Dear Members...

... it's time to pass the spoon. Dear WCA members,                                              The Philadelphia Chapter of the Women’s Caucus for Art was on the verge of collapse in 2013. I thought it was worth saving, so with a 9 month old in tow, I picked up the reins and worked to restructure and pull the organization back together during nap times and evenings. Since I barely have a studio space and couldn’t devote much time to my own work, I thought I could help other women artists pursue their work and dreams while I was unable to, all while staying connected to the art world and making new connections. I have to admit, it was a pretty bumpy start and I had no idea what I was doing, but together we navigated through some choppy waters and even a hurricane! I appreciate all of the members who stood right beside me and helped to rebuild this chapter. It wouldn’t have happened without you. I am truly proud of the way this chapter has renewed itself. We have a beautiful, strong membership full of wonderful, smart and talented women. The friendships, contacts and opportunities we’ve created are so special. This past February, I went to the National WCA meeting in NYC (for free- thanks to our chapter’s grant) and met WCA leaders from all over the country. It was so inspiring to hear the different events they plan. There are so many opportunities to connect on a national and international level. I am so proud of the scholarships we have awarded to several Moore College of Art and Design  Seniors and Philadelphia High School students; our“Connections” show at Holy Family University; all our informative studio visit workshops with members; and our upcoming “Old Enough to Know Better”show at Crane Arts. However, my daughter will be 3 years old in just a few weeks, and it is time for me to “pass the spoon”. I need to hand over the reins of WCA Philadelphia Chapter to someone who has some time to devote to the chapter.  I can't do it any longer. I am teaching high school full time, we are looking into buying a house next year, I'm trying to make my own work, and honestly, Sophia is growing up WAY too fast and I just don’t want to miss another minute. The hard part is over. Our infrastructure is strong and all documents are on Google Drive. It will be a painless transition that I will be happy to walk you through. Through our efforts over the past two and a half years, we have made tremendous progress and now have an updated membership list with 45 members.  Dixie O’Connor and Simone Spicer are on the By Laws Committee and have been hard at work excavating and constructing our chapter by laws. They have also traced our history back to to 1972 and found our show archives at thePhiladelphia Museum of Art! There are lots of ideas for a then and now type show. Roz Bloom does an outstanding job posting interesting articles and relevant information on the WCA Philadelphia Chapter homepage. Teresa Unseld does an incredible job sending out our welcome letter to new members; we have business cards (thanks Debbie Miller) and an updated blog thanks to Emily Shnellbacher. Virginia Maksymowicz is our trusted treasurer and advisor. Jude Lang has done some incredible graphic design work for us. Laura Petrovich-Cheneyposts to the blog occasionally and gives excellent advice when necessary.Sarah Bloom has helped out with PR. Mailchimp is well established and I started a “Your WCA” feature so we can all get to know one another. At least three members have already offered to host studio visits for 2016! (Three is all we had this year- plus the show.). I want to stay connected as well because I truly value the friendships I’ve made over these years. The chapter is alive and healthy, it just needs you to keep watering it so it can continue to grow and thrive! Please consider stepping up and leading the WCA Philadelphia Chapter further down the path of empowering and supporting women artists into the future.  As of December 31, 2015, I will be resigning my position as President of the Philadelphia Chapter. Please consider taking the helm for a while. It would be terrible to let this chapter die after the community we’ve built. We will be having elections on October 11, 2015 at Roz Bloom's studio. (Positions available: President, Vice President and Secretary). Please email wcaphiladelphia@gmail.com if you are interested and I will add your name to the ballot. I can assist with the transition over the next 3 months.  Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Kristin Osgood Lamelas President, WCA Philadelphia Chapter