Raritan Valley Arts Association
Newsletter

RARITAN VALLEY ARTS ASSOCIATION est. 1939

Wintry Blast Greetings!

And welcome Baby New Year! We hope all of you will have a healthy and happy 2009; may creativity abound, and inspiration ring clear! To jumpstart you, do come to our next meeting Monday, January 26th, 7:30 pm, Somerset County Library, and watch our own DOUG AXMANN as he does one of his inimitable demonstrations, calling up all sorts of ideas and mixed media. We all enjoy watching this artist/teacher demo; if you’ve not seen Doug demo yet, you’re in for a treat. If you have seen him, come again, and see what’s new! Mary Ann Vaccaro and Kathy Blair are hospitality and we thank them for that!

What do you know? We also want to thank Doug for running our annual FANTASTIC HOLIDAY DINNER, held Monday, December 8th at McCarthy's Restaurant. A jolly group of RVAAers held sway at the restaurant for a few hours, talking, laughing, eating, and exchanging cool gifts from our grab-bag table. President Linda Arnold presided (with Santa Dick present), Eleanor DeMott told us the story of how the Christmas poinsettia custom began, and Diana Patton read/acted her story "Janet and Mousie". A truly festive time was had by all; we felt really "Christmassy".

Eleanor DeMott gives out candy canes. Rosemary Zangara & Linda Arnold Converse.

"Santa" Dick Arnold & Doug Axmann

Final results from our Holiday Show at the Somerset County Library will be in next Newsletter but it looks as though we took in about $450. This, unfortunately, is much less than other years, much less. Eighteen artists put on a really lovely display of about 200 paintings, but the word is, not many buyers, or even serious lookers, were there when we show sat. For those who looked, and certainly all the library employees, there was beauty all around. Your editor thanks Mary Creasy for helping on delivery night with signing in and more, and also Linda Arnold, Doug Axmann, Eleanor Morehouse, and Diana Patton for sharing their racks.

Before we forget ... and many of us have ... dues were due! And they still are! Please send your checks made out to RVAA to our Membership Chairman Doug Axmann, 16 Schoolhouse Lane, Somerville, NJ 08876. Dues are $30. Individual, $35. Family, and $15. Student (through high school). Dues will get you all these demonstrations, two or three exhibits a year (including our Holiday Extravaganza at the Somerset County Library, which runs a month), the annual Big Apple Trip, the newsletters, a presence on the internet, and last, but not least, lots of camaraderie. We really won’t be able to mail you the next Newsletter if you are not up to date on your dues.

THE BIG APPLE BUS TRIP is coming this spring---we'll have more details next Newsletter, but you should put in your mind that a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Forbes Museum, and the American Watercolor Society Show is a fantastic way to spend a spring day. Mary Ann Vaccaro has once again volunteered to chair this superb trip! Thank you, Mary Ann!

We've enjoyed Mindy Lighthipe's demos; she is having a one-woman show at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morris County, February 1-28. You can contact the Arboratum at 973/326-7603 and also go to www.mindylighthipe.com

Please don't forget to go to our very own website www.raritanvalleyarts.org. Remember you can have a free presence on the website by snail mailing photos or emailing your editor. Two works and a short bio will go up.

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

b>ELSA HERRMANN received Honorable Mention at both the county and state level Senior Citizens' Show for her pastel entitled "Lannie". She was awarded a Blue Ribbon in the Ocean County Artists Juried Members' Show in the Oil/ Pastel category. Her work hung in a Solo Show at the Ocean County Artists' Guild in Island Heights for the month of October. Elsa was also awarded first place in watercolors in the 2008/09 Small Works Show at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences. The exhibition ran through the 15th of January, 2009.

Hello! Please email or write me your news! I would greatly appreciate it!

Previous Newsletters

Click on the newsletter you want to view.
Nov. 2008 newsletter
Oct. 2008 newsletter
Sept. 2008 newsletter
May 2008 newsletter
Apr. 2008 newsletter
Mar. 2008 newsletter
Feb. 2008 newsletter
Jan. 2008 newsletter
Oct. 2007 newsletter
Sept. 2007 newsletter
May 2007 newsletter
Apr. 2007 newsletter
Mar. 2007 newsletter