Cass Area Artists is very happy to announce our 2020 scholarship winners. They range from fourth grade to high school seniors and their interests include photography, ceramics, architecture, and just having the ability to stock up on art supplies to work with over the summer.

So here are our winners:
Kathryn Shellhorn, Cassopolis, MI
Aiden Pollard, Cassopolis, MI
Loryn Bartley, Niles, MI
MacKenzie Bishop, Marcellus, MI
Ariana Cooper, Cassopolis, MI

Congratulations to our winners. They will be receiving an award certificate and a check for $50. We were able to provide five scholarships this year, up from three last year, thanks to a significant donation from Terry Proctor, whom I met at a Cass County event this past March. We started chatting about art and one of my paintings which he recognized as a landmark from the area he grew up in. Next thing you know, a donation arrived! So many, many thanks to Terry!

Our 2020 art scholarship program for Michiana youth grades 12 and under is still accepting applications until May 31. This scholarship provides funds which can be used for art education purposes, such as classes or art materials. We usually award three $50 scholarships, but since we recently had a donation to our scholarship fund we will be offering five this year.
The application form is simple to fill out, and it's available for download at the bottom of our website home page or on the "forms" page of the website. No fee to apply, just fill it out and mail to the address on the application. Applicants will be notified by June 15 if they have been accepted.

Due to the unpredictable nature of the current Covid-19 virus situation we have canceled the art intake day on April 25 and the reception on May 2 until further notice. At this time the County Building which houses the Cass County Regional Gallery is closed to the public and we cannot predict when the County Administrator will decide that it is safe to allow the public to congregate there.

Also postponed is the scheduled pick-up day for art currently on exhibit in the gallery. The original pick-up was scheduled for Saturday, April 18, but will not be rescheduled until we get word that it is OK to do that. In the meantime, all the art remains on the walls or in the glass cabinets  in a locked and secure condition.

There will be an event notice on our Facebook page with new dates as soon as they can be determined, so keep an eye out for us on the Cass Area Artists page, and check back here on our website News page too.

We sincerely regret the inconvenience to any artists who have work currently in the gallery, but at this point we do not have an alternative. We will contact current artists via email for pick-up information as news becomes available. Thank you so much for your participation, it has truly been a pleasure to feature your art in this space.

Our next TOTALLY FREE TO ARTISTS "open art exhibit" at the Cass County Administration Building in Cassopolis, MI will be accepting artist entries on Saturday, April 25 from 9AM to 5PM. Answers to all your questions can be found on this website's "Forms" page or at the bottom of the "Home" page where the complete .pdf file is ready to download. Just click on the appropriate icon to save your copy of the rules, procedures, entry tags, and important dates.

This new exhibit will run from May 1 through July 31 with an artists reception on May 2. If you were a participant in our inaugural exhibit which ends April 17 and would like to be a repeat exhibitor you may also enter this new exhibit with a different artwork.

All artists who were in the previous exhibit are reminded to pick up their work on Saturday, April 18, so we can get the walls patched and painted during the next week and have storage space for the incoming art. Pickup hours are 9AM-5PM.

We're looking forward to seeing the next great collection of art by Michiana artists at the Cass County Regional Gallery!

It looks like MIchiana will be in for some of our famously unpleasant weather this weekend, just in time for the artists to deliver their work to the County Building in Cassopolis, MI for the Cass County Regional Gallery Open Exhibit.

The forecast for Cassopolis on Saturday, January 11 is rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Our alternate date was Sunday the 12th but it looks even worse than Saturday with icy conditions for Sunday, so we're sticking with Saturday as delivery day. 

Fortunately there is plenty of adjacent parking and the entryway to the County Building is sheltered. Inside there will also be plenty of room to dry off yourself and your art (it might be a good idea to wrap your art in a plastic bag or other protective material).

If you're curious about the state of the weather at the County Building we will be posting occasional eye-witness reports--nothing technical, just "rain", "heavy rain", "not so much rain" "only drizzle" (you get the idea😂) on Cass Area Artists Facebook "Events" page https://www.facebook.com/events/441205826536043/

We truly hope to see you and your fabulous art on Saturday!

Just like a new baby in the new year, DELIVERY DAY FOR THE CASS COUNTY REGIONAL GALLERY OPEN EXHIBIT is approaching! Committee members will be at the Cass County Building in Cassopolis, Michigan to receive your art entry on SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 from 9 AM to 5PM. Make sure your entry tags are completely filled out and are completely legible--that will make your entry process quick and easy.
If you're not an artist (and even if you are!) WE ARE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO HELP ON DELIVERY DAY. We are finalizing process and procedures at our 6:30 PM meeting Monday at the Cass County Building next to the old courthouse in Cassopolis. These meetings are normally pretty short, less than an hour. If you would like to volunteer, come to that meeting on January 6. At the moment we really need people to transport delivered art from the intake area to either the first or second floor hallway. That way we can tell how much space has been filled as we progress through the day. If you aren’t good with stairs there is an elevator. At the end of the day we will also need people to place all the art in designated storage areas until we hang it the next week. Any questions can be addressed at the meeting. Keep in mind that the County Building doors automatically lock at 6:30, so if you plan to attend please arrive before then. Someone will be at the door to assist you.

Art Groove Tuesday, taught by Cass Area Artists member Sharron Ott and sponsored by Cass Area Artists, will be presenting an exhibition opening and reception at Front Street Crossing in Dowagiac, Michigan. Here's their flyer for all the pertinent information. All are welcome to come see what these motivated students have produced this session!

In case you missed it when you opened our home page, there is now a link to the Official Rules and the Entry Tags right there at the bottom of the home page. If you didn't see it, there's another chance to find it on our "Forms" page. It's a simple click on the button (home page) or .pdf logo (forms page) and the forms will pop up for you to download, read, and fill out. If you have any difficulty just send us a message on our "Contact" page and we will email the forms to you. Super easy! And don't forget, your participation in the upcoming exhibit is ABSOLUTELY FREE!

The Cass County Regional Gallery walls in the County Building are painted, cabinets are on the way, artists are invited! The simple downloadable application form will be published on our website shortly. Speaking of "short"--the application is short and sweet!

This venue will be featuring an "open art exhibit" format, which means the only thing artists will need to do is fill out the tags for their work and show up with their entry on the intake day at the gallery. No long applications, no waiting for jury selection, no photos need be submitted, no entry fees, no commissions! Even the opening reception will be free to artists.

This is your opportunity to have a space in a public building with lots of people traffic absolutely FREE! The building also has 24/7 video security for your peace of mind. The County Administrator envisions this project as a way to introduce our  very own Michiana artists to the population at large and has appointed Cass Area Artists to organize the effort and carry out the mission. We hope to have the first exhibit up sometime in December, so we're gearing up to make that happen.