Included in this January Newsletter: Garden Expo | 2018 Raffle Night | Art Scholarship | MHAAA Quarterly Meeting | Call for Judges

GARDEN EXPO 2018



Our hearty thanks to all volunteers (see below) who helped with our GE 2018 fundraiser! It took all of us to make it happen, including some spouses who generously helped fill in where needed. The WHA event director has informed me that attendance at this year's event was down by 10% (nearly 4,000 people less than last year). With that in mind, we can say we had a good result. We had $245 in sales of posters, note cards, and raffle tickets. We distributed hundreds of Spring Art Tour brochures. And we collected hundreds of new names for our mailing list with the Poster door prizes. Winners were: Friday - Amber Gee; Saturday - Lisa Linde; Sunday - Deb Novinski .

We will reevaluate whether or not to continue our efforts at this event following the Spring Art Tour. During the tour all artists will have Art Box Door Prize collection jars which only visitors to the Garden Expo are eligible to enter. Results of this collection will help us determine how to proceed.

Volunteers were: Tamlyn Akins (and husband, Chuck Haig), Heidi Clayton, Beth Janetski (and husband, Mike Watson), Louise Kubista, Tom Laudin (and wife, Earlene Laudin), John Pahlas, Rick Ross, Luci Shirek, Karen Watson-Newlin, Larry Welo (and wife, Pat Welo), Barbara Westfall, and Peggy Zalucha.

2018 RAFFLE NIGHT

Our Annual Raffle Drawing will take place at the Grumpy Troll Pizzeria - Thursday, April 19, at 7:30 PM (set-up at 5 PM, brief meeting at 5:30 PM, party at 6 PM). This year's 1st Prize is John Pahlas' welded steel sculpture, "Prairie Conquest" (shown here) valued at $300 . 2nd prize is $100 and 3rd prize is $50. Tickets will be sold ($5 each or $20 for 5) until 7:25 PM. Starting at 6:30 PM there will be drawings for door prizes too! People MUST be present to win the door prizes. We hope you can contribute a little something toward this cause (print, poster, packet of cards, etc.). Please reply to confirm that you will be contributing something. Then bring it with you to the event - preferably before 6 PM. It helps bring people to the event and to sell more tickets! You'll receive an email with more details about the meeting agenda in early April.

RE TICKETS: SELL, SELL, SELL! Now is the time for our final big push. Remember that ticket sales help fund our Art Scholarship and Spring Art Tour programs. Let people know they are contributing to worthy causes. Please return ticket stubs and receipts (before the raffle night) to Tamlyn Akins, 4629 County Rd. JJ, Black Earth, WI 53515. Do not send cash in the mail. If you need to arrange for pick-up of more tickets contact Tamlyn at tamlyn@chorus.net .

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! We need volunteers to help set up at 5 PM. And people are needed to attend the raffle and door prize entries throughout the evening (6-7:30 PM). Please contact Tamlyn (email above) to let her know you can help.

ART SCHOLARSHIP

It's the time of year when we begin our search for another worthy high school senior - from within our Spring Art Tour area schools - to receive our $500 Art Scholarship Award. Senior students from the following high schools may apply: Mount Horeb, Verona, Wisconsin Heights, Sauk Prairie, River Valley, Pecatonica, and New Glarus. Art Scholarship Application is now available. Deadline to deliver portfolio and application is April 7th. Please share this opportunity generously. Event Link .

MHAAA QUARTERLY MEETING

Who: Open to members and the public

When: Tuesday, May 8, 7-9pm

Where: Studio visit with photographer, Vicki France , 200 Wilson Street, Mount Horeb, WI.

Agenda: TBD

CALL FOR JUDGES

Holly Waterman, the state judge coordinator for a high school competition called Visual Arts Classic is looking for more individuals to help with judging their state competition on Friday, April 13th at UW Madison campus. There are several different categories in which you can judge from sculpture, ceramics, painting, drawing, photography (digital and traditional), art history, personal adornment, videography, etc.  

If this is something that sounds interesting and you would like to be a judge, please contact Holly Waterman at waeavacjudges@gmail.com just let her know how you found out about the event. Please contact her ASAP.