San Pedro River Arts Council © 2016
PO Box 1358, Benson,
Arizona 85602-1358
(520) 586-2611
San Pedro River Arts Council
You can pay your annual SPRAC dues, $15.00 for individual or $20.00 per family by hitting the donate button above.
Note: You may also send your membership payment or donation by check to:
SPRArts
PO Box 1358
Benson, AZ 85602-1358
Hey everyone,
It's June, it's hot--it's time to be seriously thinking about and hoping for a really good monsoon season this year!
In Arts Council news--I am happy to announce that yesterday we hung our first "featured artists" exhibit at Cochise College Benson Center in over a year! DeVon, Center manager, had called to ask if we were able to begin our series again, as they were eager to have some "art" back on their walls! I told her we would be happy to oblige!!
I immediately contacted Larraine Milne, as I knew she and her husband, Mel, had a supply of their wonderful photographs printed and ready to go; and they were happy to come up with an exhibit on short notice. So now the Benson Center lobby is
displaying 25 of their beautiful floral and landscape pieces. The center is open to the public and the exhibit is free to view during regular college hours from now through the end of July. If you are in the area--do stop by and enjoy the coolth in the lobby and the beautiful photography on display!!!
Our next featured artist at the college will be new member Craig Fogle. He and his wife had come in to Endeavor Gallery to check out the art scene and we had a lovely chat, wherein he happened to mention that he had a large number of his paintings stored from their recent move to Arizona and he was wondering what to do with them..."Aha," said I, " I know just the place to display some of them!!" He agreed, sight unseen, to my proposal--so we will be hanging his work during the months of August and September. Can't wait to see what he will bring!
OK--so now I am looking for other members who would like to have your own work displayed at the Benson Center!!! Any member is welcome to mount an exhibit--just let me know and we will get you on the calendar for upcoming months. The work must be two dimensional and wired for hanging, may be in any medium of your choice; and depending on size of the artwork--we would need a minimum of 12 to 15 pieces, with a possibility to display up to 30 or even 40! If you don't have enough of your own work to make an exhibit--consider having a "joint show" with a friend, as that is always fun, too!!! I hope to hear from many of you, as it is always so rewarding to see one's work in a featured display--and even better--there is absolutely NO Charge and it is a great way to get your work "out there" in a public venue...
In other SPRAC news--we will definitely begin our monthly "Artists Share" programs in July! By then we will feel comfortable having a "group event" in the gallery; and we'll go back to a usual "third Thursday beginning at noon" schedule. Our first presenter will be Deanna Cluff, who will be discussing and demonstrating the art of Illuminated Letters; and she will also be bringing blank samples for us to create our own gorgeous letters!! That is just to tempt you--and I'll be posting more specifics in the July newsletter...
Endeavor Gallery continues to be open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. till 2 p.m. and is just a happy place to be. Thank you and welcome to our most recent docent "trainees"--Cal Kelley, Casey Dennis, and Stephania Blanchette!
Mary Lee, our docent coordinator, reports that we still could use MORE volunteers to work gallery hours--especially during the summer months when folks are on vacation and schedules get disrupted... If you are interested in "working" at the gallery--as a "fill in" or to take a permanent 3 hour a week shift--please contact
Mary Lee Bringham at bears4588@yahoo.com or call 360 434 7412
It really is a fun "job," as you get to meet interesting people and can use quiet times to work on your own art projects in the "learning center" if you choose!
In other business--it is time to remind you that our fiscal year ends on June 30th, 2021, which means it is time to think about paying your dues. Many of you are already paid up through June of NEXT year--especially those who paid during the Gallery Change out in late March, or if you joined AFTER January 1st of THIS year. If you didn't pay your dues
last year because of the pandemic--don't worry about it--just pay for the coming year and all is well! I know it is confusing, so please contact me if you are unsure if you owe or not and I will check our records (which, amazingly--are up to date) and I'll get back to you! The annual dues remain $15.00 for one membership, $20.00 for a family membership, and $5.00 for a youth (18 and under) membership; and may be paid in person at Endeavor Gallery; or by sending a check or money order in care of SPRAC (San Pedro River Arts Council) to Post Office Box 1358, Benson, Arizona 85602; or you can even pay on-line on our website (www.sprarts.org).
There is still no definitive word on when we can do the next Hospital art change out--but we HAVE to be getting close. I will let everyone know as soon as they tell me it's a go...so sorry for the inconvenience!
Around the county--the recent Pop-up art show sponsored by the Willcox Art League at the Willcox Spring Wine Festival
was a great success. There was lots of traffic during the two days, and all of those who participated had sales of paintings and other items--yay! Pretty sure they are going to do it again in the Fall...
The Huachuca Arts Association is back to its normal busy schedule--with a fun Members Only show coming up in late July--(another reason to renew your membership there, or join for the first time so that you will be eligible to participate). For more information about the show, which involves "no fees, no divisions, and no themes," with "winners" to be selected by "people's choice" in various categories--contact Teresa Ebbs at kayebbs@yahoo.com. Participants can only enter "recently completed"--from Feb. 2020 onward--works (which motivated me to actually complete a couple of pieces I hope to enter!!!)--so get to work!!!
And I'll end this newsletter with a salute to long-time SPRAC member and all around wonderful person--James (Jim) Kidd, who passed away on May 20th at the age of 95 years. MANY of us knew and loved Jim. He was a wonderful and successful photographer, all 'round "good guy," a teller of wonderful stories, a huge supporter of the arts wherever he happened to be; and he will be sorely missed by so many of us!! RIP Jim, we love you!!!
That's all for now. Be careful out there. Enjoy your summer. And create some art! Linda