Agenda

Welcome (Mari)

Robert’s Rules of Order (Mari)

Communications (Susie)

Treasurer’s Report (April)

Festival Report (April)

Artist Demonstrations at the Festival (Joe)

Eligibility of Enamel Work in Festival (Emil)

Date of Next Meeting & Adjourn

The meeting began at 6 p.m. via Zoom

Present: Mari Emori, Cheryl Costantini, April Zilber, Lee Middleman, Emil Yanos, Trudy Chiddix, Joseph Battiato, Barbara Prodaniuk, Susie Rubenstein, Ren Lee, Chris Johnson, Vicki Gunter, Sonja Hinrichsen, Iver Hennig (recorder)

Absent: Sally Jackson, Jan Schachter

Guest: Julie Taber

Welcome (Mari)

This meeting’s timekeeper is Trudy C., stack taker is Barbara P., and substitute recorder is Iver H.

Robert’s Rules of Order (Mari E.)

Mari asked the Board to read and understand Robert’s Rules of Order so that our meetings will run more smoothly.

Communications (Susie R.) 

Our festival publicist, Kathy Bentaieb, has provided a marketing plan summarizing tasks completed and tasks ahead. These include ads in appropriate newsletters and local papers, posts on social media, notifications to our mailing list, a postcard design, and promotional materials for artists to send out to their own mailing lists. There will also be pitches to local TV stations as well as more social media reels featuring festival artists. Board members suggested that we all use a consistent subject line in our communications about the festival. There was also a request for more specifics about how money for publicity is being spent.

Treasurer’s Report (April)

April asked for permission to give Julie Taber, who will be taking over as Treasurer, viewing and downloading privileges for the the Bank of America and PayPal accounts so she can practice preparing reports this year. A vote was taken and the motion passed at 6:25 pm. April reviewed the April and May 2023 financial reports. Cheryl asked if we were looking into banking options to maximize interest rates.

Festival Report (April)  April is waiting to hear from Annie about the cost for security. Booth and volunteer assignments for festival artists have been sent. There are now 111 artists signed up to show at the festival; 18 are showing for the first time. “New Artist” booth signs will be provided to these new artists. It was proposed that next year ACGA retain $20 for administrative expenses from artists who request a booth fee refund. The motion passed at 6:40 pm.

Clay for All is back this year. ACGA volunteers and staff working in this area must make sure that cleanup is thorough, as this has been a concern in the past. It was proposed that a QR code be displayed to make it easier to sign up for our mailing list, and that the information table not have new members volunteering there. A motion to invite Cobb Mountain Art and Ecology to have a sales booth at the festival passed after our Board meeting in May. Cobb Mountain has accepted the invitation for this year’s festival. Bagels and donuts for artists will return to the festival this year. The Artist Party only has a $500 budget, so there will probably be a BYO component.

Artist Demonstrations at the Festival (Joe B.)

Demos will be held on the lawn this year. We’ll need a pottery wheel and a table. One demo spot on Saturday remains to be filled.

Eligibility of Enamel Work in the Clay & Glass Festival (Emil Y.)

The Board considered whether ACGA might allow enamel artists to apply for festival eligibility. Enamel, which is powdered glass fused to a metal backing, does incorporate glass and heat but has not been considered for acceptance in the past. Here are the main points of the discussion:

Glass must be the primary feature. Does the work focus on the chemistry of the glasswork? How much metal is showing? What aspects of the work attract attention?

Which cohort of ACGA should be involved in setting new precedents like this? Should it be the Board of Directors, or the entire membership? Clay and glass will remain our primary focus, but as ACGA evolves and grows, we must emphasize inclusivity and open-mindedness. In the coming weeks, the board will consider the issues, do research, and try to come to a consensus at our August board meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 7:47 pm.

Next Meeting: 5:30 p.m., Monday, August 14, 2023 via Zoom