Elgin Arts Association^™

On November 15, members and guests gathered at the Presbyterian Church meeting room for the monthly meeting and a pot luck dinner. It was good to see old friends, as well meet some new ones!

Before dinner, President Michael Strange asked for everyone’s attention for a special presentation. Nancy Lou Webster was called to the front of the room, and Dave Warner was asked to join the Board for the presentation.

The Elgin Arts Association Board presented Nancy Lou Webster with an Honorary Lifetime Membership in appreciation of her support and encouragement of artists in our community. Nancy Lou has been a driving force for many of us – and we wanted her to know that we appreciate all she’s done and continues to do. Nancy Lou is one sharp lady and catching her off-guard is a little difficult; however it appears we surprised her this time, as she was actually speechless!

Dave Warner then found out the real reason he had been called to the front of the room. Dave has been instrumental in the arts movement in our community, as well as being supportive of the Elgin Arts Association from its inception. Many people are unaware of the many hours Dave spends working "behind the scenes" on behalf of the arts in Elgin. To let Dave know that his efforts do not go unnoticed, the Elgin Arts Association presented a framed Certification of Appreciation in recognition of his vision and generous contributions of personal time and resources.

Once the presentations were complete, everyone started filling plates from the wonderful variety of dishes everyone brought. What a feast!

Toward the end of dinner, Michael continued the business portion of the meeting. Photos of the airport exhibit space were passed around and Michael reminded everyone to start thinking of what they would like to have displayed during the January-April exhibit. (Note: If you plan to participate, be sure to bring your piece to the January 10 meeting at Bremond House Gallery. We will be working on the layout of the exhibit during that meeting.)

Michael turned the floor to Gary Newton, who announced that approximately $2,200 was raised during the silent auction at the Pearls Art Show this year. About $300 was spent on food, etc., leaving a balance of approximately $1,900 to be used for scholarships and future Pearls Art Shows. Gary thanked the artists, saying they really came through for the auction this year.

2008 is coming quickly! We’ll need volunteers to serve on committees to help the Association reach new heights in the coming year. Our standing committees are:

1. Events
2. Public Relations
3. Newsletter
4. Workshops/Classes/Education
5. Grant
6. Membership

In addition, two officer terms (President & Secretary) will be open for election at the end of 2008. With this in mind, we will also need a nominating committee of at least 3 members to conduct the task of providing candidates for these positions. If you are interested in serving on a committee for 2008, you can respond to this e-mail. Please be sure to indicate which committee you would like to be part of. Sign-up sheets will also be available at the December meeting.

The next meeting will be 7:00 p.m., Thursday, December 20 at the Elgin Public Library meeting room. After association business, Cheridah Vaughn will give a presentation on her stained glass work.

All artists and supporters of the arts are welcome to attend. Bring a friend! Hope to see you there!