 It took a bit of time to round up our winners this year, but it was worth it! Every one of them is an eager student ready to try new things and develop their artistic talents. That's what we're looking for--motivation and perseverance. If you know any of these budding artists do us a favor and let them know how much you appreciate their talent and efforts! And if you know any young artists from grades 1-12 who are looking for some $$ to support their efforts, be sure to let them and their parents know that they can apply for next year's scholarships beginning in January. Entry forms will be available in January on our website, www.cassareaartists.org
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Ads are out on FaceBook, emails are being sent to past participants, and we're getting ready for another inspirational edition of the Cass County Regional Gallery exhibits offered by Cass Area Artists. Prospectus and entry tags are now available right here on our website. Look for the download buttons at the bottom of the home page or on the "forms" page. If you're in the greater Michiana area chances are you are eligible to participate! Here's the FaceBook ad to give you a little taste of what's in store. Full details are in the prospectus.  So you didn't get a chance yet to visit the 6th Regional Exhibit at the Cass County Regional Gallery? Here's a quick 4-minute enticement tour. We didn't get everything in this quick tour, so if you still want to visit you have another month to get there! The exhibit runs through November 3. That also gives you plenty of time to vote for the "People's Choice" award while you're perusing the art! The gallery is accessible Monday-Friday, 8AM-5PM. Come by at 120 N Broadway, Cassopolis, MI. Here's a link to the 6th Regional video--just copy and paste. https://vimeo.com/865364802?share=copy
We have a great group of artists at our summer exhibit--our sixth one since we started twice-yearly shows in 2020. Our cash prizes are awarded for outstanding achievement in various art mediums, one winner in each category. We feel this is a lot more helpful than designating 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on. We don't want our artists to feel like they've been ranked among their peers--rather, that the winners were excellent in their chosen division. So, here we go--here's the list!
Drawing (includes pastel, ink, graphite, colored pencil): Dee Thornton Sculpture: Mike Slaski Painting (includes oil and acrylic): Vivien Fajardo Watercolor (transparent and opaque): Janet Johnson Mixed Media: Paige Linback Ceramics (includes clay): Jeff Finn Wood: Neil Benham Photography: Dean Hill Fiber: Diana Munro Jewelry: Linda Benham Best overall: Sandy Williams and Jeff Matejovsky (collaboration) The People's Choice award will be made at the end of the exhibit run on November 4. If you visit the gallery before then, feel free to vote for your favorite!  We got a bit distracted planning and hosting the 6th Regional Exhibit at the Cass County Regional Gallery, but we did want to let you know a couple of very important happenings along the way.
We have been appearing at quarterly gatherings of a wonderful group of ladies who comprise a local charitable group called 100+Women Who Care. The members meet 4 times a year and each time, a 501(c)3 (such as Cass Area Artists!) can appear and make an appeal for funding. Three organizations picked "out of a hat" can present their case at each meeting. Cass Area Artists presented a year ago but didn't get another chance until this July. We held our breath--would you believe the announcer at first called another organization the "winner" (we exhaled deeply and dropped our shoulders) but then quickly said, "Oh no, Cass Area Artists" has won! It was almost like someone had called the wrong Oscar winner then quickly corrected it. We were gobsmacked! Each 100+ member is required to contribute $100 to the winner, whether they were present at the meeting or not. We collected over $2000 at the meeting that evening, and over the following weeks hundreds more came slowly rolling in until we finally finished with $5100. This has been a lifesaver for us--we are all volunteers and we give away almost every dollar we take in, whether it's supplies for classes, scholarships, or awards at the Regional exhibits. Because we do a lot of work with youth--classes and scholarships--we may be eligible for matching funds with another organization. We have no information on that yet--we may get a full match, partial match, or nothing. But we're still giddy as all getout at having $5100 drop in our lap! Oh, and by the way, our Treasurer can now sleep a bit better at night. If you would like to make that $5100 go even farther, you can always drop a few greenbacks into the treasury by clicking on the "Donate" button at the top of our home page, and the upper right hand corner of this news page. We're not picky, you choose whatever amount suits you. And thank you so much for following us.  Does the clock tower above look familiar? It magically reappears on our page every six months or so. This time it heralds the 6th Regional Exhibit hosted by the Cass County Regional Gallery in Cassopolis, Michigan.
No, you haven't missed the event! But if you want to enter, get your best artwork ready so you can bring it to the County Building on Saturday, July 29. Full information and entry forms are available now on Cass Area Artists website: www.cassareaartists.org/forms. And yes, we know that July 29 is also the opening day at the Cass County Fair. Lucky for artists, we gladly accept artwork brought to us on that day by your family or friends if you yourself can't make it because of involvement at the Fair. So go ahead, enjoy the Fair and get your art into the exhibit at the same time!  Our Assistant Director Paige Linback entered a commemorative coin design contest for Cass County Michigan, AND SHE WON!!! Paige is a graphic designer with WNDU-TV in South Bend, Indiana, so the process wasn't new to her. However, she stood out above the rest and we are so proud and happy for her. There will be 50 coins minted, and each will eventually be presented by the Chair of the County Board of Commissioners to residents who contribute to the community in ways that merit special recognition.
 Want to join this happy club? If you are, or know someone who is in grades 1-12 in the Michiana area and you would like to have a little extra $$ to spend on your artistic activities, applications for 2023 Youth Scholarships are now available online. Go to the "Forms" page and click on the "download file" tab just to the right of "2023 youth art scholarship application".
Instructions are on the application, deadline to submit your application is May 31, 2023. We're looking forward to meeting a new group of happy faces! We found the judge's remarks at the Cass County Regional Gallery artists' reception February 4th to be so interesting and right on the mark that we felt the public would enjoy reading them. Our judge, Robert Nowalk, went off-script several times and what he had to say was intensely relevant to arts and culture in Southwest Michigan and Michiana in general. Unfortunately we only have what he wrote for us, but you will likely find it apropos in his consideration of each piece. Enjoy!         |
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