Dear Council of 101 Members,
On Groundhog Day 2022, the famous Punxutawney Phil saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter. The Council of 101 has decided that translates to seven more weeks of work in the Florida sunshine until our official “Celebrate Spring” Art In Bloom, Festival of Fine Arts and Flowers premier. The movie, “Groundhog Day” chronicles a cynical TV weatherman reliving the same day over and over again while on a reporting assignment covering the Groundhog Day celebration. As our members know, our Spring Event is never duplicated as Phil experienced in the movie. This year our colors are vibrant, the flowers are tropical and the setting is exquisite among the new and on-going exhibitions at the Orlando Museum of Art.
Our January General Meeting was well attended with important information shared. We were fortunate to have our member and former Education Director, Jan Clanton offer a presentation of Art in Bloom. She presented examples of artwork from various museums and educated us on how floral designers interpret art. We all learned and look forward to seeing what our floral designers create this year.
This newsletter is packed with exciting details about our fabulous Art In Bloom event chaired by the dedicated and talented Elizabeth Francetic. Important information for ticket purchases through our Council of 101 website is also detailed. While we have a financial obligation which your ticket purchases cover, feel free to exceed that amount and enjoy the full show and special events. There is much to share with your friends.
Please join me in welcoming our new Office Administrator / Manager, Vanessa Cruz. Vanessa’s first day with us was January 26, as many of you met her at the January General Membership and AIB Chair meetings. Holding a Master’s degree in Anthropology she has settled in quickly to the museum environment and is a natural fit for our office with her proficiency in administrative support and her background in client service / relationship building. She is enjoying the Central Florida lifestyle in her recently purchased new home. Please call, email or visit the office to give her a warm welcome. Her office hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Our Volunteer committee has made registering for shifts easy through Sign Up Genius. Please fulfill your shift obligation to maintain your membership in “good standing”. We also have committees that could use your support. Contact Vanessa in the 101 office.
Our Opening Night soiree, Thursday, March 24 will be a fabulous evening to preview the show with friends while enjoying delicious gourmet food and cocktails to the sounds of Bossa Nova. Remember this is for all to attend not only members. We love a fancy party.
I look forward to seeing you and your potential member guests at our upcoming Mix and Mingle event on February 22 and at our General Membership morning meeting on Thursday, February 24.
Best Wishes for a Happy Valentine’s Day.
Joan
