BWS Highlights Newsletter • January 2024

President’s Palette

How did this New Year of 2024 arrive so quickly? We are all still adjusting to the world since the pandemic. Computers now make it possible for us to work from home, to make appointments, purchase things, and deal with our finances. This can make our lives more efficient, and we don't really need to see people or leave our homes any more.

I believe that this isolation is creating a longing for people to see and experience beauty in art, music and dance more than ever. There is a great art revival going on. People are hungry for beauty and positive energy.

I have spent the last few months visiting different cities to see how they are meeting that challenge. It is very exciting to see how the arts are being integrated. Art exhibits now have interpretive dance groups perform at receptions, offer exhibit-related hands-on activities for all age groups; videos that give background information about the collections, and even offer private viewing of theme-related movies. People want to interact with art in various ways and then, of course, take a “selfie” to post on their social media!

Most recently, I flew to Boston to view “Fashioned by Sargent” at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston featuring over 50 of Sargent’s paintings. This collection was curated with the Tate-Britain and will open there in February. The actual dresses and accessories that Sargent’s subjects wore when posing for their portraits were on exhibit along with his paintings. We could see the dresses in their glass cases and look through them to see the subject wearing the dress in a painting! After viewing the exhibition, people could create their own headpieces with vintage materials, watch videos with more information and get involved with many other things related to the exhibition and Sargent himself.

I met people in Boston, like me, that had flown in from all over the country to see this exhibition. The way that it was curated is a perfect example of presenting this integrative approach. Please look at their website to better understand this: https://www.mfa.org/exhibition/fashioned-by-sargent. Better yet, see the exhibit if you are able to. It remains in Boston until January 15th, 2024. We have entered a new way of reaching people by exhibiting our paintings in ways that have never been done before. It is going to be an exciting adventure.

Keep painting, and Happy New Year!

BWS President

Notes on the 2023 Mid-Atlantic Exhibition

We are in the final weeks of the 2023 Mid-Atlantic Exhibition. The last official day for the exhibition is Monday, January 15. The last time you will be able to visit both galleries without an appointment is the afternoon of Friday, January 12. Please pay a visit (or return visit!) while you can. See the Mid-Atlantic Exhibition web page for specific hours and directions.

BWS members who indicated their preference for a hardcopy catalog should already have received their catalog in the mail. Please contact Jim Sandford at midatlaticexhibit@baltimorewatercolorsociety.org if you have not received your catalog (or if you changed your mind about going paperless). Additional exhibition catalogs are available for purchase from the BWS store.

Thanks to Award Sponsors

The 2023 Mid-Atlantic Exhibition will close this month - what a great show! Thanks to all who exhibited, congratulations to all the 2023 award winners, and many thanks to our award sponsors.

We are so happy to have so many generous sponsors. In 2023 we had twenty-one corporate sponsors, seven reciprocal sponsors, and eight memorial sponsors.

Our thanks to each and every one of you!

Of our many memorial donors, two are repeat donors, and have been donating for many years.

Sharon Longley donates an award in memory of her husband, Edward Longley. Dr. Longley, an art education professor at the University of Maryland-College Park from 1953 to 1984, was a lifelong artist specializing in watercolors. He was a founder of the Olney Art Association and the recipient of numerous prestigious awards from various organizations over his prolific career.

Susan Churchill, with Michael Eddy, sponsors the Gold Award in memory of her husband, David Churchill. David Churchill, after growing up in Prince George's County, graduated from the University of Maryland in College Park. He held a successful career in the banking industry for many years, but his true passion was his artwork. An accomplished painter and draftsman, Mr. Churchill's work has appeared in many shows and is displayed in countless residences and places of business. He was a lifetime member of the Baltimore Watercolor Society.

Other Memorial Awards this year include:

Memorial for Alice Webb, sponsored by her husband Glen, friends & students. Alice Webb served as BWS President from 1992-1996.

Memorial for Harold Walpert, sponsored by friends & family. Harold Walpert held the position of BWS Publicity Chair from February 2011-June 2022.

Memorial for Robert Dansky, sponsored by friends and family.

Memorial for Ginny (Virginia) Baier, sponsored by her daughter, Rebecca Rothey. Memorial for Joan Watkins Hoffsommer, donated by Woodson & Boardman, Inc.

Memorial for Rick Bradley donated by friends and family.

Our Corporate Sponsors have donated:

Coupons/certificates (Ampersand, American Frame, Artist Gallery, Cheap Joe’s, Colson Art Printing, Blick Art Materials, Jerry’s Artarama, M. Graham, Plaza Arts, Princeton Brush, QoR, Talas Paper, Wind River Arts & Winsor Newton)

Gift cards (Classic Homes of Maryland), and

Merchandise (Dr. Ph. Martin’s, Hahnemühle, Holbein, Jack Richeson, and Silver Brush).

Seven watercolor societies in the mid-Atlantic region have joined with BWS to offer an award. These are known as ‘reciprocal’ awards, as each society funds the other’s award in their premier show. The societies are: Delaware Watercolor Society, International Society of Experimental Artists, New Jersey Watercolor Society, Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, Philadelphia Watercolor Society, Pittsburgh Watercolor Society, and Potomac Valley Watercolorists.

All of our award sponsors deserve our recognition and thanks, for they made the awards won by the artists in the 2024 Mid-Atlantic show possible.

Special Discount Offer for Members!

American Frame, 2023 BWS corporate sponsor, has instituted a new discount program for BWS members called the Alliance Program (see their ad in this newsletter). This is an automatic 10% member discount on any purchase with no minimum purchase requirement.

To sign up for the Alliance Program, scroll down to the bottom of the American Frame website home page, click on “Resource” and “Discount.” Complete the form, which includes a drop-down menu item to select BWS. You only have to fill out the form one time and it will be linked to every order. The discount will automatically be applied each time the member returns to make a purchase, unless the member chooses to take advantage of a different temporary offer. No matter the discount applied, BWS will earn points each time a member makes a purchase. Accumulated points will determine the value of next year’s award donation. It’s a win for members shopping for quality frames, and a win for BWS!

2024 BWS Signature Member Exhibition 

The Baltimore Watercolor Society will be Exhibiting works from Signature Members at the Maryland House of Delegates on the 3rd Floor Baltimore County Wing.

The exhibit will run from January 23, 2024, through March 22, 2024. An opening reception will be held on Friday, January 26, 2024, from 5:00-7:00 pm.

The building is open to the public Monday through Friday 7:30 AM- 5:30 pm.

Hours vary during the weekend, please check the Maryland House of Delegates web page for weekend hours.

Jurying Announcement!

For artists interested in applying for Signature Membership status, registration for 2024 Spring jurying will be open January 5th through March 1st. Information about jurying criteria is linked to the January 5th event announcement and can also be found on this website under past events, (jurying) or in the section on Membership. Happy New Year full of painting! 

Come Join Us

Carolyn Murphy, Sharon Green, Darlene Wolinski, Bonnie Sybert, Marty Stoelting and Shirley Apple Jenkins will be exhibiting at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation December 28 - February 27. Known as COMPLEMENTARY COLORS, this group of artists has been painting and exhibiting together for over 20 years. The reception is on Sunday, January 7, 1-3 pm.

Make a day of it in Baltimore.

January 7 is the final day for Making Her Mark: A History of Women Artists in Europe, 1400-1800, with over 200 works of diverse media at the Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 am - 5 pm.

Membership Dues and Donations

Thanks to all who paid their dues between October 1st and now. Dues notices were sent in early December and it was great to see that as of mid-December about 50% of Signature Artists and 46% of Associates had already paid their dues.

Thank you also to those who have provided donations to BWS. There are several categories/funds to which donations can be designated and instructions for making a Donation can be found here.

For those who have not yet paid your dues, please remember dues should be paid by January 31st to be considered on time.

It is highly recommended that you pay your dues online. Follow the link in the invoice that we emailed to you in December or sign on here to pay your dues online.

If need be, you can pay your dues by mailing a check made out to BWS to:

Janice Hendra - Membership
103 Avondale Circle
Severna Park, MD 21106

We very much appreciate your continued interest in BWS.

Membership

Welcome New Signature Members

Marylou Andrews, Virginia Beach, VA
Terri Fabula, New Windsor, MD
Frank Spino, Perryville, MD

Welcome New Associate Members

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