Friends of BAG March Newsletter
Next Meeting:
Tue, April 12, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
- We will meet in person at Presbyterian Church-Broomfield, 350 Main St (main room in the Ministry Building).
- BAG Member Meeting at 1:00-3:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month.
- April demo: Dorothy DePaulo with color pencils on mylar. She will supply the mylar so bring your color pencils and a pencil sharpener to follow along and do your own pencil drawing.
We look forward to seeing you all at our next meeting!
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Mar 8 Meeting Recap
About 25 members and guests met at Presbyterian Church-Broomfield. President Kim Touysinhthiphonexay gave a financial summary. We ratified David and Judy Shelley as BAG Vice Presidents and they were unanimously approved by members present. Gale Simonson presented tips and equipment for plein air painting. We closed the meeting with an art critique session; six members met for inaugural session to view each other’s art and offer ideas for improvement.
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BAG Policies Updated/Clarified
The following policies were clarified to help make our business and meetings run more smoothly:
- Please minimize cash transactions (too hard to track!). Instead please pay by check or PayPal with notes about what the payment is for.
- Please, no more art supplies brought to meetings unless it is a designated art supply swap day. We have had problems with supplies being brought in and not picked up, which leaves a mess for the closing person to deal with. In special circumstances we can make exceptions, but please notify a Board member in advance of the meeting so that suitable arrangements can be made.
- Please check in with door greeters at every meeting to sign in and get a name tag. This helps us track attendance and helps other members get to know you
BAG Identity Statement
As part of our process to revisit/revise our mission statement, the following identity statement was approved by members at the meeting and will be added to our website homepage:
“Broomfield Art Guild is a group of artists from Broomfield Colorado and surrounding communities. We make space for artists to come together for inspiration, learning and camaraderie. We encourage and support diversity and creativity in artists of all abilities from beginner to professional. Current members work in media including watercolor, acrylic, oil, pastel, pencil, mixed media, photography, digital art, sculpture and pottery. We welcome all artists who want to learn about art, improve their skills, and connect with other artists through sharing, demos and workshops. We show original artwork regularly around Broomfield, both in county buildings and private businesses, to promote appreciation and enthusiasm for visual arts in Broomfield. If you are interested in art challenges, getting involved, and having fun with a team, come join us!”
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BAG Logo Presentation and Voting
Three members (Gail Smith, Deb Jenkins, Jane Doak) designed and presented logos for consideration to replace our current logo. Members voted and selected Jane Doak’s multi-colored design. Member Dennis Dickerson graciously offered to work with Jane to convert the logo into a digital file that will look fabulous on our website, business cards and elsewhere. Thank you to everyone who participated in the call for a new logo design!
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Fall Member Show is a Go!
Thank you to our show committee volunteers: Sally Bullers, Carol Dillard, Barb Wagamon, Michelle Skulley! The location is confirmed for College Hill Library in Westminster. Stay tuned for additional details.
Upcoming Member Meeting Activities
- April: art supply swap, DEMO/WORKSHOP colored pencil presented Dorothy DePaolo
- May: TBD, DEMO novel approach to color palettes presented by Barb Wagamon
- June: discuss summer activities, DEMO/WORKSHOP watercolor painting with Dr PH Martin liquid paints presented by Patty Jones and Jill Riggins
- July: summer break, no meeting
April Meeting Theme
Something Springy: make something springy and bring it to share at the April meeting.
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President's Statement
The Broomfield Art Guild goal for 2022 is Growth. We want to grow membership, activities, external collaboration, and community visibility for our art and artists, all of which will lead to growth for individual members. But we want a program that is sustainable with the revenue and people resources we have. We can do so much more if everyone helps! Therefore we want to encourage every member to actively participate by attending meetings and providing some service to the Guild.
- Paying dues and entering art in exhibits and shows is not enough.
- Helping to set up and take down exhibits and shows that artists have entered is routine and expected, and is not enough.
- Our group is not just a means to access walls on which to hang and show/sell art to the public.
- Our group is about supporting one another, learning from each other, and interacting with other groups and the public to build awareness and appreciation for visual arts in the community.
- For that we need people to show up at all our meetings and activities and to actively engage and participate with the board and other members.
- We need everyone’s energy, ideas, and help getting things done.
- Half of our group is actively engaged and half of our group is not at all engaged. We don’t think it is fair for half the group to do all the work of fulfilling the entire scope of the BAG mission and for the other half to simply show up with finished art pieces when it is time to show and sell. How is that helping to facilitate learning and support for other members?
- Therefore, starting this summer, we are going to enforce the phrase in our bylaws that states that artists must be a member in good standing to exhibit and show art with BAG, and that members have to attend meetings and/or provide service to BAG in order to be in good standing.
- We understand that it may not be possible to attend our daytime meetings, but there are many ways to actively engage and provide voluntary service to the Guild in order to be in good standing (see list below or talk to a board member). If you don’t intend to exhibit or show art with BAG and prefer to be inactive, then that is your choice and we won’t bother you, but we still will miss you!
We are a small group with diverse requirements and big plans. Everyone needs to pitch in to help be present for and support other members, contribute to discussions, proactively form teams to find solutions, and get things done. We don’t discriminate based on age, prior service, or busyness – everyone gets to help in 2022 and 2023!
See the help-wanted list below for specific areas where we are in need of volunteers.
Our group is in a good place right now. We have a core group of members who are actively engaged, helping, and having fun. We have a great meeting location with planned activities, demo artists, and in-person art sharing at every meeting. Our informal art sharing is a wonderful way for members to get to know each other and their art, and is comfortable for new members to participate. We recently added a critique session after every meeting as a way for members to get ideas and suggestions for how to improve their art. Outside of meetings, we have access to great public exhibit spaces at Broomfield Community Center, Broomfield Library, Broomfield City Hall, and IPie Pizza Restaurant and we run a yearly Member Show with a judge and prizes. We also offer a calendar of plein air and pub sketching events for members to get together and create art outside of their studios.
As we work on improvement and growth, we will endeavor to build a sustainable program that doesn’t require superhuman effort to run. I suggest that we strategically focus our efforts on activities with the greatest impact for the most people while adhering to the following principles:
- Make our new members feel welcomed, supported, and safe as they take the steps to join our group and become artists who are comfortable and confident about showing their work in public.
- Create a balanced program that meets both the needs of members who care deeply about putting finished work in shows and exhibits and members who just want to hang out and do or talk about art with other artists.
- Use any available resources to grow our collaborations and visibility with external groups and the community. Focus on building connections person to person. For lasting impact, we need to make sure our artists are seen, not just our art.
Thank you all for being members of Broomfield Art Guild and for joining together to create art, have fun, and make BAG a welcoming and enjoyable group for everyone. Let’s have a great year!
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Help Wanted
Here is the current list of volunteer activities where we need someone to step in. Talk to Kim T. or send an email to broomfieldartguild@gmail.com if you'd like to volunteer.
- Support Our Members: Lead demos/workshops/discussions, be an art buddy for a new member, help with new member recruitment and retention
- Support Our Activities: Provide/check social media and website content, manage exhibits, create/join teams for plein air, pub sketch, shows, activities, parties, receptions, fund-raising
- Act as Liaison/Collaboration with Other Groups: Attend meetings and propose/lead collaborative activities with Creative Broomfield, PULSE, BCAH, other BCAH groups, other art groups
- Public Interaction and Visibility: Help with evening/weekend/summer art activities at public venues, teen inclusion, indoor/outdoor publicity signs, cool art bags or t-shirts, meet the artists events, photograph activities for website/social media/newsletters
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BAG Art Events
Social Sketching
Our next social sketch outing will be Wednesday, March 23 at 5:30p at the Northside Tavern (12708 Lowell Blvd - Midway/128th and Lowell). Bring your portable art supplies and hang out with us for a bit.
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Plein Air is Back!
We meet from 9am-noon on the first and third Thursdays of the month.
- 3/17 Nissen Reservoir
- 3/31 E.B. Rains Park
- 4/7 Rock Creek Trailhead
Notices of cancellation are not sent out for weather, etc.; it is up to each artist to decide if they want to participate. Bring your own supplies.
Check our plein air page on the BAG website for future locations and more information.
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BAG Art Exhibitions
iPie Pizza exhibit space is hosting pieces by guild members. March is Dave Shelley.
March through May, we have member artwork on display in the upstairs gallery at the Broomfield Community Center. We alternate showing in this space with the Broomfield Photo Club, so there will be an opportunity to sign up here again in fall 2022.
The Broomfield Library exhibit went up in January and is running to the end of April. The theme is Winter Wonderland and Cozy Comforts with a variety of art by 13 of our members.
For more information on exhibitions, go to our website tab Public Art Displays.
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"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" Vincent van Gogh
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Other News
BAG member Cathy Carpenter has a painting in the 5th Annual Casa Bonita Art Show, Mi Casa es Su Casa until Mar 20 at Next Gallery in Lakewood.
BAG member Camie Rigirozzi has two pieces in the Wildlife Art Event at Life in the West Art Gallery in Broomfield Mar 18-20.
If you have any news regarding upcoming shows or workshops, please contact Cathy. |
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"The sole difference between myself and a madman is the fact that I am not mad." Salvador Dali
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Join BAG
We welcome artists age 18 and older working in all media. BAG is a wonderful venue for fun-loving, creative people who are also eager to share and to learn! A membership in the Broomfield Art Guild allows artists to participate in monthly meetings and art demonstrations, and members in good standing are eligible to participate in scheduled art shows including monthly rotating exhibits and annual fine art shows. As a member of the Broomfield Art Guild, artists also receive a discount on workshops at the Louisville Art Association. One year of membership is $30 and includes your entire household. You can join online and pay your dues via PayPal, or you can bring your $30 check and application form to the next meeting and hand it to Bev or Kim T. |
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"The inspiration you seek is already within you. Be silent and listen." Rumi
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BCAH Membership
Consider becoming an annual member of BCAH by donating $25. In addition to other benefits, you will receive their 16-20 page quarterly newsletter, “Spotlight on the Arts,” that publicizes Guild events, as well as the programs and events of Broomfield’s arts and cultural community. You can submit your donation by sending a check to BCAH, PO Box 681, Broomfield, CO 80038 or donating online at http://www.artsinbroomfield.org/give.html
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