September Newsletter

Gallery Happenings:

Remember, we now have two locations.

***Montrose Street Gallery, 776 W. Montrose Street, Clermont

***SoLake Art @ Cagan, 16640 Cagan Crossings Blvd, Clermont, FL

Montrose Gallery has been open on Sundays during the Farmers Market most of the summer. We had lots of visitors and got some new members and students. Classes were very slow, in fact, the only classes this summer were taught by Pat Percy and Keith Myers. Other classes should be starting up again during the month of September. A group of member/artists continues to meet on Fridays at the gallery to paint together. You are welcome to attend any Free Paint sessions if you are a member.

Poetry Guild at Montrose: The first meeting of the season will be Thursday, Sept. 2^nd at 10:00 am at the downtown, Montrose Street, Gallery. Elizabeth Bethune will be leading the group and she is always looking for new members to join.

Cagan Crossings gallery has been open on Monday thru Wednesday, thanks to our new member, Lisa Bartlett. Lisa lives close by, and she has taken over the duties of gallery manager for Cagan. She is also a student in Keith’s Saturday morning Pastel class at Cagan. Lisa and about 10 other volunteers helped with the Grocery Bag Art Exhibit at Cagan in August. We had about 58 kids (in 3 different shifts) who painted the grocery bags. We hosted some of the kids and their parents at the Grocery Bag Art Exhibit. The kids did real well, and we heard from some of the parents that they liked the Cagan Crossings field trip the best.

Remember: both Galleries are available for rental for solo shows. The Solo Exhibit Fee for Cagan Crossings Gallery is $50 per week plus $7.50 per day for any days over seven (7) or $175 for an entire month, plus donation of 15% of all proceeds from sales. The Solo Exhibit Fee for Montrose Gallery is $25 per week plus $4.00 per day for any days over seven (7) or $85 for an entire month, plus donation of 15% of all proceeds from sales. If you want to have a solo exhibit at either gallery, give me a call at 352 241-6407. We need to coordinate the space available with the art exhibits.

Remember, as a member of the South Lake Art League, you can use either location to exhibit and sell your art. We only ask for a 15% fee, NOT the 35 or 40% that other galleries charge. Please treat the galleries as your own art studio. Help us make it work to your advantage.

Although we have either received donations or purchased tables and other needed items, we are still in need of either bookcases or shelving units and plenty of folding chairs. If twelve members can only give us 1 chair apiece, we will have 12 chairs! Please remember us when you find you have 1 or 2 chairs too many.

At the end of last year, I had applied for a grant from the Community Foundation of South Lake to see if we could get money to renovate Montrose street to include a handicapped bathroom. We did not get the grant. I will continue to look for grants that may be available to us for either renovations or new programs.

Last year, we had a Photography Show, which was a great success. Many thanks to Shirley Sojourner who always does such a great job as show chairman and to everyone who helped her hang and sit the gallery. Shirley is stepping down this year from chairing this show, but she will work with our Board Member in charge of exhibits to make sure that the show runs smoothly.

We also had a Fall and a Spring Members Art Show with many wonderful entries. We are looking forward to the same this coming year with maybe an art exhibit to be held at the Cooper Memorial Library.

Old Clermont Photos/Pictures: If you painted a picture of old Clermont for the 125^th celebration, the South Lake Historical Society is looking for pictures of historic Clermont or South Lake County. If you wish to donate a painting or a print of your art, contact them at 352 394-1453 or visit www.southlakehistoricalsociety.com

Chamber After Hours: Superior Residences of Clermont is having a grand Re-opening, Thurs, Sept. 9^th 5:30 – 7:30 pm You are invited for an evening of great entertainment, refreshments & door prizes. 1600 Hunt Trace Blvd, Clermont.

Members Meetings: We will have a wonderful demo at the September 4th meeting. Member, Lorraine Williams and artist Regine Dorsche will show us the Powertex product and what can be done with it. If you have been to the Cagan gallery, you have seen the beautiful 18" tall sculptures of women, sitting or kneeling. Well, they were made with Powertex. Sculpture is only one of the artistic uses of Powertex. Check out Regine's website www.powertexcreations.com to see a video and get more information. Lorraine will be giving a workshop on how to make the sitting & kneeling ladies in the fall.

Workshops: Some of our Seminars and Workshops Scheduled for the coming year:

Roger Pierce is back. Date to be announced. Spend 2 days with award winning watercolor painter Roger Pierce. Supply list provided. Check out Roger’s website: http://www.rpierceartist.com/ Fee: $135 non-member/ $120 member.

Paint Your Pet 2-day Workshop, with Kathie Camara. Learn to paint your pet in oils from a photograph. All paints provided. Check website for dates, times. Fee: $135 non-member/ $120 member.

Mary Beth Lesko, a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, has been teaching a colored pencil series on Friday mornings. She is a snowbird and will be returning in October of this year. Here is a link to her gallery page at Pennsylpoints, a PA gallery http://www.cpsa115.org/mblgallerypage.htm If you are interested in attending the Colored Pencil classes, contact Mary Beth at (570) 594-4045 or mbl4cp@verizon.net

Mark your calendars for another Tom Jones watercolor workshop, possibly in January or February next year. You really don’t want to miss out on Tom’s class.

If you would like to see photos and more information about these workshops, please visit www.SouthLakeArtLeague.com and look at the class info and registration forms or contact SouthLakeArt@yahoo.com. If you have a favorite artist that you’d like to see offering a workshop at SLAL, give me their name and I’ll make contact.

New Classes coming: Community Arts Connection will be presenting a series of kids classes including stained glass, clay, visual arts exploration, and glass painting for kids age groups: 6-8, 9-13, and 12-16. These classes will be held at Cagan Crossings.

We have another instructor who will be teaching kids at Cagan. More to come on kids classes.

Photography Class Date/Time to be announced. More info to come. Photography Class with Carroll Dickerson and Clarence Eisch both officers of the Kings Ridge Photography Club. Carroll was one of the judges of our recent photography show.

Rico Maschino will be teaching some acrylic and oil classes at both locations.

Don Herold will be teaching a Scratchboard Art class at the downtown location.

Jane Zhao may be back with a 2 day floral workshop and a jewelry making workshop.

PowerTex Sculptures is a workshop that will be offered in the Fall.

We may be offering a class in woodcarving.

Keep watching the website for more information on these and other workshops. We are still looking for instructors. Let me know if you want to teach!

Art Shows / Arts & Crafts Shows:

Clermont Downtown Partnership is sponsoring an Arts & Crafts Festival on Nov. 6^th and 7^th on Montrose Street. If you are interested, there is information and a vendor application on the CDP website at www.clermontdowntownpartnership.org

Halifax Art Festival is taking place on Nov. 6 & 7 in Ormond Beach, FL. For more information, check out their website http://www.halifaxartfestival.com/

Members Bragging Spot: Remember, if you have won an award, brag about it. If you are participating in an art show, send me your information so that I can put it in our newsletter so our members can attend. If you have taken a great class, let others know. Send me stuff for the newsletter southlakeart@yahoo.com Keep Painting!

Members, Don Herold and Kathie Camara, were featured artists following the Watch Art Happen plein air event at the Spring Fever in the Garden Festival in April. Their paintings were on exhibit in the Winter Garden City Hall from June to the end of August. The City has invited us to do the art exhibit again next year. The dates for "Spring Fever in the Garden" is April 9 - 10, 2011. If you’d like to participate, applications for "Watch Art Happen" are on their website - www.springfeveringarden.com.

Harry Grey’s At First Glance Gallery in Leesburg at Lake Square Mall had an art show recently. One of our members, Bob Panzini, won 2^nd place in the Acrylic Paintings division. Harry says that he will be having another art show in November and will send us the information in case anyone would like to enter a painting or two.

Reminder: Remember that your dues for the September 2010 to May 2011 season are now due and payable. If you have not yet paid your $30 single / $35 family membership, please make your check out to: Treasurer, SLAL and mail to South Lake Art League, 776 W. Montrose Street, Clermont, FL 34711 or bring it to the Sept. meeting. Thanks.