The Villages Arts & Crafts Association
MISSION
The Villages Arts & Crafts Association was founded 48 years ago to provide a creative outlet to artists and crafters who live in The Villages, an active senior community, in the beautiful hills of east San Jose.
The aims of the Association shall be to encourage and foster the hands-on visual arts such as painting in all media, collage, ceramics, knitting and stitchery and other crafts and arts by classes and workshops and free demonstrations and programs for Villagers who reside in this community and to provide events and creative outlets, such as exhibits, festivals and special events.
Our vision is that within a decade The Villages would feature the amenities of an arts and crafts colony as an enticement (in addition to golf and tennis) for seniors to make The Villages their home.
If you want any information about Arts & Crafts, please contact 2018 President Monita Bowman at 408-440-8591 or monita.bowman@gmail.com We always need volunteers to serve as committee members with small jobs, so call Monita if you are willing to help our art club in any way.
We provide classes, workshops, quarterly exhibits in Cribari Center, a monthly Art Film and annual events such as the December Members Annual Juried Show, the April Art in the Park, the June Sidewalk Art Show, the August Home Studios Art Tour and the November Holiday Faire. Membership is open to all Villagers, artists, crafters and all Villagers who support arts and crafts, with annual dues of $10 per year. Donations may also be received by Arts & Crafts since we are a 501c3, a non-profit charitable trust, listed by the California Attorney General's Office. This status allows us to sponsor Bingo for Villagers. At the present time, the person who was in charge of Bingo, Betty Stednitz, has become ill and will no longer be able to be in charge. The Community Activities Office and Arts & Crafts are actively searching for a new volunteer to direct Bingo.
A monthly general meeting and guest artist demonstration is held on the first Monday of each month in Cribari Conference Room at 1:45 pm. Entries for Artist of the Month are encouraged except for May and June this year. No demos are held in January, July, August, September or December.
To register for an art class advertised in The Villager or by flyer on Cribari bulletin boards, e mail Barb at barb.gottesman@gmail.com or email Judy at judywessler@gmail.com by the deadline indicated. Contact either Barb or Judy if you want additional information or go to the instructor's page on our website.
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
Last year during 2017, Arts & Crafts donated ALL of its profits from Art in the Park and Holiday Faire to the VMA. We made approximately $800 overage from each event. Instead of banking it for up front money for next year's event or spending it on much needed art and ceramics room equipment which are used by all Villagers, we added $200 from our treasury to make the check rounded out to $1,000 to the VMA.
Over the last ten years, Arts & Crafts has given back to the community to VMA, Meals on Wheels and other organizations. Each year the Advisory Board must vote on where to direct our charitable giving. Obviously some of our event profits must go to producing the event next year, to buy equipment for the Art Room and the Ceramics Room, and for operating expenses. In 2011 we published and sold cookbooks and donated the profits to the VMA. In other years, some profits from the Holiday Faire Bake Sale have been donated to the VMA. In some years, the Advisory Board has voted to share our event profits with charitable organizations while rolling over some profits to fund the event next year. We have also given to Meals on Wheels for those Villagers who receive meals on wheels.
Between 2007 and 2017, Arts and Crafts has donated $17,583.22 to VMA and other Villages charities.
Rules for "Artist of the Month"
At the May 7 meeting, we are soliciting NO entries for Artist of the Month. Instead we are voting for that title from among the paintings hung on the "clock side" of the Conference Room (white voting ballots.) We will also vote for the Artist of the Month for June from among the paintings on the "fireplace side" (green voting ballots). Names of the artist will be covered during the voting.
1. Members are invited to enter paintings or other 2 D works of art, such as stitchery or quilts. 3 D works of art, such as ceramics, sculpture, jewelry or assemblage are also welcome.
2. Paintings must be framed and on an easel. Signature on the painting must be covered.
3. Works of art must be done recently by the artist, within the last 3 years.
4. Entries must be registered with Ruth Keiser by 1:15 pm on the day of the monthly Arts & Crafts meeting.
5. Voting begins at 1:30 pm.
George Rivera is Guest Artist at the Monday, May 7,
regular monthly Arts & Crafts meeting
George, former executive director of Triton Museum, will offer critiques of members' art works.
Each member may bring one painting for George's always helpful critique.
1:45 pm Cribari Conference Room
The members will vote on the newly revised By Laws, as directed by the Villages Board of Directors.
Contracts for the June 2 Sidewalk Art Sale will be available from Judy Wessler after the meeting.
Vote for Artist of the Month from the paintings on the wall in the current exhibit.
OPEN STUDIO in the Art Room
Mondays: 10 am - 12 noon
Wednesdays: 10 am - 12 noon
Fridays: 9:30 am - 12 noon
All are welcome!
OPEN STUDIO in the Ceramics Room
Mondays: 1 - 5 pm
Tuesdays: 1 - 5 pm
Thursdays: 2 - 5 pm
Fridays: 1 - 5 pm
You are welcome to use the supervised Ceramics Room at these times if you have taken a class or been trained on equipment by Diane Finley.