As the Kent Art Association’s 2007 Season – our 84th Season – comes to a close, it is time to reflect upon the year and prepare for the upcoming season. Our current exhibit, The Elected Artists Invitational and Carole Day Solo Show, is beautiful. Congratulations to Carole on a superb show. Please make sure you come see the diversity of works.

This year we elected seven (7) new members to the Elected Artist Status. They are Zufar Bikbov, Clayton Buchanan, Jeanne Hunkapiller, Jean Mann, Banjie Getsinger Nicholas, Ned Reade, and Barbara Ripps. Congratulations to you all. For those candidates that were not accepted this time, please continue to exhibit and try again next year.

As members of the Association, your input is a valuable tool in shaping the upcoming year. Our Annual Meeting is on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. in the KAA gallery. All are welcome and the annual meeting is the time and place to bring up concerns from the current year and suggestions to improve the Association in the up coming year. Remember, this is your organization. It is run by volunteers and the way to have your voice heard is to attend the Annual Meeting. We need to know what worked, what didn’t work and what you think will work in the future. Your input is needed if we are to continue to stay an active organization. It is also when a new board is approved and officers are elected.

For 2008, the proposed Board of Directors is as follows:
Gretchen Hoffmann Abene		Alexis Lynch
Patricia Collins Broun		Barbara Madden
Clayton Buchanan		Ruth Newquist
Karen Cashman		Banjie Getsinger Nicholas
Beth Dooley		Jay Pinchbeck
Carolyn Fisher		Peter Rembetsy
Barbara Goodspeed		Virginia Schaffer
Paul Gould		Peter Starbuck
Cathy Lusardi-Sgro		and Davia Fink – Ex-Officio

The proposed Officers of Kent Art Association for 2008 are as follows:
President		Alexis Lynch
1st Vice President		Barbara Madden
2nd Vice President		Carolyn Fisher
Recording Secretary		Gretchen Abene
Corresponding Secretary		Cathy Lusardi-Sgro
Treasurer		Beth Dooley

It is important for you to come to the Annual Meeting to nominate any other candidates and vote on a slate of Board members and officers. Remember, this is a volunteer organization and all of you are very important to the organization. If you can not attend the Annual Meeting, but do have input, please e-mail me at amlynch@optonline.net or call me on 845-896-8755 no later than October 18, 2007.

The 2007 winner of the Best in Show and Solo Show award of the President’s Show this year was Ruth Newquist. Congratulations to Ruth and we look forward to seeing her show next fall.

I sincerely want to thank all of the volunteers that we have had during the 2007 Season. Whether it was receiving, hanging, changing the sign, hospitality, donating refreshments, or attaching labels, it made the Association run smoothly. I am so proud that we do have a stream of volunteers that can be called upon and do a few hours of work each show. As I said before, we can not do it without you, so Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.

Member News:

Alfred W. A. Haywood has his first solo exhibit entitled “Costume, Objects and Images” at The Harrison Public Library on Bruce Avenue, Harrison, New York that runs from September 9th to October 5th, 2007. Please contact the library on 914-835-0324 for information on the hours.

Tarryl Gabel’s painting “Soo Inviting” was chosen a winner in the “Paint the Parks Top 100”. The Parks competition is a very prestigious national competition. The winning painting will travel to different galleries around the country on display over the next year and a book of the winning entries will be available. Work can be seen at: http://www.paintamerica.org/index.html. Tarryl was also chosen to paint an ornament for the White House Christmas tree.  There will be 260 artists chosen from around the country participating, and the artists will be invited to the reception at the White House.  The theme for this special project will be announced to the public December 1st.

  Doug Leigh has a One Man Show of his painting at Fine Framing Gallery in Branchville, CT from October 5th to November 17th, 2007. His works include Oils, Watercolors and Figure Studies in Pastel. His extensive travels are reflected in many of his paintings. The Opening reception is on Friday, October 5th from 5 to 7 pm at the Gallery. The Fine Framing Gallery is located just off Route 7 in the Branchville Area.

Don Axelroad had a show at the Silvermine Guild Arts Center entitled “The Allegory of Myth and the Modern Mess” from June 15th to July 15th, 2007.