February Minutes and March News!

View this email in your browser Letter from the President Progress and A Call for Help March 6, 2016 Dear Members and Potential Members, Once again we had an exciting and productive meeting at the end of February (minutes from that meeting included at the end of this letter). We have a lot of ideas and we need active members to do them well! The next meeting is being held on a weeknight evening in order to give opportunity for those who couldn't come on the weekend mornings. So mark your calendars for: WEDNESDAY MARCH 30th 6:30pm at 3rd St. GALLERY on 2nd st. I am determined to get our membership up and active and need your help. Talk us up to your female artist friends, invite them to come to the next meeting with no obligation, just to check us out. I will be sending invitations to other local Philadelphia artist communities, groups, and galleries this week to invite potential members and potential collaborations. The more active membership we have, the better for everyone. --------- EXHIBITION COMMITTEE FORMING Who wants to be on the exhibition committee? We have space secured for October 2016 (during POST) at Scotts Mills Studios in East Falls, and need to get a plan together ASAP for the show. We also have a HUGE themed show idea in the works in the early stages of planing. Get in on the ground floor! Please email wcaphiladelphia@gmail.com if you are interested, putting "exhibition committee" in the subject line, and tell us about your experience and availability. RED SAND PROJECT We are in the process of ordering kits and organizing a day of action adopting artist Molly Gochman's Red Sand Project. April 30th 2-5pm. Stay tuned for more info on that as we finalize details. SWAN DAY (Support Women Artists Now) Saturday March 26th is SWAN day, but supporting women artists is a year-round affair. We are in contact with the University of Pennsylvania group "Women in Art Initiative" spearheaded by WCA member Linda Lin to join up for some educational and nurturing activities. Stay tuned. --------- To join the Philadelphia Chapter, one must also join the national. You can join only the national organization, but not only the chapter. Total cost is $55 for the year ($40 for national plus $15 for chapter), though the year ends Dec. 31 no matter when you join, so now is better than later. There are also student rates. You can become a member of the Philadelphia chapter by filling out the application form on the National WCA website, choosing "PAP" as your chapter. The national WCA membership page is here: http://www.nationalwca.org/membership/membership.php You can either click the PayPal link to fill the application online and pay online, OR you can click the "APPLICATION FORM" link to download the pdf, fill it out and mail it with your check to the address listed on the application page. Current members, it is time to RENEW! 2015 memberships expired Dec 31st if you joined before October and you must renew by April.  Please let me know if you have any questions or problems with the application process. All the best, Sarah R. Bloom 2016 Chapter President Philadelphia Chapter of the WCA February Meeting Minutes Saturday February 27th, 10am (8 members present) Board Members: President Sarah R. Bloom Vice President Damini Celebrese Treasurer Virginia Maksymowicz Secretary Colleen Gahrmann Membership Teresa Unseld Meeting Business: Meeting called to order by President Sarah Bloom at 10:15. Reviewed the 2/27 agenda stating that a relaxed application of Roberts Rules will be applied to future meetings. Treasury report and the WCA Impact Conference outcomes were shared. Event possibilities for SWAN Day March26th (Support Women Artists Now International) were discussed. Explanation of social activist /artist: Molly Gochman’s Red Sand Project and discussion of the Philadelphia Chapters potential partnership in that project. Motion was made to move forward on becoming involved in the Red Sand project seconded and passed. (Roz and Colleen will coordinate and make recommendations) Recommendations were made to reach out to area colleges Woman’s Study & Art Departments regarding partnerships, use of facilities and widening membership. Proposals/ ideas for the adoption of the WCAP Chapters social awareness art focus project discussed. Amended original proposal of a single issue project. Proposal: “A Space of Her Own: An Aesthetic Directory” was introduced by Colleen Gahrmann discussion ensued. Motion to accept the proposal, passed by the members in attendance. Motion to call for and form an Exhibition Committee seconded and passed. Sarah will notify members of this committee opportunity. Inquiries regarding exhibition space at Scotts Mills, East Falls, Philadelphia, target date Sept/Fall 2016 will be made by Dora Fischer and Marie Weaver. President Sarah Bloom will schedule and announce the next Chapter meeting with in the month. Notice will be through membership email, WCA Philadelphia Chapter Facebook. Please bring a friend. Meeting Adjourned @ 11:40       unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

February 3, 2016

Dear Members and Potential Members,

We had a very energetic meeting this past Sunday, the minutes of which are included. In discussing my goals for the coming year, I emphasized the mission statement of the WCA which states that we create community through ART, EDUCATION, and SOCIAL ACTIVISM. The streamlining that was necessary to get things organized again over the past couple of years meant that not all these areas were being addressed. In order to accomplish more, we need more members who are ready to be actively involved.

Along this line of thought the idea came up to choose a focus social issue around which our other programming could operate. Themed art shows, community art projects related to that issue/with people affected by that issue, film screenings, lecture series, etc.

We were unable to come to a decision on one issue and it would certainly be better to get more input. We do not, however, want this to drag on with lots of vague or broad subjetcs being suggested without some concrete ideas. So, WE WANT YOU to email your ideas/proposals for the issue you'd like to see us focus on, with some specific goals and ideas (does not have to be a full plan for the next year, but needs to have some direction) to me at wcaphiladelphia@gmail.com

Come to the next meeting with your ideas (if you cannot make it, say so in the email but your ideas WILL be represented). The next meeting will be SUNDAY FEBRUARY 28^th at Da Vinci Art Alliance 10am-11:30am. They won't all be at Da Vinci, but I wanted to have another meeting before too much time passed and I know we can have it there. If you cannot make Sunday mornings I apologize, and I will make an effort to have meetings at different days/times moving forward, but as you know it will be impossible for a meeting to be a good time for everyone.

Lastly, a big thank you to those potential members who came out and shared their experience and knowledge with us! I do hope you join. We need you.

To join the Philadelphia Chapter, one must also join the national. You can join only the national organization, but not only the chapter. Total cost is $55 for the year ($40 for national plus $15 for chapter), though the year ends Dec. 31 no matter when you join, so now is better than later. There are also student rates. 

You can become a member of the Philadelphia chapter by filling out the application form on the National WCA website, choosing "PAP" as your chapter. The national WCA membership page is here: http://www.nationalwca.org/membership/membership.php

You can either click the PayPal link to fill the application online and pay online, OR you can click the "APPLICATION FORM" link to download the pdf, fill it out and mail it with your check to the address listed on the application page.

Current members, it is time to RENEW! 2015 memberships expired Dec 31^st.

Please let me know if you have any questions or problems with the application process.

All the best,

Sarah R. Bloom
2016 Chapter President

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Philadelphia Women’s Caucus for Art Members Meeting Minutes January 31, 2015

15 people present (7 current member and 8 potential members )

Introduction and Agenda

• Meeting called to order by President Sarah Bloom at 10:15.
  
• Sarah offered a brief history of the National Women’s Caucus for Art as well as her vision/ideas for the Philadelphia Chapter: The mission of the Women's Caucus for Art is to create community through art, education, and social activism.
  
• Sarah wishes to hold regular business meetings about every 3 months, separate from other events/gatherings.
  
• Ideas and Vision for the Philadelphia Chapter events include museum, studio visits, exhibitions, films community and social involvement.
  
• Membership categories and dues were noted all those in attendance are welcomed and encouraged to join. WCA is a networking organization for women in the arts.
  

Meeting Business

• Discussion ensued regarding Social Issues that the Philadelphia Chapter would like to adopt and pursue as a group to raise social awareness. Some ideas were seen as too vague/broad, some too stereotypical.
  
• A motion to vote was made by Sarah Bloom to adopt Violence against Women as the Chapters Social Activism Issue; however after group discussion the vote was tabled to our next meeting.
  
• Those in attendance were asked to bring definitive ideas and specific goals regarding social issues that affect women for Chapter consideration.
  
• Ideas for social issue suggestions can be emailed to:wcaphiladelphia@gmail.com
  
• Suggestions were made regarding the use of face book hashtags such as #wcaphilly as a means of additional chapter communication.
  
• President Sarah Bloom will schedule and announce the next Chapter meeting within the month.
  
• Notice will be through membership email, WCA Philadelphia Chapter Facebook. Please bring a friend.
  

Meeting Adjourned @ 11:40