News

President's Message for February

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Category: News

Published: Sun. Feb 10, 2019

Happy Valentine's Day! I wish for you chocolates, flowers and love!

You have been given the opportunity to apply for an art scholarship. Let's get to the heart of the matter! Do not join that Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda Club. You can read about the scholarships offered each year in our new membership roster, pages 6 and 7 and also in this newsletter. You can download the applications or apply on the website.

The application deadline is just around the corner, March 1, 2019.

We all have heard of carpe diem translated is "Seize the day". I prefer carpe omnia which means making the most of each situation and each opportunity – "seizing it all"! You can seize the opportunity: the decision is yours – take it – seize it all! Scholarship money is awarded to attend an artist workshop! Go for it and apply today!

Even Mark Twain believed in living without regret: "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover".

Have you realized art rhymes with heart!!! Carpe Omnia – Katie Johnson

Katie Johnson
Omaha Artists Inc. President

February Lunch and Program

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Category: News

Published: Sun. Feb 10, 2019

Wednesday, February 27th, 2019
Board Meeting at 11:00
Luncheon/General Meeting at 12:00

No reservations required.

Valentino's Buffet, in the party room
5022 South 108th St.
LaVista (108th off of L St.)

Tell them you are with Omaha Artists when you pay at the door. 

Program

February is the month for love…love of self, love for others, love of art. 

Did you know that one of the many lovely perks of being an Omaha Artist member is you get to have your own “gallery page” hooked onto, via cyber magic, the Omaha Artist, Inc web page! However, if you’re anything like me, you haven’t taken advantage of this little gem because you don’t know how to do this. Well, do I have good news for YOU!!!! 

Susan Stevens will be teaching us how to get our gallery pages published on the Web at the next general meeting of the Omaha Artists Art Club! Record this opportunity on your calendar. The date will be February 27th at Valentino’s Restaurant, 5022 So 108th St., at noon. Remember, it won’t be the same without YOU!!!!! 

Lets go have some fun and get our gallery pages up and running!!!

Barbara Egr

Program Chair

Fun Shop: Gourdin' Around with Linda Bernett

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Category: Fun Shops

Published: Sun. Feb 10, 2019

Wednesday, February 20th, 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Rescheduled for Wednesday, March 20th, 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Lutheran Church of the Master, 2716 So. 114th Street
Members - $4.00 /non-members - $5.00

Please join us February 20th for a fun-filled workshop with instructor and former OAI President Linda Bernett in "Gourdin' Around." Linda will share her techniques and expertise in embellishing gourds. We will all work the same project going step-by-step, although each one will be unique.

Linda will have dried, (mostly) cleaned gourds and cut into a pot/bowl and will be available to purchase, priced from $3.00 to $6.00 depending on the size and quality of the gourd. If you have your own dried gourds, please feel free to bring it/them. Linda will bring a lot of freebies such as "inspiritional gourds," and embellishments and will share supplies.

If anyone has any questions as to where to get gourds or alcohol ink (listed below in supply list), you may contact Linda and she will be happy to explain.

Bring snacks to share.

Supply List:

• 1 cured (dried) gourd – with the waxy skin scrubbed off
• Black acrylic and a metallic acrylic paint (craft paint is fine)
• 1 Alcohol ink (Andirondack or Pinata brand) Red, Green or Blue:
  • If using Red or Green alcohol ink, bring Gold metallic paint
  • if using Blue, then bring Silver.
• 91% Isopropyl Alcohol Felt pad or foam brush
• 1/2 inch long-handle scruffy brush - don't bring your best
• Water container
• Latex gloves
• Baby wipes or paper towels
• White glue such as Elmers, E6000, Super Glue or comparable
• Sandpaper Pad of newspaper
• Optional: Any embellishments, such as gold leaf, found items, paper, beads, shells, feathers, leather, wire, etc.

Shirley Schmidt

Fun Shop Co-chair

Nancy Ralson

Fun Shop Co-chair

Art Bridge

Details

Category: News

Published: Sun. Feb 10, 2019

In December we made Christmas wreaths with 23 ESL students in attendance. The Art Bridge teachers provided a small gift bag with crayons, coloring pages and candies to students and teachers. In January, we used markers, rulers, protractors, and compassed to make geometric designs. There were 20 students in attendance. Our next lesson in February will be making hearts with tissue paper!

Linda Bernett

Art Bridge Chair

Art Show News

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Category: Art Show News

Published: Sun. Feb 10, 2019

Spring Art Show

Hot Shops Art Center, 1301 Nicholas Street

Theme is "Childhood Summers". Along with your entry, you must also write a short explanation of your "Childhood Memory" on a 3x5 card to hang beside your artwork.

Registration: Tuesday, April 30, 11 am - 1 pm
Reception: Sunday, May 5, 2 -4 pm
Take down: Tuesday, May 28, 11 am -1 pm

Image Size Guidelines

We will be enforcing size guidelines, in order to give the shows a better look, and to avoid overcrowding. These sizes refer to the outside edges of the frame.

• 3 pieces 11 x 14 or smaller. If one of your 3 pieces is larger than 11x14, then you can only enter 2.
• 2 pieces are allowed if both are 30 x 30 or smaller.
• One piece if it's larger than 30 x 30, with maximum size of 40 x 40.

Sizes may be figured by adding two adjacent sides, so smallest no bigger than 25 (11+14), middle size 60 (30 + 30), and largest – when two sides are greater than 60 but not larger than 80 total.

Restrictions may vary from show to show. Refer to Standards for Exhibiting Artwork for restriction details of a show.

Chillin' Winter Art Show Judging

Our ‘Chillin’ Winter” Omaha Artist, Inc. Art Show at the Jewish Community Center had 55 artists enter a total of 107 works of art! This is a big show! Please come to our reception this Sunday, February 10 from 2-4 at the Jewish Community Center, 333 South 132nd St. where we will be giving out the awards, and of course present at the reception, but he has included his remarks on the the show for this newsletter.

Art Show Judge Hal Holoun

Born in Ord, Nebraska October 16, 1939, Mr. Hal Holoun attended Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska; received a graduate degree from the University of Wyoming, Laramie Wyoming. Private study includes ceramic sculpture with Helen Geisel, Denver, Colorado and photography with Ruth Bernhard, San Francisco, California. He has had teaching experience at various colleges and universities, as well as having conducted numerous private classes and workshops.

He was named Exhibitions and Programs Director at Stuhr Museum, Grand Island, Nebraska in 1972. He resigned his position at that museum in 1979 to pursue work full-time as a studio artist, and continues his studio work to the present day. His most recent local exhibit was at Gallery 1516 in Omaha in 2018, in a two-person exhibition with the pastel artist, Jennifer Homan.

See you there!

You can see all of the winning entries in the 2019 Chillin' Winter Art Show Gallery.

Sharon Clawson

Art Shows Chair

ANAC Membership Dues

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Category: News

Published: Sun. Feb 10, 2019

ANAC membership Dues must be paid by February 27 to qualify for entry in the ANAC 2019 Art Show in Albion, NE. June 19 - 22, 2019.

Make check for $12.00 payable to Omaha Artist, Inc.

Send postmarked before February 26 to:
Jo Anne Nielsen 7335 Shadow Lake Plaza #312 Papillion, NE 68046

Members listed below have already paid for the 2019 ANAC year. So if you are not sure if you have joined, please see list below to see if you are listed. March will have all the information about the selection show in the newsletter.

March will have all the information about the selection show in the newsletter.

Any questions please contact: Jo Anne Nielsen 402-250-6464.

Jo Anne Nielsen

ANAC

Dick Brown

ANAC

Linda Jones

ANAC

January Board Meeting Notes

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Category: Board Meeting Notes

Published: Sun. Feb 10, 2019

The General Meeting of the Omaha Artists Inc was held January 23, 2019 at Charlie’s on the Lake. President, Katie Johnson called the meeting to order. New members and guests were welcomed. Previous meeting minutes were approved after Secretary Judy Freeland read.

Treasurer: Jo Anne Nielsen Report of $5,738.99.

ANAC: Jo Anne Nielsen asked that members check newsletter listing to see if dues have been paid.

Art Shows: The Jewish Community Center will host a “no theme” show. Price your art accordingly to a 25% commission. February 1, 11-1 pm is registration. Sunday, February 10 is the reception from 2-4:00. Take down will be February 28th, 11-1 pm.

Our spring show will be at The Hot Shops. The theme will be “Childhood Summers”. Please include a 3x5 card explaining each piece of art. Registration will be April 30, 11-1 pm. The reception will be Sunday, May 5th from 2-4:00, and take down will be May 28th from 11-1:00. Be sure to check “image size guidelines” found later in the newsletter.

Our fall art show will be at La Casa. Date to be announced.

Community Art Bridge: Linda Bernett reported December’s project was wreaths. January’s art dealt with markers and numerous tools and February is making a tissue collage.

Community Art Reach: No changes or new information to report

Courtesy: No report this month.

Fun Shop: Shirley Schmidt, Nancy Ralston, announced Neva Cozine will be joining as a 3rd Chairperson! No meeting was held in December. January 16th, member, Linda Jones demonstrated a class on pet portraits. Twenty attended and $81 collected. February 20th, Linda Bernett, will give a gourd class with various tech-niques.

Host/Hostess: Carol McCall and Patti Kounkel announced our February Luncheon/Board Meeting will be at the South Valentinos on 108th (south of L Street). The program following lunch will be an informative demon-stration on how to set up and display your art through our OAI website (Gallery Page). Susan Stevens will be the presenter.

Membership: Susan Stevens suggested new members should apply online. By doing so, all the necessary information needed to receive our roster and monthly newsletters will immediately welcome new members to our organization. 150 Members.

Newsletter: Linda Guynn would like all newsletter information sent to her by this weekend (January 27). Send to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Programs: Barbara Egr announced Dan Klima is our luncheon speaker on this date - sharing his skills in woodworking. Our February Luncheon/Board Meeting will be Susan Stevens guiding us through our OAI technology and setting up our art online through the website.

Publicity: Sharon Clawson announced OAI postcards will be on display at The Jewish Community during registration.

Website/Webmaster: Susan Stevens put into use OAI’s new audiovisual equipment at the January Fun Shop – the screen, power point presentation – demonstrating how equipment set up. Susan was thanked for researching and purchasing the equipment. Microphone and speaker is in use today!

Vice President: Barbara Egr announced no new business

President: Katie Johnson reminded all of us scholarship forms need to be turned in by March 1. She announced our Spotlight Member for February is Sharon Clawson!
Unfinished Business: Susan Stevens suggested we need another set of eyes to review/proof the newslet-ter prior to being sent out - when people send emails to make note of a correction being needed, the emails pile up which takes time to clear out the spam. To save time and to have a better newsletter, she suggested the newsletter be sent to Katie Johnson, President as another set of eyes to review/proof making sure of dates, time, grammar, punctuation – the board discussed and decided yes that we would put this into effect.

New Business: Katie Johnson introduced new member, Jenny Waltmoth, paid dues to join but,
may not have sent membership form – notified us she had not received roster or newsletters. Discussed and board voted to send her roster and newsletters for a year after motion made by Barbara Egr second by Su-san Stevens.

Other Announcements: Linda Guynn is having her art shown in Nebraska City Grove Gallery in February.

Motion to Adjourn: Sharon Clawson
Seconded: Barbara Egr.

Meeting Adjourned.

Scholarship Applications Due March 1

Details

Category: News

Published: Sun. Feb 10, 2019

Omaha Artists, Inc. offers two scholarships yearly. The application deadline for both scholarships is March 1, 2019. The scholarships will be awarded at the March meeting.

The Genie Schafer Art Memorial Scholarship awards $400 each to two recipients to attend an art workshop. Learn more.

The Omaha Artists Inc. Memorial Scholarship  awards one member $500 to attend an art workshop of their choice. The recipient must be willing to share what they have learned with other Omaha Artists members at a Fun Shop. Learn more.

Spotlight Section featuring Sharon Clawson

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Category: Spotlighted Members

Published: Sun. Feb 10, 2019

The Spotlight Member Section is meant to get to know each other.

Q: Can you tell us about yourself?

A: I was born in and grew up in South Sioux City, NE. I got my Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Life Sciences from UNL. I worked full time and part time at UNMC as a research assistant a long time ago. I’ve been married to the same cool guy named Bruce for 44 years.. We have 3 kids, two boys and a girl. Our oldest boy and our daughter live in Long Beach, CA, so 2 of our grandsons live way far away. They are ages 4 and 2. Our other son lives here in Omaha so we have a 9 year old grandson here to spoil. My hobbies include travel, gardening, horseback riding, camping, hiking, nature activities and having fun with my kids and grandkids, and my hubby, of course.

Q: Tell us something about you that most people do not know about?

A: Something you don’t know about me is that my nickname as a girl was “Tootie”!

Q: Have you been a member of other organizations?

A: I'm a life member of Sierra Club (national environmental organization) and am currently on the local board serving as secretary. I have served as president of the PTA when the kids were in school, was on our church council, was a former Girl Scout Leader, and was a volunteer at Neale Woods Nature Center.

Q: How did you get involved in art? Tell us your story...

A: I always loved to draw and color as a kid, and my aunt was a a well known artist in the town I grew up in. So, she taught me how to use oils and pastels when I was about 12 - I learned so much from her. I continued to occasionally take the time to paint and make art while in high school college, and took a few classes in art at UNL, also at UNO after getting married and while having kids. I learned to use watercolor at UNO. I learned to use acrylic at some Fun Shops through OAI, and refined my skills in oil and pastel at other Fun Shops local workshops. I've lately preferred oil, but I still like to use the other mediums.

Q: What is your history or experience with OAI?

A: I've always enjoyed my time with OAI - and I'm happy that the board is so friendly and harmonious! I have been a member of OAI for a long time now - I think I joined in the 90's. I learned of it from a friend who was in a different art group. I've served on various committees of OAI, and have held positions of Vice President, President, and for the past several years I've been the Art Show Chairperson. This entails finding a venue for each of our 3 shows per year, getting a judge for each show, ordering ribbons for the year, and everything else involved in getting the show up and ready.

I have several long term committee members on the art show committee - they include Pat Lontor, Debi Plog, JoAnne Nielsen, Linda Glantz, Denice Lueke, Albert Rhea and Marilyn Beig. To form this committee, I just asked a few friends to help me, and as others had to leave the committee over the years, was able to find replacements. We all get along well, and all pitch in wherever needed. The committee shows up for registration day, and help take in the art, write everything into the registration book, take in the entry money, and then we hang the art. After the judging I put up the nicer title cards. The committee brings in the reception food and drink and keep it all stocked during the reception. Take down requires just one person to be there and check people off as their pieces are taken down. We usually think of at least one themed show per year, usually for the Hot Shops venue. Various members of the committee and the membership give me ideas for themes, and I usually pick one out of those suggested.

President's Message for January

Details

Category: News

Published: Sun. Jan 6, 2019

Hello, New Year 2019 and Omaha Artists Inc!!! Did you know 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February? What artist resolutions did you decide upon for this new year? It does not have to be January 1st to begin afresh or even to decide upon a change! What can we as artists do to improve our creativity?

We have 12 months to work on our goals and resolutions – allow me to guide you in some choices to get inspired: Learn something new by reading a book or magazine, visiting art galleries or show. Get organized – clean your studio or art space. Set a Create Day each week – take time for you! Do you want to learn a new technique or try a different medium? Then, check out the list of Fun Shops this year to learn that new experience or attend a luncheon meeting hearing a speaker tell you about their lives, creations and dreams!

Did you know that learning something new can make one happier and healthier? Please note the scholarships offered by Omaha Artists Inc: this is an opportunity to learn, to fulfill a resolution of health and happiness as well as creating art. I encourage you to complete and submit the scholarship applications to be considered a recipient!

Katie Johnson
Omaha Artists Inc. President

“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions.” --- Joey Adams