of her 32 piece Through The Looking Glass chess set. Lisa Tully also has a new email address: sundance03075 @aim.com. Rose Young would like us to know about these upcoming workshops. Please contact Rose for the flyer if you are interested. Weaving Good Cloth, Cape Coral Library, February 10 - 12 $90; Creating an Art Jacket, Cape Coral Library, February 23 25 $75; Liz Spear Lecture, Alliance for the Arts, February 15; www.artinlee.org; Nuno Felt Collage, Alliance for the Arts, February 13 & 14, $100.

February, 2014
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
1.

SATURDAY

2. GROUNDHOG DAY

3. RECEIVING Mirroring the World Around Us 9 12 CCAS

4. RECEPTION Harbor View Gallery, Cape Coral, DEE COOPER Visiting Artist 6-8

5.

6.

7.

8. NOTE CHANGE IN DATE: At CCAS: 10:30 Board Meeting; 12:30 Business Meeting: Anne Dalton, Esq. Artistic Integrity and the Law

9.

10. RECEIVING Co-op Art Gallery 10-1 RECEPTION Hirdie Girdie Art Gallery, Sanibel, 4-6:30

11. ART COUNCIL MEETING, 9:30-1 Hosted by NLA Pen Women/Naples; The Plantation on Vanderbilt Beach Road

12. FABULOUS ARTS BOUTIQUE 2014 Sarasota; Reception 6 PM; show runs Feb. 13-15; 10-4; Kathy E.

13.

14. Full Moon & Valentines Day

15.

RECEPTION Mirroring the World Around Us 5 7 PM CCAS RECEPTION Co-op Art Gallery 5-7

16.

17.

18.

19.

20. Demos and Silent Auction @ Naples Beach Club: Lorraine Capps & Sue Archer 27.

21.

22.

23. Friendship Meeting at Sandra Mark & John Merchants Ft. Myers studio 2-5

24.

25. Deadline for March Newsletter Items

26.

28. REMOVAL Mirroring the World Around Us 9 AM 4 PM CCAS

March, 2014
SUNDAY
30.

MONDAY
31.

TUESDAY

WEDNES DAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY
1.

New Moon 2. 3. 4. Ash Wednesday 5. 6. PLEASE NOTE NEW DATE: RECEIVING Art on the Edge of the Gulf, Marco Island Center for the Arts 11-2 7.

New Moon 8.

REMOVAL Art Council Spring Show, von Liebig Art Center, Naples 10-4 FAT TUESDAY

INSTALLATION Art on the Edge of the Gulf, Marco Island Center for the Arts 11

International Womens Day

RECEPTION Harbor View Gallery, Cape Coral, SHERRY MOESCH Visiting Artist 6-8

9. Daylight Savings Time Begins

10. RECEIVING Co-op Art Gallery 10-1 RECEPTION Hirdie Girdie Art Gallery, Sanibel, 4-6:30

11. RECEPTION Art on the Edge of the Gulf, Marco Island Center for the Arts 5:30-7, Awards at 6:15

12.

13.

14. RECEPTION Co-op Art Gallery 5-7

15. ARTISTS @ WORK: Day of Demos at the Alliance for the Arts! 10-1

ART COUNCIL MEETING, CCAS & Guild 9:30-1 @ CCAS 16. Full Moon 17. St. Patricks Day 18. 19. 20. First Day of Spring! 21. 22. NOTE CHANGE IN DATE: At CCAS: 10:30 Board Meeting; 12:30 Business Meeting: Peer Review

23.

24.

25. Deadline for April Newsletter Items

26.

27.

28. REMOVAL Art on the Edge of the Gulf, Marco Island Center for the Arts 11-2

29. Alliances Spring Art Affair, Bell Tower 11-6

FEBRUARY MEETING CHANGE: Our February meetings will be held on the SECOND Saturday of February: Saturday, February 8, 2014. The Board meeting will be held at 10:30 AM, and the Business meeting will be at 12:30 PM. Mark your calendars! Anne Dalton, Esq. will be speaking after our Business meeting on Artistic Integrity and the Law, the notion that artists should receive residuals for their work when it re-sells similar to the royalties that writers receive when their work re-sells. Come learn about this and other artistic integrity protections for your work in a return workshop with Anne, who is a creative arts attorney and Patron of the Guild who has been representing artists, photographers and others for 35 years. You wont want to miss this informative and interesting presentation! MARCH MEETING CHANGE: Our March meeting date will be changed as well due to our day of demos at the Alliance for the Arts. Our March meetings will be held on Saturday, March 22, 2014. The Board meeting will be held at 10:30 AM, and the Business meeting will be held at 12:30 PM. Please mark your calendars! We will be voting on our new slate officers and we will be conducting another voluntary peer review. CCAS, February, 2014 Mirroring the World Around Us : Prospectus has been distributed; check participation requirements. Exhibit dates: February 7 27, 2014; Receiving: Monday, February 3, 2014, 9 AM 12 Noon; Reception: Friday, February 14, 2014, 5 7 PM; Removal: Friday, February 28, 2014, 9 AM 4 PM. Judge: Alicia Schmidt 2014-2015 SLATE OF OFFICERS: The new slate of officers for our Executive Board of Directors for next season is in place and will be presented at the February meeting and voted on at the March meeting: Lorraine Capps, President Francine Gerson, VP Committee Nancy Giffin, VP Committee Toni Ory, VP Committee Pam Richardson, VP Committee Gloria Winer, VP Committee Jim Sobel, Secretary Dee Cooper, Treasurer Dale Eulitz, Director Trudy Edlebeck, Director Marsha Bisson, Director NEW MEMBERS: A warm welcome goes out to the Guilds new members: Patty Arenburg, Glass, 3614 NW 2nd Street, Cape Coral, FL 33993; 239-5588535; [email protected]. Martha Grattan, Clay, 5749 Flamingo, Dr., Cape Coral, FL 33904, 239-2471566; [email protected]. Bonnie Langenfeld, Fiber, 1157 Mohawk Parkway, Cape Coral, FL 33914; 239-542-4648; [email protected]. Bonnie is a member of the Hirdie Girdie Art Gallery on Sanibel! Colin Sollinger, Clay, 1735 Brantley Road, #2704 Ft. Myers, FL 33907, 702431-1383; [email protected].

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE: Please be sure you have paid your 2014 dues. If they are not paid by March 1, 2014, you will be dropped from Guild lists. Dont let that happen! Regularly priced membership renewals of $35 and $50 for individual and family memberships respectively, were due on or before January 1, 2014. You may mail your check to Kathy Erickson at any time: P.O. Box 511602, Punta Gorda, FL 33951. You will need your 2014 membership cards to enter Coconut Point as well as Guild and Art Council shows. Kathy will give you your membership cards at Guild meetings. Remember to keep your Yearbooks up-to-date by adding contact information for new members as they are published in the Newsletters. CO-OP ART GALLERY UPDATE: February Receiving is Monday, February 10 from 10 AM 1 PM, and the Reception is Friday, February 14 from 5 7 PM. Effective January 6, the Gallery will be closed on Mondays. This will make the scheduling of gallery sitters easier, it will provide opportunities for meetings to be held, and it will allow more time for receivings, installations, and rearranging the Gallery as refreshed items come in. December sales were just under $7,000 for the Gallery, and the Guilds December commission on sales was $272! The Guild was the highest selling art league for December! Congratulations to everyone who sold and who contributed to this total. The gallery sitting schedule can be found on the Art Councils web site: www.acswf.org. If you must change your sitting date, it is your responsibility to find a replacement AND you must email Ginny Whiteman at [email protected]. Remember, in order to participate in the Gallery, you must be a member of the Guild for three months and you must attend two business meetings. ART COUNCIL UPDATE: The February Art Council meeting will be hosted by NLA Pen Women at the Plantation on Vanderbilt Beach Road. The meeting starts at 9:30 with a social half hour and business meeting will end at 1 PM. DING DARLING UPCYCLE ART FESTIVAL: Ding Darlings Upcycle Art Festival will hold a scaled-down upcycle event on April 16, 2014. We need volunteers to help with the Make-andTake tables, as well as a judge for the art contest. Up to twenty-five artists will display their work in the nature center with artwork for sale, and there will be an undetermined number of artists with one piece on display and eligible for awards and prizes. Set-up and the reception will be held on Tuesday, April 15, 2014. The application/jurying fee is $30, with 10% of sales to be donated to Ding Darling. All booths and displays will be inside or under cover on the outside of the main building. Acceptance in the art show will be on a first-come-first-served basis under the guidelines of the show (60% recycled art materials.) The art show will be a trial for an upscale upcycle art show in 2015. If you are interested in participating, please contact our Ding Darling Chair, Toni Ory. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Toni and Phyllis Rieser. CCAS GUILD CASE: The Guilds display case is located in Building 2 of CCAS. CCAS retains 30% of the sales, so work should be priced accordingly. Contact Jeanne Kostrub to reserve your spot. Please give her your first and second choice of months. 239-731-1302; [email protected]. The case is available to

all members. New members should take advantage of this opportunity! CCAS is busy during the summer because of the childrens camp. February 2014: March 2014: April 2014: May 2014: June 2014 July 2014 August 2014 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014 January 2015 Angela Aradia Anna Marie Jacobi Stan Dzedzy Patsy Pelton Available Available Toni Ory Available June Bennett Dale Eulitz Alex Chung Craft Bash Workshop Examples

Renee Farr, mosaics; Petra Kaiser, fused glass; Phil Krym, wood turning; Sherry Moesch, viking knit jewelry; Bobbi Robertson, eggshell art; Trudy Sampson and Jim Sobel, stone sculpture; Gloria Winer, expressive cloth doll hands. HIRDIE GIRDIE GALLERY: The Hirdie Girdie Gallery is celebrating its 20th Anniversary! Guild members Sandi and Phil Krym, Kathy Boynton, Tania Begg, and Bonnie Langenfeld are members of the gallery, along with former Guild member Jeanne Risher. Gallery hours are 11 AM 5 PM, Monday through Saturday. The gallery hosts a reception every month during season, and the February reception will be held on Monday, February 10 from 4:00 6:30 PM. Come join the celebration! VOLUNTEER UPDATE: Please consider the following list carefully, and remember that a spouse or family member can be your stand-in for volunteering! If your family member has any of the qualifications for or interest in any of these positions, we would appreciate their help. Volunteer opportunities are constantly changing, so be sure to discuss them with Phyllis Rieser, if you have any questions. In addition to the Alliance event above, the volunteer positions currently available are: Scholarship Chair and Committee: We are once again in need of a Scholarship Chair. See the Presidents Letter. Ding Darling Upcycle Festival: See p. 6 of this newsletter. Advertising Chair and Committee: The Board has developed an advertising brochure as a tool to assist in obtaining sponsors and advertisers. This brochure has been finalized and is at the printers. It will be distributed to all members shortly. We can begin this process even before we have an Advertising Committee in place if each of us makes an effort. Please help with this important job! The Advertising Committee will use the phone and/or email to solicit ads for our web site and newsletter. The membership could be instrumental in providing ideas for potential advertisers. We have a flyer that could be utilized which outlines the costs of our ads. Once we have more advertisers, there will also be the need to keep track of their renewal dates. An assistant or assistants may be necessary. Also, please consider advertising your business with the Guild and helping to find advertisers. The rate schedule is as follows: Business card size ads: 4 newsletter issues + 6 months on web site: $50 9 newsletter issues + 12 months on web site: $75 Quarter page ads: 4 newsletter issues + 6 months on web site: $100 9 newsletter issues + 12 months on web site: $150 Advertising in the Yearbook is $50. The Board has been working on developing a process that will help the Advertising Chair and Committee get started. The Board will assist in any way possible to develop this committee. Buddy System: Established members who are active in the Guild are assigned to a new member and make themselves available to explain all facets of Guild activities, answer all questions and concerns, sit with new members during meetings, and generally help them become informed and feel comfortable as quickly as possible. Phyllis has a pool of people to pull from when new members join. Please let her know if youd like to participate. March Art Council Meeting: We are co-hosting the March Art Council meeting with CCAS on Tuesday, March 11, 2014 from 9:30 AM 1:00 PM. We have a conflict with our reception for our Marco Island Exhibit, Art on the Edge Of the Gulf, which is the same day from 5:30 7 PM.

CALLS TO ARTISTS: The Alliance for the Arts Third Annual Spring Art Affair is Saturday, March 29 from 11 AM 6 PM at the Bell Tower Shops. You may reserve your booth space by going to www.artinlee.org and downloading the prospectus or by calling the Alliance at 239-939-2787. The entry deadline is March 1, or February 15 to ensure inclusion in advertising materials. The cost is $50 for Alliance members and $75 for non-members. UPCOMING BIG ARTS EXHIBITS: BIG Arts is hosting the following exhibits this season: Trick of the Light: Black and White Photography Show, March 3 31, 2014. Its Illuminating, April 3 29, 2014.

The prospectuses for these exhibits can be downloaded by going to www.bigarts.org. Notify Lorraine Capps if you need hard copies. You may also call 23-395-0900 for further information.

Art on the Lake, Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Courses 6th annual art

festival is scheduled for Sunday, March 30, 2014 from 12 Noon to 3 PM at the new marina on the peninsula. They are looking for artists to participate in the festival, as well as entries for their poster contest. The grand prize is $1,000! The registration deadline for the festival is March 7, 2014, and the poster entry deadline is February 28, 2014. For further information and to download the registration form, go to www.miromarartonthelake.com. You may also contact Jessica LaCroix, Events and Social Activities Manager, at 239-908-2398 or [email protected]. GUILD T-SHIRTS: Sue Archer delivered our new Guild t-shirts at the December meeting, which were created by her husband, Neil. A huge thank you goes out to both of them for a job well-done. If youd like to purchase one of the extra t-shirts that were ordered, contact Dee Cooper. ALLIANCE FOR THE ARTS: We will be partnering with the Alliance for a day of art demos on Saturday, March 15, 2014 from 10 AM 1 PM, which they have chosen to call Artists @ Work! This will be held in conjunction with the Alliances Green Market, so there will be a large number of people in attendance. Thirteen Guild members will be demo-ing both inside and outside. Thank you! We will need assistants for the artists and general helpers. Let Lorraine know if youd like to be part of this fun event! The Guild demos will include: Angela Aradia and Al Liccardi, raku; Jenny Burnham, kumihimo braids; Analilia Clay, bird feather carving; Dee Cooper, bead weaving; Kathy Erickson, pine needle baskets; Dale Eulitz, chain maille jewelry;

Because we will have to split our resources that day, we will need volunteers to help with the Art Council meeting as well as the Marco reception. While we do not have to provide all of the food and wine for the reception, they have asked us to help. Naldyne Light, and Phyllis Rieser are working on the Art Council meeting and will need a group of people to help them.

regarding car-pooling and helping those who cannot make the trip with all of the above. Please let Lorraine know if you would like to volunteer. CCMI FOOD DRIVES: Collecting food and other supplies for the homeless and hungry is an important aspect of our charitable status, and is extremely important for our community. You may visit CCMIs web site for ideas of food and other items to donate: www.ccmileecounty.com. You may also contact Sandi Krym, our Community Outreach Chair. We need to move away from the idea that we simply clean out our pantries looking for expired items. If you would not eat it, please do not donate it! When you are shopping at the grocery store or warehouse store, spend a few extra dollars to buy an item or two that is really needed: a large box of cereal, a bag of rice, or cans of beans would go a long way towards helping those in need. Pet food is also a great thing to donate since helping people keep their pets is one of the many fantastic services that CCMI provides our community. We collect food at every Guild meeting! Please help. Lets make each months donations even bigger than the last! LONG TERM PLANNING: Please be thinking ahead, as we have the following Guild exhibits coming up in the future: Visual Arts Center (VAC), Goff Gallery, Punta Gorda, January, 2015 (no theme yet); Cape Coral Arts Studio (CCAS) February, 2015 (no theme yet); Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center (SBDAC) July, 2015 (no theme yet).

Art on the Edge of the Gulf: Our March Marco Island Exhibit: See p. 8
of this newsletters for details of volunteer opportunities for this show. To discuss current volunteer opportunities, please contact Phyllis Rieser at [email protected]. FRIENDSHIP MEETINGS: Thank you to the Moeschs for hosting the January Friendship meeting. We enjoyed Sherry & Richs beautiful home and lovely dogs. Richs train set-up is amazing! The February Friendship Meeting will be hosted by Sandra Mark and John Merchant at their Ft. Myers studio on Sunday, February 23 from 2 5 PM. Their Images in Stone & Glass studio is located at 1965 Custom Drive in Fort Myers. From #41 going North, just after Page Field and sign Low-Flying Planes there is a left turn lane. Get into it and turn LEFT onto Honda Drive. This is between the Florida Leather Factory and Custom Trailer & Hitch lot. Drive about half a block and turn Left at the rusty Custom Drive sign. It is a half block on the right-hand side at the end of Custom Drive in a blue metal building with a door and window at the end. There is no sign except the number 1965. They have electric outlets and a small refrigerator if needed. They will have their cell phone, so call if you need help: 914-213-4433. Please RSVP to Sandra on their home phone: 239-267-3049 or at [email protected] if you can attend. Feel free to bring family, friends, and visitors! Friendship meetings are our way of providing more opportunities for us to get together in a relaxed, social setting. The hosts simply provide nonalcoholic drinks and paper products, and the attendees supply everything else. The hosts may choose the day of the week and the time of day. The schedule for the remainder of this season is below. Contact Lorraine if you are interested in hosting. Hosting and attending Friendship Meetings do not count toward Guild volunteer requirements. February 23, 2 5 PM March April Sandra Mark & John Merchant at their studio space in Ft. Myers Maryanne Olson, Bonita Springs Available

Please like both the VAC and SBDAC on Facebook. We are always looking for exhibit venues and themes. If you have any thoughts, please share them with Lorraine Capps or a member of the VP Committee. We will also have the next Art Council Spring Show open to all Guild members in February of 2016. Our eligible winners from our exhibits will participate in the Councils Winners Circle Show in March of 2015. Pertinent dates for these exhibits can be found in the Art Council newsletters, and will be published here as they get closer. Check the Art Councils web site, newsletters, and brochure for other art leagues exhibits that are open to all Art Council members. METAL DISPLAY STANDS: The metal artist who created Louis Fords display stands is Byron Wood of Metalsmith Designs, Inc.: 12581 Metro Parkway #17, Fort Myers, FL 33966; Email: [email protected]; www.metalsmithdesigns.com; www.byronmwood.com. Phone: 239-936-6720; Fax: 239-561-0286; Cell: 239633-3469; It is best to call ahead and make an appointment, but feel free to stop in any time as you may be able to catch him. He will make custom display stands for your work at a reasonable cost, and will make one at a time, or a larger number. Lorraine Capps has also had stands made by Byron, and is very pleased with the results. She is actively trying to recruit Byron, whose metal art is even more fabulous than his display stands!

OUR MARCH EXHIBIT AT THE MARCO ISLAND CENTER FOR THE ARTS: Please plan for our remaining exhibit of the season. NOTE: The date of Receiving has CHANGED! It is now Thursday, March 6, 2014 from 11 AM 2 PM. Marco Island Center for the Arts, March, 2014 Art on the Edge Of the Gulf : (Please LIKE the Marco Island Center for the Arts on Facebook!) Exhibit dates: March 10 27, 2014; Receiving, Thursday, March 6, 2014, 11 AM 2 PM; Installation, Friday, March 7, 2014, 11 AM; Reception, Tuesday March 11, 2014, 5:30 7 PM; Removal: Friday, March 28, 2014, 11 AM 2 PM. Judge: Barbara Snyderman We will need volunteers for Receiving, the Reception, Installation, creating the program, as well as Removal. While we will not have to supply the entire Reception, the MICA has asked us to contribute to it. We will need contributions of food and wine, as well as several people to act as hosts/greeters. We will also need to coordinate efforts