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(Our monthly newsletter is sponsored by Daniel Smith Art Supplies Company)

August, 2008

President’s Message

This has been a year of new and learning experiences for many of us at CAC, and I want to take a minute to list some of our accomplishments so far.

We completed a Membership Survey to find out what your goals, likes, and dislikes are.
We have expanded the gallery into the left wing and made the entry more pleasant by moving the bulletin board and announcement table around the corner. We also have better access to our special library.
We have had excellent and interesting exhibits, including our very special tribute to Ray Ayers (that will be up for one more weekend).
We have had some wonderful Wednesday night demos.
We have had a successful Art Smart program, and offered two scholarships this year.
We have gone through many old files and file boxes and organized our historical paperwork.
We have gone through endless boxes, drawers and cupboards, organizing a year’s worth of clutter, and getting rid off lots of accumulated “junk.” This has made the kitchen and storage room much more accessible for our members.
We are updating our business practices, and have gotten a new phone system.
We have trimmed the trees, making the building more visible and safer.

This year so far has largely been spent becoming familiar with the practices of our organization, getting to know our members, and working with our community to expand our outreach. But there is so much we still want to do. Beginning in September, here are some of the goals that we are working on:

Making a “brochure” for all of the arts organizations in Camarillo, to begin to come together and support each other in the arts, including theatre, music and dance.
Begin renovations at the Center, starting with painting and enhancing the bathrooms, and then moving on to painting the main gallery (the hanging system is still under debate).
We have already begun beautifying our back garden with some bright and colorful flowers, and would like to continue there and into the front flowerbeds, making them more attractive and inviting.
We want to do much needed repair work on the building and paint it with more updated and exciting colors.
We want to increase the number of classes we offer to adults and children.
We have a “family day” planned for the fall with garden activities and experimental art projects.
We hope to have a CAC booth at the upcoming Camarillo Art & Jazz Festival on September 13th.

These are only some of the many ideas we have in the works.

It has been an honor to serve as your President this year.

Lynn Fonkalsrud

Annual Dinner

We look forward to the fun and good fellowship of all members at our Annual Dinner. Sharing good food, pleasant conversation, and our personal artwork makes this a welcome tradition for the Camarillo Art Center.

The dinner will be held on Sunday, September 21st, at 5 p.m. The cost will be $15 per person. (Inflation has struck again!) Please send in your reservation and check no later than Sept. 17th.

You can bring a piece of your art to hang in the garden court during the dinner, and it will then be displayed in the gallery through the following weekend.

The caterer has not been finalized as of this writing, but it will be Italian cuisine. Hope to see you all there.

Congratulations!

To Christine Leong on winning three awards at the Ventura County Fair. “Summer Breeze” won 1st place in the watercolor division; “Autumn” won Honorable Mention and the top honor at the Pro Art Adah Callahan Memorial Award.”

Ray Ayers’ Retrospective

This weekend is the last chance you have to see this wonderful show featuring the works of the late Ray Ayers. It’s a lovely show and we’ve been honored to have many, many visitors come see it. A special thanks to Anita McDermott who worked so hard to put it all together.

Tree Trimming

Our grateful thanks to Linda Ramelli who saw to it that all the trees at the gallery were trimmed. The work was done by Salinas Tree Service and we were very pleased with their work and reasonable price. We’d highly recommend them if you need work done at your own home. Their number is 805.377.4689.

John Colby Art Show

Our member (and past president) John Colby will be holding his show called “John Colby, Family and Friends,” from August 16th through Sept. 7th. Besides the normal viewing hours on the weekends, the gallery will be open on three Friday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m. – August 22, 29, and Sept. 5.

The show will feature the paintings of John and his family, plus artwork of the Thursday Painters’ group. Hope you will make a point to stop by and enjoy the art!

July, 2008

President’s Message

July is a very special month at the Art Center as we not only have a wonderful current show, featuring Barbara Shannon and her students’ artwork, but we also look forward to Ray Ayers’s Retrospective beginning on July 19. Ray, as you know, was the president of the Camarillo Art Center for several years and was a very important part of our history. He contributed so much to our community with his time, creativity and his artwork. You may remember seeing him in recent years down at the Farmer’s Market, showing his impressive display of work and chatting amiably with passerby. His gentle and friendly spirit always impressed me and, as I learned more about him, I keep hearing how admired and respected he was by all who knew him. We are so honored to be able to show his work, and thank you to all who have been so helpful in getting this show organized.

We also want to thank the Ayers family for so generously asking that donations be made to the Art Center in Ray’s name. We appreciate so much your thinking of us at this difficult time, and plan to use the money collected to honor Ray with carefully chosen projects that will make the Center an even more inviting and creative place to be.

In June we completed a successful Art Smart class with 14 enthusiastic students. Thanks to Stacie Brauer and Michelle Honles for making this such a fun experience. We also were able to offer two scholarships, and hope to offer more for the fall classes.

On June 14th we had our third Planning Meeting, and discussed upcoming activities for the Art Center, including offering evening art classes for adults in basic skills, having a family day in October, and a Holiday Boutique in late November. We are also researching ways to coordinate activities with other arts organizations and put Camarillo a little more on the map in terms of the Arts.

September is slated to be the month of CAC building enhancements – some painting, some landscaping, and generally fixing the place up. What we need now is YOU to come help out. We seem to have the same small group of people volunteering for everything, and they need some help! We’ve big jobs, little jobs, jobs for introverts, jobs for extroverts – we’ll find, or you can create, the perfect job for you.

I really hope to hear from you.

Wishing you a wonderful summer,

Lynn Fonkalsrud

Ray Ayers Retrospective

In memory of Ray Ayers, a great artist and friend who recently passed away, we are holding a retrospective of his works which will run from July 19th through August 10th.

A reception will be held on Sunday, July 20th, from 1 to 4 p.m. Members of Ray’s family will be present at the reception and on most days of the show.

We are very enthusiastic about this show as Ray was such a fine artist and we were able to get some of his paintings from private collections and those owned by his family.

To those who are donating paintings for exhibit, please bring them to the gallery on Thursday, July 17th, 10 to 12 noon, or 5 to 7 p.m.

Congratulations!

Our members, Christine Leong and BiJian Fan, were invited to display their artworks at the Beijing Art Museum in Beijing, China on June 23 – 30.

Christine displayed her watercolor painting called “9 Kois” and BJ displayed his polymer sculpture, “5 Rings.” They’re truly great talents and we congratulate them for this honor.

Farmer’s Market needs you!

Are you aware that you can display your artworks at the Camarillo Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings? This is a good opportunity for you to show your works and hopefully sell them. If you are interested, please call Anita McDermott for details.

Current gallery show

If you haven’t stop by to see out current show, be sure to do so. The show is called, “Shannon’s Artists”, which features many lovely paintings by Barbara Shannon’s students. Your last chance to view them is Sunday, July 13th, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Board news

Our executive Board meets faithfully each month and we thought you would be interested in their decisions and planning thoughts.

First, the Board has decided to offer student memberships to those 23 and under, for $20 a year. We would like our young people to be involved in our activities.

Our annual dinner meeting will be held on Sunday, September 14th, and hope you will all plan to attend.

Following this dinner, the gallery will have a little facelift with fresh paint, a new kitchen door, and eventually repairs or replacement of the entry gate (which some gallery hosts have trouble with).

Six of the trees will be soon trimmed, a badly needed task.

We will be purchasing two new tables, needed by art teachers and for our annual dinner.

Plans are already in progress for our Art Smart classes for grades 3-5 in October.

We’ll have a box in the gallery for donated art magazines. They will be recycled every few months so we keep them up to date.

Also, be sure to let the newsletter editor know if you have something you’d like to put in, such as any awards you may have won for your artwork, art experiences or stories, etc. Call Jo Schreiner.

Welcome to our newest member, Marc Roulier.

We look forward to meeting him and hope he will be participating in all our activities.

June, 2008

President’s Message

Hi Everyone!

Recently my fifth grade niece was looking up definitions for vocabulary words and came to “Introversion” and “Extroversion.” Her teacher had vaguely explained to the class that “introverted” means “shy.” She shrugged her nose at me and said, “That’s like you, isn’t it, Aunt Lynn?” It reminded me again of our cultural bias towards extroversion, and our lack of understanding of, and, therefore, our lack of appreciation of introversion. And if I felt sad for her because she doesn’t yet see that she is also an introvert and has been taught already that introversion is not a positive or advantageous thing in our society.

Having read a little of Carl Jung and psychological theory, I explained to my niece that, no, introversion was a way of seeing the world. It really has little to do with how sociable you are. Introverts tend to value the inner and more subjective aspects of life, while extroverts tend to value the outer and more objective world. How that translates is that most introverts require quite a bit of quiet, introspective time, and preferably take their outside experiences in small, calm doses. Extroverts, on the other hand, usually find the outside world, being with other people, and keeping active much more stimulating. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Ideally, we go back and forth between the two, but many of us have a predisposition towards one side or the other.

I bring all this up for several reasons. First of all, because many artists tend more toward introversion, as opposed to the greater U. S. population, which tends towards extroversion. Thus, I am guessing that we have a good number of introverts in our CAC membership, and that means we must set a goal of how to offer appealing activities to attract these good folks out.

Secondly, as artists, it is interesting to note how our predisposition may affect how we choose our subject matter, what materials we use, and even what color palettes we employ. It also affects how we view the work of others. And it certainly affects how others view and judge our work.

The third reason is that, with a strong tilt toward introversion, I have had some tough choices to make as your President. While traditionally the President serves as the spokesperson for the group, this is one of those jobs that send me into “shell shock,” as many of you introverts can appreciate. So, I have decided to delegate some of those more “extroverted” roles to the members who enjoy doing that sort of thing, while I focus on working with smaller groups and with other individuals to accomplish the goals that we set out. You may not see me at the head of the room very often, but I am around, behind the scenes, working hard with you to make CAC a great place to be.

Hope to see you around the Center!

Lynn Fonkalsrud

Demo meeting

Our demonstration meeting for June will be held on Wednesday, the 18th, at 7 p.m.

Our guest artist will be Meli Calkins who has been painting with soft pastels for the past 30-plus years. She will demonstrate her techniques by painting an equestrian landscape for us.

Meli says she “loves the brilliance and intensity of color that pastels are able to display.” She loves interpreting the beauty of nature along the California central coast and has a special love for the grace and power exhibited by the world of horses.

Meli has exhibited her works in many local and regional juried art shows and has won many awards, including Best of Show.

Following her demonstration, refreshments will be served. As usual, this is free to members, $5 for guests.

Please note: This will be our last demo meeting until September. Save the date – Wednesday, Sept. 17th.

Current gallery show

Be sure to stop by the gallery to view the artwork of teacher Michelle Honles and her students. The art is very colorful and unique. This show will run through June 15th.

The next show

Will feature the art of Barbara Shannon and her students. The display will run from June 21st through July 13th. A reception will be held on Sunday, July 13th.

Ray Ayers’ memorial exhibit

Will be held July 19th through August 10th.

The show will feature his artworks held in private collections, plus paintings for sale.

Incidentally, we have received donations in memory of Ray, and we thank his wife, Amy, for her kindness in remembering us. Ray was very important in the history of CAC.

Evening classes pondered

The board of CAC is considering starting an evening class in the fall which would be held one weeknight evening from 6:30 to 9 p.m. There would be a professional artist/teacher who is experienced in all media and thus the class would be open to those working in various media.

First, we need to know if there’s enough interest in a class like this. Many members work and cannot attend our daytime classes. Stay tuned!! You will be hearing more in future newsletters.

Welcome to new members

We are happy to welcome the following new (and returning) members to CAC:

Molly Rutschman
Carolyn Bernier
Mia Mead

We also thank Dorothy Silvers for renewing her membership, although she has long since moved away. Dorothy was our president for five years and did a really great job! We still think of her fondly.

Congratulations!

In a nationwide competition, our very own BiJian Fan was selected as a 2008 emerging artist by a blue-ribbon jury from the L.A. County Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary art, the Getty, The Huntington, UCLA and Capital Group Company.

The competition was part of Artseen 3, and you can view clips of the show at www.bijian.com/Travel/LA.html. (Some of BJ’s works can be seen on his web site: www.bijian.com.)

You will recognize BJ’s beautiful works of intricate sculptures that he exhibits in our membership shows.

May, 2008

President’s Message

Change is not always easy to deal with. We get used to doing things a certain way. We get accustomed to people, jobs, places, and if they change, we often try to hold onto that which feels comfortable. But, as we all know, change is an inevitable and necessary part of life. And sometimes it can be surprising, uplifting and regenerative effects.

Our CAC has seen many changes since it was first donated to us in 1971 and brought to our current location. A new roof, new doors, enhanced gardens and new carpeting, are some of the improvements that have been made over the past many years.

Currently, many of our members are working together on a new vision for CAC. We have had two Planning Meetings so far and have another one scheduled for June 14th that I hope many of you can attend. Most of our focus so far has been on the interior of the building, and the results are showing more and more each week. One crew has spent many hours going through the kitchen and storage areas, organizing and cleaning up, and it is looking much better already. And the gallery has now expanded into the left wing of the Center, which gives the space a more open and flowing feel. We are also working on new wall colors, and are now debating whether to keep the pegboard walls or upgrade to a more sophisticated hanging system.

In upcoming months we will be discussing the exterior of the building and the gardens, ideas for activities at the Center, and how to interact more with our community. There is a lot going on and a lot for you to get involved with! If you are not able to attend our meetings, but have ideas, please feel free to call me or put a note in the Suggestion Box at the Center.

We are trying to do things slowly, in a thoughtful and well-researched way, so that these changes will enhance the Center and make it a more inviting and exciting place to visit.

Come see what’s going on! We have a very impressive Spring Membership Show hanging now. Congratulations to all the prize winners for an outstanding display of artwork, and to everyone who entered for sharing their wondrous creativity and exceptional talents.

The reception party is on May 18th, with live music and delicious snacks. Hope to see you there!

Lynn Fonkalsrud

Spring Membership Show

Best of Show
“Red Velvet” by Jeanette Young

Watercolor
1st place: “Autumn” by Christine Leong
2nd place: Libby Park” by Audrey Rubin
3rd place: “Follow Me” by Christine Leong
Honorable mention: “Calm Summer” by Jeanette Young

Pastel
1st place: “Chinese Vase” by Ann Hall
2nd place: “Lake Lugano” by Judith Crowe
3rd place: Chablis Path” by Lynn Fonkalsrud
Honorable mention: Nature’s palettes” by Nelda Gruenthal

Oil and Acrylic
1st place: Smallest Falcon” by Jo Schreiner
2nd place: “Shell Beach II” by John Colby
3rd place: “A Cloudy Day” by John Spitler

Other Works
1st place: “Poise” by BiJian Fan
2nd place: “Fish Bowl” by Angie Prangenberg
3rd place: Tucson Monsoon” by Gary W. Talbot
Honorable mention: “Sea Glass Scape” by Julie Compton

Reception on May 18th

The reception for our Spring Membership Show will be held on Sunday, May 18th, 1 to 4 p.m. We will have live music from 2 to 3 p.m., with awards presented at 3 p.m. (after which you may take your artwork home).

We’ll have refreshments and good fellowship, so hope you will all join us. We’ll also have a prize for the “People’s Choice.” Be sure to vote for your favorite!

Art Smart (classes for kids)

Our art classes for children begin Thursday, May 8th, and runs through June 12th, from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. every Thursday. The cost is $40 which includes supplies.

The students will exhibit their artwork at the gallery from Sat, May 24th, through Sun. , June 15th, called “Art and You,” featuring various media.

This class is being taught by Michelle Honles, and professional artist who teaches art classes and tutors young artists privately.

Welcome new members!

We are happy to welcome our newest members, Angie Prangenberg and Bobbie McMullen, Angie’s medium is clay sculpture; Bobbie is a minister at a local church. We look forward to their participation!

Demo meeting May 21st

Ventura artist Timberly Dunn will give a watercolor demonstration at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21st. She will demonstrate traditional watercolor botanical rendering. Timberly received a degree in Fine Arts from Pacific University. Her art is widely exhibited.

Admission is free to members, $5 for non-members. Refreshments will be served after the demo.

Watercolor workshop

Artist Pong Apinyavat teaches watercolor workshops once a month at out gallery. The cost is $40 and runs from 9:30 to 2:30 p.m. For more information, please call Linda Ramelli.

In Memory

We were saddened to learn that Ray Ayers passed away last Sunday, May 4th. Ray was a great artist, was our president for several years, and was a guest demonstrator at our meetings on a number of occasions. He will be missed by all who knew him.

A memorial service will be held at the Camarillo United Methodist Church on Tuesday, May 27th, at 2 p.m.

April, 2008

President’s Message

Hello again! It’s been a busy month at CAC, with lots of ideas brewing. Many of you submitted wonderful suggestions in the surveys. These and other ideas came to the table at the March 15th Planning and Pizza Party. An enthusiastic group met to discuss ways to beautify our facility and make it more welcoming. We talked about our “identity” and how we want to present that to the community. And we explored ways to get more people actively involved in the arts and our CAC.

Four committees were formed and we would be thrilled to have more of you join them to help shape the future of our little Center – and the state of the arts in Camarillo. They are:

1. Interior Re-design
2. CAC Building Exterior and Gardens Enhancement
3. Activities and Events
4. Community Interface

These committees are still in the early planning stages and all ideas are welcome. You can call or email me for more information. Please remember that we are an all-volunteer organization, and so it is vital to our success for everyone to get involved in some way.

“Everyone who’s ever taken a shower has an idea. It’s the person who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it who makes the difference.” (Nolan Bushnell)

Our next group planning meeting will be held on April 19th at 11 a.m. I hope to see many of your eager faces there. We can be as creative as your ideas take us! And we will be respectful of any thoughts presented...

“A new idea is dedicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a joke or worried to death by a frown on the right person’s brow.” (Charles Brower)

There’s a lot going on this month at CAC: Two Demos, the “Spring Forward” judged show, the Art Walk in Old Town, and even a field trip opportunity. And don’t miss the current “Printmaking” show – it’s wonderful!

I hope to see you at one of these upcoming events! Best wishes for a highly creative month,

Lynn Fonkalsrud

Demonstration meeting

Our next demonstration meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 16th, at 7 p.m. Artist Elena Roche will demonstrate her techniques in pastel painting – her art is really beautiful! She will do a portrait with a live model.

Elena was born in Lithuania. She graduated from the Moscow College of Arts and Traditional Crafts, with a diploma in fashion and embroidery design. Her training included classes in academic drawing and painting and the use of all mediums. She works in all mediums and paints all subjects.

The demo is free to members; $5 for guests.

Current exhibit

Our current show is entitled “Printmaking” and features the art of Phyllis Doyon and her students. It will run through April 20th. Phyllis will give a print-making demonstration from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 13th, at the gallery.

Spring Membership Show

Our judged Spring Membership Show begins this month! It is called “Spring Forward.” Take-ins will be on Saturday, April 26th, from 9 to 11 a.m. Please remember that all paintings MUST BE WIRED for hanging.

The reception and awards presentations will be held on Sunday, May 18th. We will be entertained with LIVE MUSIC from 2 to 3 p.m. on that day. We do hope you will be able to attend and enjoy the fellowship, goodies and music!

Watercolor lessons/workshop

You are probably all acquainted with the beautiful watercolor and pastel works of Pamela Solakian. She is now planning to give private watercolor lessons, and also will hold a workshop for those interested in painting botanicals. If you are interested, please call Pam for more information.

To see samples of Pam’s art, she is currently exhibiting her works in watercolors and soft pastels at the Proverbs Coffee House Peace Lutheran Church, 71 Loma Drive (corner of Las Posas and Loma). This show runs from Saturday, April 12th, through May 10th. The gallery is open on Fridays and Saturdays, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Welcome, new members

We are happy to welcome as new members Mike and Donna Morgan.

Mike, as you know, has been a member of our City Council for many years. We are very pleased to welcome them as active members of CAC.

Planning Committee meeting

We had a good turnout and lots of enthusiasm at our last planning meeting. The next meeting will be held on Saturday, April 19, at 11 a.m. You’re all invited to participate; we need your ideas!

Old Town Art Walk

If you would like to participate in Camarillo’s Old Town Art Walk on May 3rd by displaying your work in a local business or with your own booth setup please call Lynn. Don’t miss this great opportunity to show your artwork!

March, 2008

President’s Message

As I learn more about our organization and the way it runs, I am constantly impressed by the dedication and hard work of our Board members, chair people, and the many members who help out in all sorts of ways. It’s extraordinary to watch so many people work together to create a place for art in our community.

This week in particular has shown how CAC pulls together in the face of adversity. In the face of a teacher’s “brownout,” we were somehow able to assemble at least part of the Rising Star show and get the wonderful work of these youngsters hung. I hope you will all get a chance to see the show and give your support to the teachers who did come through with the artwork.

I noted the wonderful work of our past presidents and want to also present several of our Board members who we couldn’t survive without. Jo Shreiner puts together this great newsletter every month, as well as acts as Secretary. Nelda Gruenthal handles our PR and advertising, creates the beautiful flyers for each show, send out our emails, and all sorts of other things. Andrew Luu does all our accounting, bill paying, web site management, etc., etc. Thank you all for your many hours of dedication!

We have received several wonderful logo ideas this month, and are narrowing our search, but we are still accepting new designs. Many thanks to those who submitted ideas!

The Old Town Camarillo Art Walk/Sidewalk Sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd, and we hope that many of you will be able to participate in that. The time is not yet determined. The plan is to have local artists both inside the businesses and out on the sidewalk, as they choose. The more artists we have, the better the event will be, so let’s show them how creative and talented Camarillo is! Please call me to sign up or get info.

Please also set aside Saturday, March 15th, at noon for a Pizza & Planning Party at the Art Center. We are going to meet to go over ideas presented in the surveys and discuss and think up new ways to help our little Center become the brilliant jewel we know it can be. Upgrading/painting the building, garden design, show at the Center and around town, advertising, class and workshop ideas, and field trips are all topics we want to discuss, plus anything else on your mind. Please come and be part of an exciting day! Stacie Brauer can be contacted for questions. RSVP would be helpful.

Have a great month and enjoy this beautiful weather!

Lynn Fonkalsrud

Demo meeting March 19th

Our guest artist this month will be Glenna Kurtz, who will demonstrate her painting techniques in oil.

Glenna majored in art history at Ventura College, and furthered her studies at the Art League of L.A., Unicorn Art Students League, and Brandeis Art Institution where she also taught landscape painting for two years.

Glenda’s paintings have been exhibited at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, Carnegie Art Museum, V.C. Museum, and others. She was nominated in 1998 to receive the award for Collector’s choice Artist of the Year sponsored by the National Association of Limited Editions Dealers.

Please note: The meeting time has been changed to 7 p.m. to enable you to get home at an earlier hour. It will be held on Wednesday evening, March 19th. The meeting is free to members, $5 for guests.

Current gallery show

The show at our gallery features the works of Middle School students. You’ll be amazed at their talent and versatility! The show runs until March 16th, so do stop by to admire their artwork.

Board meetings

The meeting day for our Executive Board meetings has been changed to the first Monday of each month, at 7 p.m. at our gallery. All our members are welcome to attend; we need your input! The next meeting is April 7th.

Spring Membership Show

Hope you are getting ready to submit your artwork in our Spring judged membership show which will begin on April 26th and run through May 18th. Your entry form will be enclosed in the April newsletter. You may submit up to three artworks. Remember, ALL pictures must be WIRED for hanging. John Colby is chairing this event.

A watercolor workshop

will be held at our gallery on Wednesday, March 12th, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The instructor will be Pong Apinyavat, noted watercolorist. The cost is $40. Please call Linda Ramelli for information.

Art Smart needs helpers

“Art Smart” is a program we provide for children in an effort to introduce and encourage their participation in art. These classes run for six weeks during after-school hours.

We are looking for a skilled teacher (a paid position) and volunteers to help this person with the classes. Our vice president, Stacie Brauer, is heading up this event and needs your help.

Donations needed

Since we’re a volunteer organization, funds are always tight. We will gladly accept donations of paper towels, toilet tissue, paper cups and plates, cleaning supplies, etc., etc. You can drop them off any time the gallery is open, including Thursday mornings from 9 to 12 noon. All donations happily accepted!

Welcome

To our newest members, Chuck Trunks and Rob Peterson. We look forward to meeting them and having them participate in all our activities.

Our new president

Have you met our new president yet? She’s great and very enthusiastic about our organization! Lynn was raised in Santa Monica; went to Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, majored in Architectural Studies.

She spent several years traveling around Europe, and moved to Camarillo in 1990. She paints mostly in watercolor and pastels; has painted several murals – one at the Ag Commissioner’s office in Santa Paula.

Lynn is married to Gene Bream, has four step-grand-kids, 2 dogs and 4 cats.

We look forward to her leadership for the next two years, and are so grateful she came forward to volunteer for the job of President.

About our next show...

Well-known artist Phyllis Doyon will be having a show in our gallery starting March 29, and it will run through April 20th. Be sure to stop by to see it!

Art Walk in “Old Town”

We would like to participate in the Art Walk which will be held on Saturday, May 3rd. Members can show paintings in a group using our own display stands, or individually in a local business on Ventura Blvd. If you are interested or would like more info, please call Lynn.

February, 2008

President’s Message

Isn’t it wonderful to see the hills greening up again! The rains have blessed us with new life – and who else on the planet gets to see spring starting in February!

Spring is always an inspirational time of year, and at the Art Center we are feeling that inspiration as well. We’re thankful to those who took the time to fill out the Membership Survey that was in the January newsletter. We had about 20% return – not bad – but I think we can do better than that. We are going to be making some major decisions based on the surveys, so there are still 80%of you that haven’t been heard from yet. So let’s extend the deadline to the end of February, and may I plead with you one more time to get that survey in. I also want to put a suggestion box at the Center so if you have ideas in the future, you can put them in.

The preliminary results show that you are interested in having more activities at the Center, such as workshops, seminars and paint-ins. You also seem to be excited about the idea of plein-aire painting with a group, and going on art-related field trips. Longer hours, a more visible and noticeable building and garden, and more shows at different venues around town also sound like priorities.

In the upcoming months we are going to have planning and strategizing sessions, based on the surveys and your ideas, on how to make our Center blossom. They will be open to our membership and I hope you will take the opportunity to get involved.

Until then, we will have a lot going on at CAC. We have the Spring Judged Membership Show coming up in April, so work on getting your submissions finished and framed. Art Smart (our youth art program) is in the works for a spring session. We are working with the city on how to show our work at the Library and other venues around town. And we are working with the Chamber on an Art Walk in Old Town Camarillo to go along with their Sidewalk Sale on Sunday, May 3rd.

One last thing: We need a CAC logo – something for our letterhead, business cards, brochures, and maybe to put on the front of our building. So we are going to have an open competition to find a design that represents us as an Art Center in the City of Camarillo. I know we have some great talent out there, so put your best ideas down, and send them in. Please contact us for any questions or comments.

Have a great month, and I look forward to meeting more of you and hearing your ideas at many of our upcoming events.

Lynn Fonkalsrud

Art Smart needs helpers

Watercolor workshop

Will be held at our gallery on Wednesday, March 12th, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The instructor will be Pong Apinyavat, noted watercolorist. The cost is $40. Please call Linda Ramelli for more information.

Demonstration meeting

There will be a presentation and demonstration on Wednesday, February 20th, to be held at Museum Quality Framing and Z Photography, which is located at 2120 Ponderosa Drive (a few doors down from B & B Hardware). They will talk about framing art and the latest in giclee printing, along with how to photograph your art.

The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. Free for members, $5 for guests. Refreshments will be served after the meeting.

This should be a very interesting meeting. They truly do quality framing and can even show you on their computer how your art will look before it is framed!

Important notice: Starting next month, our demo meetings will begin at 7 p.m. instead of 7:30.

Current art show in our gallery

A show called, “Musings in Watercolor”, will run through February 24th. This is a group show by artists from all over Ventura County who have studied with Patty Van Dyke over the past several years. Do plan to stop by and view their lovely paintings.

Survey results

Twenty members returned their surveys and had many interesting suggestions. The board decided to form a special committee to discuss and hopefully implement these ideas. We are inviting all who may be interested in joining this group to call our president, Lynn, and let her know you would like to be a part of this committee.

Welcome to our newest member, Elaine Brinkerhoff

We look forward to Elaine’s participation in all our activities.

Logo contest!

The Board decided it would be nice to have our very own logo. We’re inviting all our members to submit designs for consideration. The Board will make the final decision. You can send your ideas to our web address, camarilloartcenter@yahoo.com, or mail it to any of the board members.

Also: If you have an email address, we would like to have it so we can send you messages about our activities. We do NOT give out (or sell) our lists! You can send your email address to our web address as listed above. (If you haven’t been receiving emails from us in the past, then you KNOW we don’t have your address.)

Spring Membership Show

It’s not too soon to start thinking about entries to our Judged Spring Membership Show which will begin on April 26th and run through May 18th. Your entry form will be enclosed in the April newsletter. You may submit up to three artworks. Remember, ALL pictures must be WIRED for hanging. All details will be included on the entry form, but it’s time to decide what art you will want to submit. If you need more info, you can call John Colby, who is chairing this show.

January, 2008

President’s Message

Greetings and Happy New Year!

It’s with great honor and excitement that I write to you as the new President of the Camarillo Art Center. I will do my best to lead CAC with the dedication, enthusiasm and creativity as shown by my predecessors. And I very much look forward to meeting all of you, hearing your ideas, and working with you to make CAC the best little Art Center in the County!

I want to thank Christine Leong McCall for her amazing work as President during these last two years. Her commitment and continual attention to detail have greatly benefited our organization. Right beside her was her husband and Vice President, Bryan, who was always on hand to make sure things at the Center were running smoothly. We appreciate you both so much! We also wish you hearty congratulations on your recent nuptials. May you live “happily ever after”!

Many of our recent past presidents – Christine, Linda, Anita, and John – are on the Board of Directors, and after their years of great leadership are thankfully still offering endless hours of dedication and expertise to the running of the Center. I can’t tell you how much I rely on them for their advice and experience, and I thank them for their continued support and encouragement.

I also want to introduce to you our new Vice President, Stacie Brauer. She is filled with enthusiasm and grand ideas and will be a huge asset to CAC. She is especially interested in finding funding for special art related programs, and increasing the general public’s awareness of the arts in our community.

It is, of course, also the year of our National General Election, and with the word “change” being continually tossed about, it has gotten our Board to thinking about what changes we can make at CAC to make it even more vibrant and a more meaningful experience for our members and the community. We don’t just want to be a Board that directs; we want to be a Board that reflects you. We are therefore enclosing a Membership Survey to get a sense of your wants, needs, goals and ambitions. It is vital that you respond to this survey so we can make decisions for the Center that reflect our membership. I know, it’s one more thing for the “to do” pile, one more thing to put away for “later”, but DON’T! DO THE SURVEY BEFORE YOU FORGET! We are all ears, listening for your creative and thoughtful suggestions. Thanks in advance for your help! I will be writing back to you in future newsletter to let you know our feelings.

Best wishes for a great year,

Lynn Fonkalsrud

Thank you dinner

The Executive Board of CAC honored all our chairpersons of 2007 with a dinner on Dec. 29th. It was to be held at the home of Nelda Gruenthal, but while she and her husband were enjoying a cruise, their house “sprung a leak” and was flooded!

Anita McDermott came to the rescue and volunteered her home for the dinner, so it went off on schedule, with seventeen guests present. We truly thank all our chairpersons of the past year for their dedication and efforts! And, of course, thanks ever so much to Anita for hosting the dinner.

At this event, Christine Leong McCall was presented with a Life Membership for her two years of service as president of our organization. She has been our lifeline. Thanks, Christine.

Stop by to see our current show

Which will run through January 27th. This is a members-only non-judged show. As usual, the gallery is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. (Artists, remember to pick up your artwork any time after 3:30 on January 27th.)

Thursday morning painter

John Colby will resume the Thursday morning painting sessions on Thursday, January 17th. This small group of members meets on Thursday mornings to paint and enjoy the fellowship of other artists. This is NOT a class, just a friendly painting session held at the Art Center.

January demonstration meeting

Now for something completely different. Our demonstration for January 16th will be on promoting and selling your art. Contemporary Artists’ Services specialist, Sylvia White, will talk with us on the subject.

Contemporary Artists' Services, founded in 1979 by Sylvia White, is one of the few management consulting firms specializing in the career development of visual artists. They advise artists on all matters related to business, exhibitions, and marketing. In addition to individual consultations, CAS represents select artists who have retained our services to promote their work. CAS artists have participated in hundreds of exhibitions, nationally and internationally. Whether you are a professional artist, working to be a professional artist, or just love painting, this promises to be an extremely interesting evening. So, get your questions ready and bring a note pad. You won’t be disappointed.

Remember, 7:30 p.m. at the art center. Wednesday, January 16.

Thank you

As we look forward to the new year, we look back on the old, and can think of so many people we want to thank for all their help. Three names come to mind right away: Kris Kelkar, who was instrumental in getting paid ads for our newsletter, BJ Fan, who secured a grant from Amgen, Inc.; and Jerry Clifford, who scraped, sealed and repainted our back porch. Thanks so much!!

“Musing in watercolor”

Is the name of our next show which will run from February 2nd to the 23rd. This will be a group show by artists from all over Ventura County who have studied with Patty Van Dyke over the past several years. This will include eleven artists.

Last updated 08/08/08