FAIRBORN ART ASSOCIATION NEWS!
February 2024 Newsletter
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Happy 2024!
WOW… 2023 sure flew by, didn’t it? So once again we’ve begun a new year with new beginnings and maybe a few resolutions? As a rule, I don’t participate in this activity because I know my limitations, but for those of you who have made New Year’s resolutions, I wish you much success. I had a fun, busy holiday with family and friends and am sorry it is in the past, although my waistline is heaving a sigh of relief since I have pushed it to its limit! Is there anything better than Christmas cookies and candies? I think not! I had quite a few art commissions to finish amidst the hustle and bustle, but I managed to get these completed satisfactorily, although I did not accomplish much for my own enjoyment, so maybe that will happen this month.
I enjoyed our Christmas party with all the good food, conversation and gift exchange. I still have my stuffed gnome on display (sorry, Clarice). I want to thank everyone who attended and especially those who helped make it a success – Jim and Connie Gifford for having our gallery sparkling clean, Carol Collett for making sure we had all the paper supplies and drinks needed, Warren Brown for being our very own Santa Claus and keeping order during our disorderly game, the Thursday Paint-In group for decorating the gallery, and the Friday Paint-In group for taking the decorations down. We missed those who could not come but hope you can attend our 2024 party!
Our next meeting is Tuesday, February 6, at 7:00 pm, with Gary Blevins as our guest artist. I have heard quite a bit about his work and am looking forward to meeting him and watching his demo.
I also want to remind you that Roger Browning will be stepping down as Watermelon Booth chairman after the 2024 Sweet Corn Festival, so if you would be interested in training with him this year, let Roger or myself know.
Looking forward to seeing you all in February and remember, keep creating!
Linda Brandenburg, President
FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2024
February 6 Gary Blevins, acrylic/multi-media demo
March 5 Peggy Bowman, Journaling demo
April 2 Charmaine Boggs, acrylic/mixed-media demo
May 7 Demo TBD
May Workshop TBD
June 4 Social
July No meeting
August No meeting
September 3 Shirlee Bauer, watercolor demo
October 1 David R. Smith, watercolor demo
October 1–3 Watercolor Workshop with David R. Smith
November 5 Rosemary Nick, collage demo
December 3 Christmas Party (subject to change)
FEBRUARY’S GUEST ARTIST – GARY BLEVINS
Gary Blevins was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio. He attended Springfield North, the school of the Dayton Art Institute, and The Ohio State University. Gary works predominantly in oils, acrylics, and watercolor. His subject matter is inspiration from landscapes, sports, a face, or anything he feels like putting on a canvas. Gary has been featured at the Super Bowl breakfast in New Orleans, the Brandywine Museum in Chaddsford, Pennsylvania, the Terry Redlin Art Center in Watertown, South Dakota, the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and the Rockwell retreat in Arlington, Vermont. After being away from Springfield for the last forty years, Gary wants to now share his work with SPRINGFIELD. His gallery located in Springfield, is a welcoming place to enjoy strolling through while taking in all the stories of each of his over 160 paintings that are on display.
MEMBER NEWS
The following FAA members were among those chosen to participate in the Rosewood Arts Center 34th Annual Works on Paper juried exhibition: Lisa Becker, Nancy Dankof, Joann Davenport (a watercolor “Time for Rehearsal”), and Brendan Higgins. A total of 241 pieces were submitted by 97 artists who live within a 40-mile radius of Dayton, Ohio. The juror, Glen Cebulash, selected 60 pieces representing 47 artists for the exhibition. The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, runs through March 1, 2024, at the Rosewood Gallery in the Rosewood Arts Center, 2655 Olson Drive in Kettering. Hours are Monday–Thursday 10:00 am–9:00 pm; Friday 10:00 am–5:00 pm; and Saturday 10:00 am–3:00 pm (closed February 19). For more information, call (937) 296-0294 or visit their website.
The Rosewood Arts Center staff selected a compilation of artworks as favorites among the entries not juried into the Works on Paper exhibition. Works by Connie Gifford and MJ White were selected to be part of the Paper 2024 show in the Community Gallery. Paper 2024 is open to the public at the Rosewood Arts Center through March 1, 2024.
Some of our long-time members will remember Doris and Ed Alexander. Long-time member Doris Alexander passed away in late 2023. Before the pandemic, Doris and her husband Ed (who preceded her in death) were almost always signed up for refreshments and attended meetings regularly. …Submitted by Billie Dickson
CALL FOR ENTRIES – 2024 GREENE COUNTY SENIOR ARTISAN SHOW
The Greene County Council on Aging and the Fairborn Art Association invite Greene County residents who are 60 years of age and over to enter the 2024 Senior Artisan Show. Entries are due Friday, March 1, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Fairborn Art Association Gallery. Limited to 2 entries per person. There are no entry fees. Popular Choice awards.
Categories: Oil and Acrylic paintings, framed not under glass; Mixed Media: watercolor, acrylic, pastel, charcoal, pencil, pen and ink – framed under glass; Three dimensional sculpture, woodcarvings, hand-thrown pottery and ceramics – free standing; Photography – framed. All artwork must be original and created after artists’ age of 60.
Contact GCCOA for entry packet or more information. 937-376-5486 or [email protected]
FAA MEMBERS’ FINE ART SHOW
The Members’ Fine Art Show is fast approaching! Time to start thinking about what you would like to enter. These cold winter months are perfect for staying in and painting something new! The Members’ show is held in the month of May with the awards ceremony taking place at the meeting on May 7. Linda Perry and I will be reaching out for volunteers to help hang the show and sit the gallery in the next couple months so be thinking about ways that you can help. If you have any questions, please let us know. Cindy Sayeedi, [email protected] and Linda Perry, [email protected]
LATHREM SENIOR CENTER CALL FOR ARTISTS
The Lathrem Senior Center is looking for artists who would like to display for 2024. February, April–October & December are all still open. The Charles Lathrem Senior Center is located at 2900 Glengarry Drive, Dayton, OH 45420. For more information, please contact: Jennifer Giessler, Senior & Adult Program Supervisor at: [email protected] or by phone: 937-296-2480
VILLAGE ARTISANS GALLERY EXHIBIT
Village Artisans at 100 Corry Street in Yellow Springs, Ohio is holding an exhibit of abstract art in their Lobby Gallery now through March 12, 2024 during regular gallery hours. This is a free exhibit that is open to the public. www.villageartisans.blogspot.com
GCDA ANNUAL PAINTING RETREAT
The Greater Cincinnati Decorative Artists (GCDA) invite you to join them at their Annual Painting Retreat at the Higher Ground Conference Center, 3820 Logan Creek Lane, West Harrison, Indiana 47060 on April 12–14, 2024. If you have questions about the Retreat, please contact Jo Sharpshair, Chair, at [email protected] or 513-919-9795. For more information about GCDA, visit their website at: https://gcdapainters.org/
REMINDERS
Our next meeting will be on March 5, 2024. The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the March Newsletter is Monday, February 19, 2024. Please call or email your articles to April Coppess.
Please note that, for privacy reasons, the Fairborn Art Association will not post personal email addresses or phone numbers in the newsletters or on our website unless we have the respective member’s permission. Consult your FAA Directory for contact information for members. For non-members, we will provide the contact information we are given for them.
December 2023 Newsletter
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
HO! HO! HO!
Happy Holidays! By the time you receive this newsletter, I will have all my fall decorations put away and the Christmas ones will once again be adorning every surface in our household. I enjoy this time of year so much and I hope you do too. Speaking of Christmas, we will be having our annual party on Saturday, December 9, from 3:00–5:00 pm, with a catered meal of soups, salad, cheese and crackers, dessert and beverages provided. Please let Debbie Cosenza know by Tuesday, December 5, at the latest, if you plan to attend. Also, if you want to participate in the gift exchange, please bring a $15 gift to put under the tree and Warren Brown will once again be our Santa Claus and head up the festivities.
I can’t believe we’ll be wrapping up another calendar year and I’ve enjoyed every one of our meetings, which included such interesting artists and demos. I’d like to thank Carol Edsall, who does such a fabulous job of contacting and booking these artists, coordinating all the details of everything they need, and helping them unload and load their materials. It’s quite a responsibility and I know we all appreciate what she does. Her last year as vice-president ends in June. I’ve truly enjoyed working with her and will miss it very much.
Remember, there is no meeting in January, and I’m looking forward to seeing you all on December 9! Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!!!
Linda Brandenburg, President
FAA EVENT 2023
December 9 Christmas Party
FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2024
January No meeting
February 6 Gary Blevins, acrylic/multi-media demo
March 5 Peggy Bowman, journaling demo
April 2 Charmaine Boggs, acrylic/mixed-media demo
May 7 Demo TBD
May Workshop TBD
June 4 Social
July No meeting
August No meeting
September 3 Shirlee Bauer, watercolor demo
October 1 David R. Smith, watercolor demo
October 1–3 Watercolor Workshop David R. Smith
November 5 Rosemary Nick, collage demo
December 3 Christmas Party (subject to change)
HOLIDAY PARTY
Please join us for our annual Christmas Party on December 9 from 3:00–5:00 pm. FAA will cater the food but you MUST make a reservation for yourself and your guest with our greeter, Debbie Cosenza, by December 5. If you would like to participate in the gift exchange, please bring a wrapped item, $15 value. We hope to see you there!
MEMBER NEWS
Jim and Connie Gifford, plus son-in-law, Brock Harris, daughter, Brandi Harris, and granddaughter, Addison Harris, have a show at the Lathrem Senior Center, attached to the Kettering Recreation Complex, 2900 Glengarry Drive, Dayton, OH 45420. The art includes watercolor, pencil, and photography and runs until almost the end of December.
Clarice Moore had a piece accepted in a juried art exhibition celebrating the 220th anniversary of the Golden Lamb Inn at the Harmon Museum in Lebanon Ohio. It runs until January 6, 2024. Clarice also did a demo on dirty pouring for the African American Artist Guild at Central State on October 28, 2023. (see photo).
Congratulations to the following FAA members who were accepted into the Middletown Arts Center 2023 Area Art Exhibition:
Jewelry
Darci Salinas – “River Canyon Jasper”, “White Agate” and “Sodalite w/ Agate Bead”
Mixed Media
Debbie Cosenza – “Beneath the Surface III” and “Contemplation I”
Watermedia
Billie Dickson – “Tourists En Habana”
Bonnie Kuntz – “Outer Banks”
Karen Livingston – “On Boulder Pond II”
Rose Schultz – “Madrilena”
Julie Shuman – “Harvest”
The following FAA members each received an Honorable Mention in the MAC 2023 Area Art Exhibition:
Jewelry
Darci Salinas – “White Agate”
Mixed Media
Debbie Cosenza – “Contemplation I”
Watermedia
Rose Schultz – “Madrilena”
This exhibition will be open to the public through December 13, 2023 at 130 N. Verity Pkwy., Middletown, OH 45042. For more information, call the MAC at 513-424-2417.
REMINDERS
Our next meeting will be on February 6, 2024. The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the February Newsletter is Wednesday, January 17, 2024. Please call or email your articles to April Coppess.
Please note that, for privacy reasons, the Fairborn Art Association will not post personal email addresses or phone numbers in the newsletters or on our website unless we have the respective member’s permission. Consult your FAA Directory for contact information for members. For non-members, we will provide the contact information we are given for them.
November 2023 Newsletter
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Hello Fellow Artists!
Hope you are enjoying this autumn season. I had a booth at the Apple Butter Festival, and it was definitely Fall weather with sun, wind, rain and colder temperatures, not to mention the solar eclipse! I must admit I am glad this was my last outside show of the year… just two shows to go.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our annual Christmas party on Saturday, December 9, 3:00–5:00 pm and, once again, it will be catered. Bring a $15 gift if you want to be included in our gift exchange.
2024 will be Roger Browning’s last year as Watermelon Booth Chairman, so if anyone would like to work with him next year and learn the ropes, please contact Roger or myself.
I want to thank Shirlee Bauer and Pat Dunker for doing such a fine job with our October workshop. I know it was a lot of work and I heard so many good comments, so THANK YOU, LADIES, for a job well done!!!
Our demo artist for the Tuesday, November 7 meeting is Sarah Maxwell, who works in acrylic and mixed media, so I hope to see you at 7:00 pm sharp.
Take care and keep creating!
Linda Brandenburg, President
FAA DEMO ARTISTS 2023
November 7 Sarah Maxwell, acrylic/mixed-media demo
December 9 Christmas Party
FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2024
January No meeting
February 6 Gary Blevins, acrylic/multi-media demo
March 5 Peggy Bowman, journaling demo
April 2 Charmaine Boggs, acrylic/mixed-media demo
May 7 Demo TBD
May Workshop TBD
June 4 Social
July No meeting
August No meeting
September 3 Shirlee Bauer, watercolor demo
October 1 David R. Smith, watercolor demo
October 1–3 Watercolor Workshop David R. Smith
November 5 Rosemary Nick, collage demo
December 3 Christmas Party (date subject to change)
NOVEMBER’S FEATURED ARTIST – SARAH MAXWELL
Fairborn Art Association’s guest demo artist on November 7 will be Sarah Maxwell. Sarah is known for her portrayal of animals in drawing and painting. She has a Fine Art degree from University of Cincinnati. She shows her works at the Artery at Front St. and has exhibited in the Dayton Metro Library, and juried shows at Rosewood, Piqua, Tipp City, San Diego, Evandale and the Cincinnati Zoo. She feels that artists who portray animals provide opportunities for viewers to experience the animal-human connection. The use of humor in fine art allows the artist to provide a positive experience of endangered animals while still communicating the message of potential extinction. Her large sized pieces communicates the beauty of these animals and a responsibility to act.
MEMBER NEWS
Yuki Hall received an Honorable Mention at the Ohio Plein Air Society 2023 Members Exhibition, “Ohio’s Changing Seasons”. The exhibition will run until January 6, 2024, at the Zanesville Museum of Art, in Zanesville, Ohio.
Peggy Bowman, a member of FAA, and her husband, Richard, were inducted into the Senior Citizens Hall of Fame on September 19, 2023, by the State of Ohio Department of Aging. They were honored for their 60 years of combined service to their community, and for co-founding the Beavercreek Township Fire Department Auxiliary in 1995 after their home was nearly lost to a fire. This is quite an accomplishment and we are so proud of them!
…Submitted by Linda Brandenburg
Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Enid Willard who passed away on September 27, 2023. She was a watercolor artist and well known in our community. She taught watercolor painting at the Springfield Museum of Art, was past president of FAA and WOWS, and a long-time member in both societies. Many of our members took her classes; she was always fun and encouraging and saw her students progress and be successful.
…Submitted by Diana Hoke
DAYTON AREA PLEIN AIR SEEKING NEW MEMBERS
Dayton Area Plein Air is looking for artists who want to join this group. Anyone who likes to paint outdoors, or has never done it but would like to try, can join. It is a multi-medium group with no membership fees. If you are interested, please email Yuki Hall at [email protected]. The group is also having lunch on Monday, November 13, 11:30 am at Brio restaurant in The Greene. It is a great opportunity to meet other members and learn more about the group. RSVP is needed, so let Yuki know if you would like to come to the lunch.
MIDDLETOWN ARTS CENTER ANNUAL AREA ART EXHIBITION
Middletown Arts Center Annual Area Art Exhibition will be held on November 3–December 13, 2023, at 130 N. Verity Parkway, Middletown, Ohio, 45042. Call 513-424-2417 or visit www.middletownartscenter.com for more information.
VILLAGE ARTISANS GALLERY EXHIBIT
Village Artisans at 100 Corry Street in Yellow Springs, Ohio, is holding a lobby gallery show “Reds & Greens” featuring artwork that is predominantly red, green, or both red and green. Red and green are complementary colors because they are opposite each other on the color wheel. Red is a primary color and green is made up of the other two primary colors yellow and blue. It’s a perfect balance – one warm, the other cool. The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular gallery hours from November 2, 2023 through January 9, 2024. For more information, call 937-767-1209 or visit www.villageartisans.blogspot.com .
REMINDERS
Our next meeting will be our Christmas Party on December 9 from 3:00–5:00 pm. The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the December Newsletter is Wednesday, November 15, 2023. Please call or email your articles to April Coppess.
Please note that, for privacy reasons, the Fairborn Art Association will not post personal email addresses or phone numbers in the newsletters or on our website unless we have the respective member’s permission. Consult your FAA Directory for contact information for members. For non-members, we will provide the contact information we are given for them.
October 2023 Newsletter
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Hello Fellow Artists,
I hope you have been taking advantage of all the art shows available the last few months. I went to the “Miami County 6” show in Sidney to see Shirley Harbaugh and Jan Lendino’s beautiful work and then April and I went to the WOWS show in Troy, which was fabulous. FAA was well represented with so much talent on display, not to mention prize winners. I also entered and attended the Piqua art show which has 250 pieces of artwork, including oils, photography, watercolors, multimedia, and much more, and is well worth the trip. I believe there are a few more shows around, so please support our local artists.
We are excited to have Alicia Farris as our October Workshop artist and we still have a few openings, so if you’re interested, please contact Shirlee Bauer. Alicia will also be our demo artist for our meeting on Tuesday, October 3 at 7:00 pm, so plan on coming early to get a seat.
I’d like to recognize Jim and Connie Gifford for doing such a wonderful job keeping our gallery so clean and neat, and ordering and stocking our cleaning and paper products. It can be a thankless job that one can take for granted, so, THANK YOU!
I think that’s it for this month, so everyone take care and keep creating!
Linda Brandenburg, President
FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2023
October 2–4 Watercolor Workshop with Alicia Farris
October 3 Alicia Farris, watercolor demo
November 7 Sarah Maxwell, acrylic/mixed-media demo (Note change)
December 9 Christmas Party (Note date change)
FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2024
January No meeting
February 6 Gary Blevins, acrylic/multi-media demo
March 5 Peggy Bowman, , journaling demo
April 2 Charmaine Boggs, acrylic/mixed-media demo
May 7 Demo TBD
May Workshop TBD
June 4 Social
July No meeting
August No meeting
September 3 Shirlee Bauer, watercolor demo
October 1 David R. Smith, watercolor demo
October 1–3 Watercolor Workshop with David R. Smith
November 5 Rosemary Nick, collage demo
December 3 Christmas Party
OCTOBER’S FEATURED ARTIST- ALICIA FARRIS
FAA is pleased to welcome Alicia Farris as our October demo and workshop artist. Alicia is an award-winning artist and instructor whose work has been included and recognized in numerous National and International exhibits. She recently received Honorable Mention in the American Artists Professional League 91st Annual Grand National Exhibit at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. Two of her works were awarded Honorable Mention and Finalist awards in Splash 24, the Best of Watercolor publication. Farris’ work was also included in the Signature American Watercolor International Exhibition, Missouri Watercolor International and International Watermedia Exhibit Watercolor USA, Watercolor West, and Southern Watercolor to date in 2023. Alicia has been published in Missouri Life, Signature, and Watercolor Artist Magazines. Farris won first place in the reader’s competition and was featured with an interview in The Art of Watercolour International magazine published in France and distributed to 36 countries. She is signature member of multiple National and International watercolor societies and is asked to teach workshops and serve as juror for art organizations nation-wide. View her work and more of her story on her website: https://www.afarris.com
In this unique workshop, Alicia Farris will begin by teaching her colorful and expressive style of painting human faces. The second portion of the workshop will focus on her technique using animal subjects. Alicia will provide for registered students, photos of the subjects she’ll be demonstrating so that artists may follow along with the demo if they wish. Alternatively, students may use their own subject matter. Whatever the subject, Alicia teaches and encourages her students to paint from their hearts to communicate emotion about what they are painting.
There are still a few openings left for this October 2–4 Workshop so register soon! The registration form for the workshop is available in the Gallery and on our website Home Page under Forms.
SEND IN YOUR ART AWARD OR EXHIBIT INFORMATION
Please send notice of your art awards, exhibits, etc. to the Corresponding Secretary, April Coppess, for publishing in the newsletter. We all enjoy hearing of our members’ accomplishments and attending our members’ shows.
MEMBER NEWS
Congratulations to FAA members who won awards in the Western Ohio Watercolor Society (WOWS) Member’s Watercolor Show at the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center. This show runs through November 26.
First Place: Tessa Kalman for Out of the Gate
Third Place: Connie Gifford for My First Wheels No. 2
Honorable Mention: Rose Schultz for Shady Sojourn, Jennifer O’Brien for Twins and Marie Trittschuh for Pollinating
Eric Goltz Portrait Award: Marsha Elliott for Winter of Life
Congratulations to Clarice Moore who received an Honorable Mention in Oil & Acrylic for Halo at the 31st Annual Piqua Fine Art Exhibition in September 2023.
Linda Brandenburg sold a watercolor painting titled Are You Looking at Me at the Piqua show.
Please keep Barb Olekas in your thoughts and prayers as she recovers from major surgery.
MIDDLETOWN ART CENTER ANNUAL AREA ART EXHIBITION
Middletown Art Center Annual Area Art Exhibition will be held on November 3–December 13, 2023. Any artist, 18 years of age or older, living within a 50-mile radius of Middletown, OH may enter original works never previously exhibited in a juried exhibition at the MAC. Work will be received October 23–26 with a list of accepted work posted on the website October 30. Visit www.middletownartscenter.com for more information.
THE GALLERY AT LOFINO PLAZA APPLICATIONS FOR 2024
The City of Beavercreek is accepting applications for the 2024 gallery season. The Gallery at Lofino Plaza is inside the Beavercreek Senior Center (3868 Dayton-Xenia Rd.) where local artists can display their work. Artists may display their hanging art work for one month and there is space for just about 35 pieces. If you are interested in submitting an application, please send to [email protected]. Feel free to share with friends or family you think would be interested as well. For more information, contact Kim Farrell, CPRP Park Superintendent, City of Beavercreek Parks, Recreation & Culture, 789 Orchard Lane, Beavercreek, OH 45432, (937) 427-5514 (O), (937) 431-5023 (F), www.beavercreekohio.gov
YELLOW SPRINGS TEXTILE ART GROUP EXHIBIT AT THE WINDS CAFE
Six members of the Yellow Springs Textile Art Group are presenting a group fiber art show, their fifth time for this biennial exhibit. The members, Corrine Bayraktaroglu, Carol Culbertson, Pam Geisel, Gayle Gyure, Bette Kelley, and Paula Womacks, are all local fiber and textile artists who create innovative embroidery, weaving, and art quilts. “Stitch By Stitch: A cross-cultural exploration of contemporary textile and fiber art” can be viewed through October 28 at the Winds Café, 215 Xenia Ave. in Yellow Springs.
REMINDERS
Our next meeting will be on November 7. The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the November Newsletter is Wednesday, October 18, 2023. Please call or email your articles to April Coppess.
Please note that, for privacy reasons, the Fairborn Art Association will not post personal email addresses or phone numbers in the newsletters or on our website unless we have the respective member’s permission. Consult your FAA Directory for contact information for members. For non-members, we will provide the contact information we are given for them.
October 2023 Expressive Watercolor Workshop
Sign up soon for the FAA Expressive Watercolor Workshop with Alicia Farris! Workshop to be held October 2–4, 2023, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm at the FAA Gallery, 221 N. Central Avenue in Fairborn, Ohio. FAA members and non-members are welcome. Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to learn from this award-winning artist and instructor!
In this unique workshop, Alicia will begin by teaching her colorful and expressive style of painting human faces. The second portion of the workshop will focus on her technique using animal subjects. Alicia will provide for registered students, photos of the subjects she’ll be demonstrating so that artists may follow along with the demo if they wish. Alternatively, students may use their own subject matter. Whatever the subject, Alicia teaches and encourages her students to paint from their hearts to communicate emotion about what they are painting.
Alicia’s work has been included and recognized in numerous National and International exhibits. She is a signature member of multiple National and International watercolor societies and is asked to teach workshops and serve as juror for art organizations nation-wide. View her work and more of her story on her website: https://www.afarris.com . The registration form is available in the FAA Gallery and on our website Home Page under Forms.
September 2023 Newsletter
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
End of Summer Greetings!
I’m writing this the day after our Sweet Corn Festival and my mind is in a “vegetative” state so we will see what happens. I don’t have any financial reports yet but, if the crowds were any indication, I would say we had a very successful year, especially on Saturday. The weather was perfect and many of our food vendors ran out of product, not to mention that we ran out of parking spaces! The watermelon booth had nonstop customers most of the weekend, and the watermelon was delicious! Once again, I have to give a HUGE shout out to Warren Brown, Sheryl Scott, Cheryl Miracle, Jane Trame and Roger Browning (and Jerry Red, for staying awake all weekend working security) for their endless hours and dedication to make this gigantic event possible. I would also like to thank everyone on the Sweet Corn committee, and those FAA volunteers, many of whom worked multiple shifts and multiple days… we couldn’t do this without you! I don’t think many understand what an undertaking this is, and the hard work involved, and that’s why we need EVERYONE’S help to accomplish this major fundraiser for our organization, so next year, please reserve the third weekend in August to volunteer.
In June I attended the Free Friday at the park in Fairborn and received a certificate in recognition of our contribution. It was very well organized and attended, consisting of a movie, games, (even chess), bubble machines, food, and of course, the splash pad. I, for one, am happy that we can be a part of a positive environment for Fairborn.
We also had the B-W Greenway show over the summer, which was excellent with many beautiful pieces, and FAA was well represented in the winner categories, so congratulations! They are listed later on in the newsletter, as are other shows that happened this summer.
I’m looking forward to our meeting, Tuesday, September 5, at 7:00 pm, when Catherine Green will be our guest demo watercolor artist. Don’t forget to come early that day for the annual Art Supplies Sale which will be held from 5:30–6:30 pm.
Take care and keep creating!
Linda Brandenburg, President
FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2023
September 5 Catherine Green, watercolor demo
October 2–4 Watercolor Workshop with Alicia Farris
October 3 Alicia Farris, watercolor demo
November 7 Sarah Maxwell, watercolor demo
December 5 Christmas Party
FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2024
January No meeting
February 6 Gary Blevins, acrylic/multi-media demo
March 5 Peggy Bowman, journaling demo
April 2 Charmaine Boggs, acrylic/mixed-media demo
May 7 Demo TBD
May Workshop TBD
June 4 Social
July No meeting
August No meeting
September 3 Shirlee Bauer, watercolor demo
October 1 David R. Smith, watercolor demo
October 1–3 Watercolor Workshop with David R. Smith
November 5 Rosemary Nick, collage demo
December 3 Christmas Party
SEPTEMBER’S FEATURED ARTIST – CATHERINE GREEN
Fairborn Art Association will be hosting Catherine Green as their guest demo artist on September 5, 2023, at 7:00 pm. Their gallery is located at 221 N. Central Avenue, Fairborn.
“Journey to a Pet Portrait Business” – Catherine Green has been an oil painter for 35 years, taking classes with Cincinnati and Dayton area artists, as well as classes at the Cincinnati Art Academy in drawing and painting and the Baker Hunt Foundation in Kentucky. She “fell into” watercolor and her pet portrait business entirely by accident, and will reveal why she has been successful working with clients in 35 states coast to coast to paint 130 portraits in the last six years. She will also complete a watercolor portrait, and explain her process.
…Submitted by Carol Edsall
2023 WATERMELON BOOTH PRELIMINARY REPORT
The watermelon booth at the Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival went through 222 watermelons and sold about 1800 cups of watermelon. Profit is around $2700.
.…Submitted by Roger Browning
ART SUPPLIES SALE
Our Art Supplies Sale will be held on September 5 from 5:30–6:30 pm (simultaneously with our board meeting). Prior registration is not required. If you have art supplies that you wish to sell, you may bring them to the FAA Gallery for set up between 5:00 and 5:30 pm. The doors will be open and a table will be provided. If weather permits, some tables may be set up outside. Set up and all sales transactions are your responsibility so make sure you bring enough money to make change. Final cleanup of all items is also yours to do; nothing is to be left in the gallery or outside.
REMINDERS FROM THE GALLERY COORDINATOR
Did you know that the gallery is here for the use of all FAA members? As a member you may host an art workshop or art class at a very minimal fee per student. All you need to do is coordinate the dates with Carol Collett. Also, all members are encouraged to host their own art exhibit during the months of February, April, September, October and November. We would love to see your art hanging at the next meeting.
…Submitted by Carol Collett
FAA LIBRARY IS OPEN
Just a reminder that we have a substantial art library for the exclusive use of all FAA members. It is located in the room left of the kitchen. We are always accepting books if you have any to donate. Why don’t you plan to come in a little early for the next meeting and take a look? Also, we are normally open on Thursdays 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and Fridays 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. If you are unsure, call Carol Collett or Lucy Burns.
…Submitted by Carol Collett
MEMBER NEWS
Clarice Moore sold three of her paintings to Five Rivers Health Centers in Dayton, Ohio.
Bonnie Kuntz has three pieces on display at the Five Rivers Health Centers. They are various sizes and are all bright colors in acrylic. The lady who purchased them liked their whimsical and colorful style. There are lambs, a pig, and a polka dot giraffe.
MJ White’s first novel, An Invitation to the Party, was published by Regal House Publishing in July, shortly after her 81st birthday. It features a Great Pyrenees named Vera, whose watercolor portrait she painted.
The following FAA members won awards at the Miamisburg Art Gallery 2023 Annual Juried Art Exhibition. The show is open through September 9.
First place in Drawing: Tom Kinarney – Pantherina
First place in Water Media: Connie Gifford – Wheels and Spokes
First place in Mixed Media: Rose Schultz – Mezquita Marvel
Third place in Mixed Media: Nancy Dankof – Between the Lines
FAA members Shirley Harbaugh and Jan Lendino exhibited in August 2023 at the Gateway Arts Council Gallery in Sidney, Ohio, as two of six artists in a show titled “The Miami County 6.”
FAA SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS FOR 2023
The Fairborn Art Association (FAA), 221 N. Central Ave. in Fairborn, awarded three outstanding high school graduates with a $1,000 art scholarship each. Letters were mailed to high school art teachers and guidance counselors in the Greene, Montgomery, Clark, and Miami County areas requesting that graduating seniors, who are going to pursue higher education in the fine arts or related discipline, submit digital copies of artwork for review. A committee of FAA members, comprising artists with many awards and years of experience, reviewed every entry. Of the many outstanding entries, three students were selected to receive a scholarship check.
Natalya Sutarto, from Bellbrook High School, Emma Williams from Archbishop Carroll High School, and Hannah Hurst from Archbishop Alter High School were selected as winners of the scholarships. Ms. Sutarto will attend the Columbus College of Art and Science; Ms. Williams will study at the University of Cincinnati; and Ms. Hurst is headed to Purdue University.
…Submitted by James M. Gifford
2023 FAA PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS
Congratulations to the following FAA members on their People’s Choice awards given at our June 6 meeting.
First Place: Carol Edsall – Woodland Trail
Second Place: Connie S. Gifford – Early Morning Ride
Third Place: Jeffrey Davis – Wisdom of Age
Honorable Mention: Eileen Thomson – Emma’s Artistry, Rose Schultz – Rounding the Windward Mark, Clarice Moore – Boodle & Strawberry, Linda Brandenburg – Wading Red Egret, Shirlee Bauer – Here Come the Kids, Cindy Sayeedi – The Downy Woodpecker
Judge’s Merit Award: Tessa Kalman – Cheeta Bros., Jan Lendino – Lavender Profusion, Warren Brown – Early Spring Sunset, Judy Mielbrecht – RT, Marsha Elliott – Winter in Ohio, Teresa Stoddart – 1st Bloom Iris
B-W GREENWAY LANDSCAPES 2023 JURIED ART COMPETITION AWARDS
The B-W Greenway Community Land Trust and the Fairborn Art Association, for the 12th year, sponsored a juried art competition to heighten public awareness of local greenspaces and the need to preserve these assets. Each year, a different location is selected for the artists to visit and be inspired. The 2023 locations were Hebble Creek Reserve and Community Park Reserve. This year, the competition attracted 36 artists and 66 pieces of artwork. The juror for Landscapes 2023 was Remy Groh. On July 9, the opening reception was held at the Fairborn Art Association Gallery and awards were presented to the following artists:
First Place: Elizabeth Beecher – Along the Pond
Second Place: Edmund Merricle – Redwing Blackbird
Third Place: Julia Roberts – Walk in The Woods
Honorable Mention, nine artists received ribbons: Gene Fabricatore, James Gifford, Kim Ceccarelli, Brendan Higgins, Tessa Kalman, Jane Trame, Shirlee Bauer, Nanci Payne and Suzie King
People’s Choice: Yuki Hall – Winterlude
OCTOBER WORKSHOP WITH ALICIA FARRIS
In this unique workshop, Alicia Farris will begin by teaching her colorful and expressive style of painting human faces. The second portion of the workshop will focus on her technique using animal subjects. Alicia will provide for registered students, photos of the subjects she’ll be demonstrating so that artists may follow along with the demo if they wish. Alternatively, students may use their own subject matter. Whatever the subject, Alicia teaches and encourages her students to paint from their hearts to communicate emotion about what they are painting.
Alicia is an award-winning artist and instructor whose work has been included and recognized in numerous National and International exhibits. She recently received Honorable Mention in the American Artists Professional League 91st Annual Grand National Exhibit at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. Two of her works were awarded Honorable Mention and Finalist awards in Splash 24, the Best of Watercolor publication. Farris’ work was also included in the Signature American Watercolor International Exhibition, Missouri Watercolor International and International Watermedia Exhibit Watercolor USA, Watercolor West, and Southern Watercolor to date in 2023. Alicia has been published in Missouri Life, Signature, and Watercolor Artist Magazines. Farris won first place in the reader’s competition and was featured with an interview in The Art of Watercolour International magazine published in France and distributed to 36 countries. She is signature member of multiple National and International watercolor societies and is asked to teach workshops and serve as juror for art organizations nation-wide. View her work and more of her story on her website: https://www.afarris.com
The registration form for the October 2–4, 2023 Workshop is available in the Gallery and on our website Home Page under Forms.
YELLOW SPRINGS TEXTILE ART GROUP EXHIBIT AT THE WINDS CAFE
Six members of the Yellow Springs Textile Art Group are presenting a group fiber art show, their fifth time for this biennial exhibit. The members are all local fiber and textile artists who create innovative embroidery, weaving, and art quilts. “Stitch By Stitch: A cross-cultural exploration of contemporary textile and fiber art” can be viewed from September 5 through October 28 at the Winds Café, 215 Xenia Ave. in Yellow Springs. There will be an artist’s reception on Sunday, September 17 from 4:00–6:00 pm.
REMINDERS
Our next meeting will be on October 3. The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the October Newsletter is Monday, September 18, 2023. Please call or email your articles to April Coppess.
Please note that, for privacy reasons, the Fairborn Art Association will not post personal email addresses or phone numbers in the newsletters or on our website unless we have the respective member’s permission. Consult your FAA Directory for contact information for members. For non-members, we will provide the contact information we are given for them.
Summer 2023 News
CAROL EDSALL EXHIBITS AT LATHREM SENIOR CENTER
Local Dayton area watercolor artist Carol Edsall will be displaying her paintings at the Kettering Lathrem Senior Center in the months of July and August. She is known for her serene landscapes and her depiction of animals, some of which were inspired by visits to our great zoos. She has shown her works in various local juried shows, and her paintings are in private collections in Dayton, Kettering, Columbus and upstate New York. The Lathrem Senior Center is located at 2900 Glengarry Drive in Kettering, Ohio.
…Submitted by Carol Edsall
JAMES GIFFORD WINS AWARD
A Gifford won an honorable mention for art work at the annual B-W Greenway show and awards. But, a big surprise for me, it wasn’t Connie Anderkin Gifford this time, it was me. I photographed flowers at one of the B-W Greenway tracts in Fairborn, mounted the print on a pine board, and using a scroll saw cut it in the shape of Ohio.
…Submitted by James M. Gifford
MIAMISBURG ART GALLERY 2023 JURIED ART EXHIBITION – CALL FOR ARTISTS
Miamisburg Art Gallery at 16 N. Main St. in Miamisburg, Ohio, will present their 2023 Juried Art Exhibition August 5 – September 9. Early Bird registration ends July 18. For details and registration form, visit their website at: https://miamisburgartgallery.com
39TH ANNUAL ART ON THE LAWN
Village Artisans will be hosting the 39th Annual Art on the Lawn, Saturday, August 12 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. This juried Fine Arts and Crafts Festival will be held at Mills Lawn Elementary School in Yellow Springs, Ohio. The last day to apply is July 31 unless the show is full prior to that date. Additional information and application can be found on their website: https://www.villageartisans.org
PIQUA FINE ART EXHIBITION REGISTRATION DEADLINE
The registration deadline for the 31st Annual Piqua Fine Art Exhibition is Friday, August 18, 2023, with artwork drop off on Saturday, August 26 and Monday, August 28. Works of art include drawing, oil and acrylics, water media, photography, three-dimensional and miscellaneous. For more information, visit their website at: https://piquaartscouncil.org/art-show
June 2023 Newsletter
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Hello Fellow Artists,
Isn’t this time of year fabulous? I’m in my shorts and flip flops, listening to a cardinal singing outside my window and I couldn’t be happier. My flowers are in their pots, a couple of cherry tomatoes and a new red dogwood tree are planted in my backyard, which creates a plethora of colors. But I also experienced a note of sadness this spring when my 17-year-old Dachshund, Sizzles, died, and he is also buried in my backyard. He was such a funny, loyal companion to our family, bringing moments of hilarity, fun, and sometimes frustration, but always love, so spending time out back brings a mixture of emotions. I know many of you are busy planting vegetable and flower gardens, and I hope they are all very fruitful and bring a bountiful harvest of food and beauty.
Our meeting on Tuesday, June 6, will begin at 6:30 pm. Hot dogs, drinks, and paper products will be provided and everyone is to bring a side dish or dessert. We will then have installation of officers, introduce the Sweet Corn Festival king and queen, introduce the three scholarship winners, and last, but not least, announce the People’s Choice award winners. Each attendee is to vote for their three favorite pieces first thing after your arrival so there is time for the votes to be tallied. It will be a busy evening, but always an entertaining one, so I’m looking forward to seeing many of you there!
I thoroughly enjoyed our demonstration last month with Keiko Tanabe, and I want to thank Pat Dunker and Shirlee Bauer for making her visit and stay possible. I heard many favorable comments and you two are to be commended. Also, our Members’ Show is fantastic and, as always, we are fortunate to have so many talented artists with a variety of expertise. I hope many of you were able to bring your families to visit the show. I want to thank all those members who volunteered to help with the show. I would also like to say a huge THANK YOU to Connie Gifford and Carol Edsall for all their hard work organizing this gorgeous show. This is their last year and I’d like to recognize what a great job they’ve done over the years… KUDOS!!!! Our new show chairs are Cindy Sayeedi and Linda Perry. I look forward to working with them in 2024.
I would also like to recognize Carol Collett for taking care of the flower beds outside of the gallery doors. She makes sure to keep them planted and watered, and they always look amazing, so THANK YOU, Carol!!!
I have a BIG announcement, thanks to dear Warren Brown… Jerry Red has agreed to be our new Sweet Corn Festival Chairman… HOORAY!!!!! He has worked with Warren over the years and is familiar with how things run and what needs to be done to make this festival run smoothly. This position opening has weighed heavily on FAA for several years, with much begging and pleading, and it is a huge relief to have Jerry accept. I, for one, will do what I can to help him adjust to taking over the helm, and I hope all of you will be just as accommodating. Thanks again, Warren and Jerry!
I believe this will be the last newsletter until autumn so I hope you all have a wonderful summer, filled with travels, family time, relaxation, and just plain fun.
Keep creating!
Linda Brandenburg, President
FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2023
June 6 Social (Begins at 6:30 pm)
July No meeting
August No meeting
September 5 Catherine Bishop Green, watercolor
October 3 Alicia Farris, watercolor (Workshop Oct. 2–4)
November 7 Sarah Maxwell, watercolor
December 5 Christmas Party
FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2024
January No meeting
February 6 Gary Blevins, acrylic/multi-media
March 5 Peggy Bowman, journaling
April 2 Charmaine Boggs, acrylic/mixed-media
May 7 TBD (Workshop TBD)
June 4 Social
July No meeting
August No meeting
September 3 Shirlee Bauer, watercolor portrait
October 1 TBD (Workshop TBD)
November 5 Rosemary Nick, collage
December 3 Christmas Party
THANK YOU TO FAA MEMBERS’ SHOW VOLUNTEERS
We want to recognize all those who helped with this year’s 2023 FAA Members’ Show. It is a lovely show and it does take many volunteers who work behind the scenes to make the show successful. We could not do all this without your help.
Registration: Linda Brandenburg, Carol Collett, Debbie Cosenza
Hanging: Tessa Kalman, April Coppess, Carol Edsall, Esther Wilson, Cindy Sayeedi
Printing Title Cards: Linda Perry, Cheryl Miracle
Gallery Sitters: Cass Barth, Marie Trittschuh, Warren Brown, Rosemary Bailey, Linda Brandenburg, Sue Seitz
Thank you all,
Connie Gifford and Carol Edsall, FAA Show Chairs
SWEET CORN FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We still need volunteers for the Watermelon Booth at the Sweet Corn Festival. One shift is open Saturday, August 19, from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Three positions are open Sunday, August 20, from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm; one position from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm, and 4 positions from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm. If you can fill any of these shifts, please contact Roger Browning at 937.760.5222, or [email protected] .
B-W GREENWAY AND FAIRBORN ART ASSOCIATION’S LANDSCAPES 2023 JURIED ART COMPETITION
The B-W Greenway Community Land Trust & the Fairborn Art Association’s Landscapes 2023 juried art competition is underway. The competition has been held for the past 11 years to use art to heighten public awareness of the importance of preserving local greenspaces.
Annually, a different preserved greenspace is selected to be an inspirational site for artists. The 2023 locations are the Hebble Creek Reserve and Fairborn Community Park Reserve.
The juried competition is open to all artists 16 years and older, living within 200 miles of Fairborn, OH. A 2-D work may be oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, print, drawing, mixed media, or photography. A 2-D art may not exceed 30 x 40 inches. 3-D art, less than 60 lbs. in weight. 3-D sculpture, must fit through a standard doorway.
All entries will be received at the Fairborn Art Association Gallery, 221 North Central Avenue, Fairborn, OH (in the rear of the building) on Saturday, June 24,and Sunday, June 25, from 1:00–3:00 pm.
A non-refundable entry fee of $25 for a total of 3 works must accompany all entry forms. Artwork may be offered for sale by the artist; 20% of each sale will be taken as a donation to B-W Greenway Community Land Trust.
The judge for Landscapes 2023 is Remy Groh. Remy is currently an Elementary Art Teacher at Fairborn Intermediate School. She earned Bachelor’s degrees in Art Education and Fine Arts from Miami University. Groh’s favorite art medium is painting and creates works that are conceptual and abstract.
The Opening Reception will be held at the Fairborn Art Gallery on Sunday, July 9, from 1:00–3:00 pm. The art will be on display at the Fairborn Art Association Gallery and open to the public on July 9, 16 and 23.
For additional information visit the B-W Greenway webpage: www.bwgreenway.org or contact co-chairs: Pat Higgins at [email protected] or Karen Nagafuchi at [email protected] .
SAD NEWS OF A LONG TIME FAA MEMBER
Long time FAA member Virginia Hess died on May 9, 2023. She was a well-known sculptor in the area and nationally, with a piece in the Smithsonian Museum.
…Submitted by Billie Dickson
VILLAGE ARTISANS GALLERY EXHIBIT
Village Artisans at 100 Corry Street in Yellow Springs, Ohio, is holding a lobby gallery show “Mammals & Reptiles & Birds, Oh My!” featuring artworks using imagery of animals. The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular gallery hours through July 3, 2023. For more information, call 937-767-1209 or visit www.villageartisans.blogspot.com .
CALL FOR ENTRIES – MAC 2023 PHOTOGRAPHY & DIGITAL ART COMPETITION/EXHIBIT
Middletown Arts Center will present the 2023 Photography & Digital Art Competition/Exhibit July 21 through August 24, 2023. Submission of digital images via their website starts Tuesday, May 30 and ends Thursday, June 15 at 8:00 pm. Notification of accepted images in this competition will be available on their website by Monday, June 19. Accepted entries must be personally delivered (no mailings) as finished pieces to the MAC Monday, July 10 through Thursday, July 13 during designated hours. The Middletown Arts Center is located at 130 N. Verity Parkway, Middletown, OH 45042. More information can be found at: www.middletownartscenter.com
PIQUA ARTS COUNCIL FINE ART EXHIBITION
The Piqua Arts Council will hold its 31st Annual Piqua Fine Art Exhibition representing artists from all over the state, in September 2023. Works of art include drawing, oil and acrylics, water media, photography, three-dimensional and miscellaneous. Registration deadline is Friday, August 18, 2023, with artwork drop off on Saturday, August 26 and Monday, August 28. The Awards Reception will be held on September 7, 2023. The show will be open to the public from September 8 to September 29, 2023 during normal gallery hours at the Apple Tree Gallery, 405 N. Main St., Piqua, OH 45356. For more information, visit their website at: https://piquaartscouncil.org/art-show
K12 GALLERY & TEJAS ART CLASSES
For those interested in taking art classes, K12 Gallery & TEJAS (Teen Educational and Joint Adult Studio), located at 341 South Jefferson Street in Dayton, offers them for Kindergarten age through adults. Visit their website for details: https://k12tejasgallery.org
REMINDERS
Our next meeting will be on September 5. The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the September Newsletter is Monday, August 21, 2023. Please call or email your articles to April Coppess.
Please note that, for privacy reasons, the Fairborn Art Association will not post personal email addresses or phone numbers in the newsletters or on our website unless we have the respective member’s permission. Consult your FAA Directory for contact information for members. For non-members, we will provide the contact information we are given for them.
2023 FAA Members’ Fine Art Show Award Winners
Best of Show: Tom Kinarney– In the Woods
First Place: Jeffrey W. Davis– Solitude
Second Place: Shirlee Bauer– Here Come the Kids
Third Place: Teresa Stoddart– Storybook Forest
Honorable Mention: Lucille Burns– Where the Wind Blows Free
Honorable Mention: Marsha Elliott– Winter In Ohio
Honorable Mention: Patty Dorn– Rachel
Honorable Mention: Mary Jo White– Sunflowers
Honorable Mention: Linda Brandenburg– Wading Red Egret
Honorable Mention: Lisa Becker– Spring
Honorable Mention: Tessa Kalman– Cheetah Bros
Honorable Mention: Jan Lendino– Lavender Profusion
Judge’s Merit Award: Jane Trame– Bougainvillea
Judge’s Merit Award: Matt Lammi– Sunflowers #7
Judge’s Merit Award: Evvie Moore– Walking in My Daddy’s Boots
Judge’s Merit Award: Eileen Thomson– Emma’s Artistry
Judge’s Merit Award: Connie Weber– Family Jewels
Judge’s Merit Award: Babs Ney– Lite As A Feather
Judge’s Merit Award: Sherry Li Cai– The War and the Peace
Judge’s Merit Award: Esther Wilson– Summer in the City
Juror’s Statement:
Thank you for giving me the honor of judging this show. It was a real treat to view all the submitted artwork as I marveled at a variety of mediums, subject matters and different artistic expressions.
As a juror, I looked at composition, technical proficiency, originality, content, presentation and how all the design components came together to create a compelling image.
Award winners demonstrated how eloquently they could communicate their initial vision using their unique voice and their work spoke to me.
Congratulations to all the participating artists for your achievement and inspiration you are giving us through your beautiful creations.
Keiko Tanabe
May 2023 Newsletter
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Hello Fellow Artists!
Spring has sprung and what a variety of weather we’ve experienced: thunderstorms, summer temperatures, and even some sleet and snow flurries! Right now, I am looking through my window and enjoying the beautiful pink apple blossoms that are continuing to bloom despite the fact that the tree is dying. I know there is message I need to learn from this. Could it be that there is beauty in everything, if we just look hard enough, or that I can strive to be positive in the midst of negativity, or maybe it’s just that I should make the most of any opportunity, no matter how dire it appears. I hope all of you are blooming despite your circumstances and making a positive influence on the world and those around you.
This month we have our Workshop with Keiko Tanabe, who will also be the demo artist for our May 2 meeting at 7:00 pm and the judge for our Members’ Fine Art Show. This is always an exciting time for FAA and I am anxious to see everyone’s entries. We will also be voting on the slate of officers for 2023–2024 at this month’s meeting.
Our June 6 meeting will be our end of the year social beginning at 6:30 pm. FAA will provide hot dogs, buns, toppings, drinks, and paper products, and we would like the rest of you to provide side dishes and desserts. This will also be our People’s Choice show, the installation of officers, introduction of scholarship winners and the Sweet Corn Festival King and Queen, so be sure and mark it on your calendars.
Speaking of the Sweet Corn Festival, it will be here before we know it so please sign up to volunteer. See either Warren Brown or Roger Browning, who is in charge of the Watermelon Booth. Many hands are needed to make this a success so please help mark Thursday, August 17 through Sunday, August 20 to help. FAA is such a wonderful organization and the monies we make at this event help make it possible to provide many of the benefits we enjoy. Also, if you feel led to champion this cause, please contact us, as Warren is more than ready to give up the reins.
You’ve all received your membership reminders from Debbie Cosenza so please fill out your membership forms and return them with your dues to the gallery or Debbie. Thank you!
I believe that is all for this month so enjoy the nice weather and keep creating!
Linda Brandenburg, President
FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2023
May 2 Keiko Tanabe, watercolor (Workshop May 1–3)
June 6 Social (Begins at 6:30 pm)
July No meeting
August No meeting
September 5 Catherine Bishop Green, watercolor
October 3 Alicia Ferris, watercolor (Workshop TBD)
November 7 Sarah Maxwell, watercolor
December 5 Christmas Party
MAY’S FEATURED ARTIST – KEIKO TANABE
Fairborn Art Association is delighted to welcome Keiko Tanabe for our May demo and workshop. Keiko was born in Kyoto, Japan. As a child growing up in an art-loving family, she always enjoyed drawing and painting and won many awards in children’s art contests. However, art was not her chosen field of study later on. She earned a B.A. in intercultural communication (International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan) and an M.A. in international education (UCLA, California). She then worked in international relations positions in a Japanese government trade organization in Tokyo, at a large law firm in San Francisco and at a private consulting firm in San Diego. For decades, she has traveled extensively, mainly in European countries, Asia and North America.
Through all these years, Keiko knew there was in her heart the growing desire to someday become an artist. That, fueled by her love of travel and strong interest in other cultures, eventually found its way out in 2003. After learning basic drawing and watercolor painting skills at a local community school in San Diego, she took on her first project as an artist together with her father, a renowned scholar of French literature in Japan. Through the Azure Sea and Sky of Provence: A Tribute to Her Joie de Vivre (Kosei Publishing, Osaka, Japan) was published in August, 2003, authored by her father and illustrated by Keiko. From then on, she intensely taught herself to be fluent in watercolor painting, just as one would do to master a foreign language.
Mostly self-taught, Keiko embarked on a professional art career in 2005 and started exhibiting publicly. In the same year she took a workshop from Alvaro Castagnet and discovered the joy of plein-air painting. Since that year her paintings have been juried into many exhibitions across Americas and in Asia and Europe. Her work has been purchased by private and corporate collectors from all around the world. She also had her paintings published in leading art magazines in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Additionally, she self-publishes her art books and nine books have been completed to date. She’s also a sought-after workshop instructor. Since 2011, she has been invited to and completed successfully more than 400 workshops and numerous live demonstrations around the world. She has served as a juror in a number of art exhibitions including some major watercolor shows around the world such as the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, the International Watercolour Masters, the Northwest Watercolor Society, the Utah Watercolor Society and the New Mexico Watercolor Society. In 2015 she was named an official Ambassador for Winsor & Newton. In 2018, she was appointed to the advisory board of the American Watercolor Weekly. In 2018 and 2019, she was invited to be a faculty member for the Plein Air Convention & Expo, the world’s largest plein-air painting event. Keiko currently lives in San Diego, California.
FAA PRESENTS THE 2023 MEMBERS’ FINE ART SHOW
FAA is pleased to present the 2023 Members’ Fine Art Show. Our juror for the show is Keiko Tanabe. Awards include Best of Show (Sandy Kinnamon Memorial Award), First Place (Joan McCoy Memorial Award), Second and Third Place, Honorable Mention and Judge’s Merit and will be given out at the May 2 FAA meeting.
The Gallery hours for this show are on Sundays May 7, 14 and 21, 2023, from 1:00–4:00 pm. Please invite your friends and family to come see the show and hopefully find a piece of art they would like to hang in their home or office.
The show will conclude with the People’s Choice Awards at our June 6, 2023, meeting. Artists must pick up their artwork on Tuesday, June 6, after the FAA meeting or on Thursday, June 8 from 10:00 am–1:00 pm.
If you signed up to sit with the FAA gallery, please bring only food/drink for yourself because we will not furnish anything for the guests due to COVID-19. We will assign one person in your group to have access to the gallery so you can get in and lock up when you leave. Feel free to bring your artwork to work on while you are there.
If you have questions, contact Connie Gifford at [email protected] or (937) 270-7359 or Carol Edsall at [email protected] .
ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 2023–2024
We will be voting for Officers of the Fairborn Art Association at our May 2, 2023 meeting. The slate presented by our Nominating Committee is as follows:
President – Linda Brandenburg
Vice President – Carol Edsall
Recording Secretary – Sheryl Scott
Corresponding Secretary – April Coppess
Treasurer – Roger Browning
If anyone wishes to run for one of the above offices or if you wish to nominate someone else for one of the offices, please contact Carol Collett prior to our May 2, 2023, meeting so a ballot with that name can be prepared. If no one else chooses to run, the election will be held by voice vote.
FAA MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FOR 2023–2024
Annual dues are due prior to June 1 (or the meeting in June) to be included in the FAA Membership Directory. Membership forms are available in the Gallery and on the FAA website Home page under Forms.
SWEET CORN FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Sign-up sheets for volunteer positions for the Sweet Corn Festival are available in the Gallery and on the FAA website Home page under Forms.
DEBBIE COSENZA EXHIBIT AT LOFINO PLAZA IN MAY
Debbie Cosenza, along with her friend Brenda Holtzman, will be exhibiting at the Beavercreek Lofino Art Gallery the month of May 2023. Debbie’s pieces are mixed media with Encaustic and Brenda’s are cyanotypes. There will be an artist reception on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, 3:00–5:00 pm. The Gallery at Lofino Plaza is located inside the Beavercreek Senior Center, 3868 Dayton Xenia Road, Beavercreek, OH 45432. The Gallery hours are 9:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Thursday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Fridays and 9:00 am to Noon Saturdays.
…Submitted by Debbie Cosenza
LIBBY RUDOLF ART SHOW AT THE WINDS CAFE
Libby Rudolf will have a solo art show of her watercolors “Libby Rudolf: Woods and Water” at the Winds Cafe in Yellow Springs from May 9 – July 2, 2023. Please come to the Artist Reception on Sunday, May 21, 4:00–6:00 pm! You may also see the show while dining at the Winds or just come respectfully stroll around when it’s open. They are open for dinner Tuesdays–Saturdays and lunch Fridays and Saturdays. I’ll join you if I’m available when you come to visit.
…Submitted by Libby Rudolf
VILLAGE ARTISANS HOSTS 39TH ANNUAL ART ON THE LAWN
Village Artisans will be hosting the 39th annual Art on the Lawn, Saturday, August 12 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. This juried Fine Arts and Crafts Festival will be held at Mills Lawn Elementary School in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Additional information and application can be found on their website: https://www.villageartisans.org
REMINDERS
Our next meeting will be on June 6. The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the June Newsletter is Monday, May 15, 2023. Please email your articles to April Coppess.
Please note that, for privacy reasons, the Fairborn Art Association will not post personal email addresses or phone numbers in the newsletters or on our website unless we have the respective member’s permission. Consult your FAA Directory for contact information for members. For non-members, we will provide the contact information we are given for them.