January 2012

WiVLA's Mission: To provide an inspiring forum for women to explore and advance their creative development, to promote their work in the marketplace, and to infuse the community with their spirit of cooperation and invention.

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT__________________________________

Dear Friends,

Welcome to 2012. It's time to put the hectic holidays behind you for another year and turn your attention to new projects, new dreams, and new experiences. For WiVLA, it is a new fiscal year, a new board year, and a new membership year.

Instead of renewing our memberships in March, as we have in the past, now membership renewal takes place in January. WiVLA dues remain at $40.00 per year. You are welcome to renew on line, by mail to PO BOX 130406, Houston, TX 77219-0406, or at the meeting on January 17, 2012. It is important to renew by January 31 to keep your membership current because eligibility for the ECO fund award requires two years of continuous membership.

What a tremendous outpouring of generousity from our members and friends in response to the Awards Fund Campaign. On behalf of the board, I thank all the contributors for their gracious gifts. We will be thanking everyone individually and publicly over the next few weeks and sending out tax letters soon. Look for a full report next month.

Cathy Lachin hosted a well-attended, convivial Holiday Party for WiVLA members and their guests. Cathy's main dishes, jambalya and vegetable lasagna, tasted wonderful and our members provided a wide variety of delicious side dishes and desserts as well.  Cathy and her family deserve a rousing thank you for their warm hospitality!

I look forward to seeing you at the meeting on January 17. The topic, handmade books, is dear to me and the presenters are very talented bookbinders whose work you will not want to miss.

Happy New Year,

Lane

Hello everyone,

Here's to a creative and productive month!    

Andrea Waguespack

GENEROUS RESPONSE TO AWARD FUND CAMPAIGN ____________  By Lane Devereux  

Thank you to the many, many generous supporters who have donated over $2,600 to WiVLA's Awards Fund Campaign. What a wonderful outpouring of support from our members and friends! Tax letters will be sent out soon and thank you gifts for those who requested them will follow. Look for your name in the listing of donors in the February newsletter.

"MIXED MESSAGES" NEEDS A VENUE___________________________      

The Board of Directors is actively seeking a venue for the 2012 Collaboration Show, "Mixed Messages." If you have, or know of, a gallery or similar space that would welcome high-caliber collaborative art from an established arts organization, please email Lane.  

WiVLA is a not-for-profit organization that operates on a lean budget and cannot afford to pay for gallery space. The show is on the calendar for May 2012; staying on schedule depends on finding the right venue.

Lane has been working on a presentation highlighting WiVLA's long exhibition history and successes and would welcome any photographs or show memorabilia, such as postcards, that you might have kept from previous exhibitions to use in it.

ACCOLADES_____________________________________________________ 

Before Versailles by Karleen Koen has been included in RT Book Reviews and the Library Journal's selections of best historical fiction for 2011.  Before Versailles is the story of four tumultuous months in the life of a young Louis XIV. 

Donna Durbin has a piece in the "Reconstruction" exhibition at the Art Car Museum located 140 Heights Blvd. on view until March 2, 2012. 

Have news you'd like to share? Send an email by the 20th of the month to newsletter@wivla.org. 

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN VISUAL ARTS______________________ 

By Donna Durbin        

"Creativity is about play and a kind of willingness to go with your intuition. It's crucial to an artist. If you know where you are going and what you are going to do, why do it?"  

- Frank Gehry

As we start a New Year 2012 in our lives and with WiVLA, what creative goals do you have for yourself? I'm going to make daily appointments in my calendar for time in the studio. I easy distract myself with other activities, putting my creativity last. So, renewed discipline is on my list.

We have two exhibition opportunities for members this year. First, is our collaboration show in May with the theme "Mixed Messages." Round up your collaborators (one or more) and start playing with ideas. The prospectus will be coming soon, along with the location.

The second one will be the end of August with our juried WiVLA Print and Photography Exhibition at the Museum of Printing History. We're still working on the juror and theme. So, stay posted for more information.

I can always use a creative spark. Here's an inspiring email introducing a new artist daily. Check out the Daily Art Muse by Susan Lomuto. You can sign up here. Let me know what you think.

There's a fabulous women's organization, WomanMade Gallery in Chicago, that gives opportunities to its members to exhibit in their gallery and online. They also offer call for entries and a newsletter. What if we had one of these in Houston? Why not?  

Inclusion in this list does not indicate endorsement by WiVLA. We recommend you research each contest, and contact the sponsor(s). 

General Websites for artist exhibition Calls for Entry:

https://www.callforentry.org/

http://www.artshow.com/juriedshows/page5.html

http://artdeadlineslist.com/

http://www.spacetaker.org/field_guide/artist_opportunities

    
BOX13 ArtSpace is currently accepting exhibition and performance proposals. Submit recent or proposed experimental works not previously shown in Houston by January 15. CD/DVD format submission is required. Click here for more information. 

Watercolor Art Society Houston is accepting entries for their 35th International Exhibit. Deadline: January 28.  The juried show exhibition dates are March 13-20. For more information, click here or email Norm Wigington.  

JoMar Visions is accepting entries for "All Things Erotic" 2012. The show will be held February 10 and 14. If you would like your art featured in this exhibit, email JoMar Visions.   

The 16th Annual Citywide African American Artists Exhibition is accepting entries. Deadline: January 7. The exhibit will be held February 1-March 3, and will be juried by artists Floyd Newsum and George Smith. Visit their website or email Margaret Mims for more information. 

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is accepting entries for crafttexas 2012. Applications must be completed and submitted online via the Cafe system. Deadline is March 15. Exhibition dates: September 29 - December 30, 2012. Work in clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood and found/recycled materials.

Texas National 2012 Art Competition and Exhibition at Stephen S. Austin, Nacogdoches, Texas is accepting calls for entries. Deadline: February 10, 2012. Click here for information and prospectus.  

The Lone Star Art Guild is a non-profit organization started in Brenham, Texas in 1961. Visit their website to find more information about contests and art leagues that are within a 200 mile radius of Houston.

Womenarts Quarterly Journal seeks visual art. For submission guidelines and more information, visit their website.  

Inclusion in this list does not indicate endorsement by WiVLA. We recommend you research each contest, and contact the sponsor(s).   

ByLine Magazine sponsors monthly contests for essays, short stories, poetry, articles, essays and more. Deadline: open. For more information, visit Byline Magazine.

Fiction Weekly accepts submissions via email, reads year round, and responds to submissions within 30 days. For more details, please visit Fiction Weekly.

Austin Poetry Society Monthly Contest sponsors two regular monthly contests from October through April, in the categories of General and Light Verse. Deadlines are monthly through March. For more information, click here.

Scratch is a monthly writing contest that seeks new short fiction to be selected by rotating guest judges. Deadline: monthly. Small fee to enter, cash prizes and publication every month, plus annual anthology. For more information, click here .

Poets & Writers is a great source for writing contests. Check out Poets & Writers contests listings here.

Womenarts Quarterly Journal seeks literary art, including essays, fiction, poetry, reviews and interviews by women. For submission guidelines and more information, visit their website.

ANNOUNCEMENTS___________________________________________ 

Marguerite Baldwin is looking for a partner for the WiVLA collaboration next May. She is willing to wear the visual or literary hat or both!  Please contact Marguerite via email.   

Do you have an "odd" schedule, but would still like to participate in the WiVLA collaboration project? Contact Andrea Waguespack! She is a writer who is available to meet up during week days from noon-3 p.m., or anytime on the weekends. Please contact Andrea via email.  

Would you like to post an announcement? Send your email by the 20th of the month to newsletter@wivla.org.  

January 9, 6 p.m.

Museum of Printing History, 1324 West Clay  (Map)    

For a complete list of upcoming events, visit the WiVLA calendar online.

WiVLA BOARD MEMBERS_____________________________________  

President                   Lane Devereux (wivla.lanedev@yahoo.com)  

Vice President            Cookie Wells (wadsworth@sbcglobal.net)  

Secretary                   Cathy Lachin (cplachin@yahoo.com)  

Treasurer                   Pattie Berg (jewelry@sapamojo.com)  

Membership               Corry Austin (corry@sbcglobal.net)  

Communications         Jennifer Watson (jwatson5@uh.edu)  

Programs                   Rebecca Kveton (gigglesrk@aol.com)  

Newsletter                 Andrea Waguespack (andreawag@live.com) 

Visual Arts                 Donna Durbin (donna@donnadurbin.com)  

                                 Michele Zacks (mazacks@hotmail.com)  

Literary Arts               Leah Lax (leahlax@sbcglobal.net)  

                                 Pat Morgan (angeltrack@aol.com)  

                                 Terry Tompkins-Walsh (tomkinswalsh@uh.edu)  

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