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Action Alert

ACTION ALERT!
It is time to Mobilize

Georgia is experiencing a systematic dismantling of arts education in our public schools.

Currently, Georgia high school students have a choice to make in fulfilling their requirements for graduation. They may choose one unit of fine arts or one unit of computer technology.

Now, Georgia’s Superintendent of Schools, Kathy Cox, is recommending that the fine arts option be eliminated from this choice.

This means students who choose to take visual arts … or music … or drama … or dance … will not be able to count their choice toward graduation. If approved, the implications for this action are profound.

Omitting fine arts graduation requirements will be detrimental to student choice and opportunity. It will also be devastating to fine arts programs across the state.

As school boards and administrators seek to fill positions and balance budgets, the fine arts are always an easy target for cuts. If the Department of Education (DOE) does not identify a unit of Fine Arts as an option for meeting graduation requirements, many arts programs will disappear from our public schools, simply because they don't fulfill the state's new basic curriculum.

Other factors point to a serious erosion of support for arts education in Georgia.

Within the last few years, the Georgia DOE has eliminated the position of arts specialist in its offices. This loss of a position (and supporting staff) silenced the voice for the arts at the state level. As a result, many counties now have few, if any, fine arts specialists.

Additionally, the new Georgia Performance Standards released last year by the DOE do not include a visual arts curriculum – despite the fact that the fine arts are listed as a specific core academic subject under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.

The Georgia Department of Education has a responsibility to provide the best possible education for all the students in our state. We as parents, educators, concerned residents, business leaders and voters also have a responsibility to the students of Georgia. We are the ones who elect these policy makers and now we must raise our collective voice in support of the arts and arts education. It is regrettable that we must advocate so hard just to maintain the most minimal national standards for arts education.

Other states are moving forward to broaden arts education offerings for their students. That's because research shows that the arts enhance student performance. Read recent Wall Street Journal column on the topic ( www.allga.org)


Please join us in supporting the eligibility of fine arts as a graduation requirement option for Georgia’s public high school students.
In two minutes and four easy action steps, you can do the following:

1. Contact key decision makers and tell them how you feel about arts education. Write an email or letter in your own words and based on your own experiences (we ask that you share a copy of your correspondence with us so that we can quantify our collective response. Each and every contact will be important in making our case). Just click on the blue email address to send your email.

• Georgia State School Board Members ( attached and also on www.allga.org)
• Contact Governor Sonny Perdue - Hannah Heck hheck@gov.state.ga.us
• Contact Lt. Governor Casey Cagle - Irene Munn irene.munn@lt.gov.ga.gov
• Contact Dean Alford, Chairman - IE2 – Governor’s Task Force – Investing in Educational Excellence - deanalford@alliedutility.com
• The official email address for input on the Graduation Rule it is: mailto:policy@doe.k12.ga.us
• Copy ALL-GA – jan@allga.org

2. Please share this Web page with your friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, civic associations, church members, and parents. We must have an overwhelming, broad-based grass-roots response. Please forward to those you know have an interest in quality education. ( this is easy)

3. Attend the public meeting of the State Board of Education scheduled for September 12.
The meeting will be held at Georgia Department of Education, State Board Room, 20th Floor - East Tower, 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30334 ( this meeting date could change please check for updates in the schedule at: http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/pea_policy.aspx?PageReq=GradRules2


All of the above information and more, including the current Graduation Rules and the new proposed Graduation rules are on our website: www.allga.org.

We thank you in advance for taking the time to let our leaders know how important the arts are to providing Georgia students with a well-rounded education.

Respectfully,

Jan

Jan Selman
Executive Director
ALL-GA
404.373.8360

Cheryl D'Amato Exhibits

First Friday: Friday, August 3, 6-9PM

On-site painting by Cheryl D'Amato

On view through August 31

Joycine's Art, Attitude & Accessories Gallery

613 Cherry Street, Macon

743-3144

Ga plein air artists featured at Colonnade

Sandra Babb, BJ Wright and Cathy Cooksey are Georgia plein air artists featured in the Colonnade Summer art show in Catoosa County, GA, July 30th through August 27th.

Painting Callaway

I'll be painting at Callaway Gardens this Friday. If you would like to join me, call 706-975-6419. Phyllis Franklin

Phil Thomas

Field Studies

One of the values of painting from life is learning to observe more closely. When you get to the point in your painting career that you find you are actually learning from yourself it's a huge breakthru. What I mean by that is that you realize that it's your efforts that are the best teachers. Each time you go out to paint you learn something new either about painting or about yourself. Some how you file this new knowledge back in your memory to be used when you need it next. It's surprising how often something will jog your memory and you find it useful to have already gone down that path.

This is what we do when we go out to do field studies. A field study doesn't actually have to be any more than just that. It's a way of capturing what you see so you can use it again later maybe for a larger studio work. Plein air painters have found this act of doing field studies valuable because it takes the pressure off of doing a completed work. It's surprising how that label affords such freedom of expression and many times you end up with paintings that are completely sellable just as they are. Many collectors really enjoy collecting field studies and often times end up buying the companion studio work as well.

Today, if you have time, take a look at the field studies of Marc Hanson. http://www.marchansonart.com/ . Get inspired and if you want to go out and paint, call me and we'll go. I'll be in Pine Mountain this Wednesday and Thursday. I'd love to paint with someone and do some field studies.

Hope you have a great plein air day, Phyllis

News Correspondents Named

Two new News Correspondents have been named to the PAG staff. They are Leslie Hoops Wallace from Middle Georgia, and BJ Wright from North West Georgia. Leslie and BJ will be adding in news about our PAG members, posting event opportunities, workshops, festival and other topics of interest along with Phyllis Franklin from West Central Georgia.

Feel free to contact Leslie, BJ or Phyllis to add your news or if you would like to become a News Correspondent staff member, just send in an email to pleinairga@yahoo.com

Middle Georgia News - Leslie Hoops Wallace - unicornsquest@hotmail.com
North West Georgia News - BJ Wright - beejw@charter.net
West Central Georgia - Phyllis Franklin - phyllisfranklin@hotmail.com

General correspondence - pleinairga@yahoo.com

21st Annual National Juried Fine Arts Exhibition

Annual National Juried Fine Arts Exhibition
November 2007

For more information please contact Jamie Fritter

Jamie E. Fritter

Program Assistant

Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/Douglas County

8652 Campbellton Street
Douglasville, Georgia 30134

770-949-ARTS (2787)

770-949-5788 (fax)

Sandra Babb Exhibits

Sandra Babb Exhibit
The Colonnade
Ringgold, Georgia
July 30th - August 27

Artist Estate Sale - Obie Waldhauer

The "William (Obie) Waldhauer Estate Sale" will be held on Saturday and Sunday, July 28-29 at 407 Wilson Drive in Centerville, Georgia. If you would like to buy before that date, contact Dona Schaeffer at Martin Rubber Stamp 478-923-0753. Obie was a Ceramics Engineer and a Master Potter. There will be a large variety of household items in the sale, but items specific to ceramic artists include:

Large Kiln - needs repair

Potter’s Wheel

Industrial Ceramic Slabber

Pigments and Oxides for glazes

Flint

K Spar

NA Spar

Dolomite

400 Lbs of Silica

Ball Clay

Margaret Agner Exhibits - Landscapes: Eastern Townships, Quebec

Exhibit

Athens Clarke-County Library - Upstairs
2025 Baxter St.
Athens, Georgia

Landscapes: Eastern Townships, Quebec

PAG member Margaret Agner has 14 plein air paintings of the Eastern township of Quebec on exhibit at the Athens Clarke-County library during July and August, 2007. Click on the title link above to learn more about Margaret and her work.

CAC of Douglasville Juried Fine Arts Exhibition

The Cultural Art Council of Douglasville would like to announce our 21st Annual National Juried Fine Arts Exhibition. Please feel free to pass this information along to other artists.

Regards,
Jamie E. Fritter
Program Assistant
Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/Douglas County
8652 Campbellton Street
Douglasville, Georgia 30134
770-949-ARTS (2787)
770-949-5788 (fax)

See Website for entry form.

SPONSORED BY THE CULTURAL ARTS COUNCIL OF DOUGLASVILLE/DOUGLAS COUNTY, INC.
COMING OF AGE
21st ANNUAL NATIONAL JURIED FINE ARTS EXHIBITION
November 1 – 30th, 2007
RULES & GENERAL INFORMATION

Purpose:
The National Juried Exhibition promotes an appreciation of the visual arts and enables artists to exhibit their works, allowing local citizens to enjoy a wide variety high-quality art from around the country. The Cultural Arts Center, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has presented hundreds of exhibitions of works by more than 1,000 artists.

Juror:
Bill Eiland is the Director of the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens, Georgia, and we are honored to have such an influential and distinguished juror for our “Coming of Age” 21st Annual National Juried exhibition in 2007.

Eligibility:
All artists 18 years old or older are eligible to submit original paintings, sculpture, hand-pulled prints, drawings, photography developed by the artists, fiber and original glass creations. Film, video and crafts developed from molds or kits are not eligible. Copies will not be accepted. Work accepted must remain on view for the entire exhibition.

Limitations:
All two-dimensional works must be framed and properly equipped for hanging. Sculpture should be able to stand, with or without a base. Work must have been completed within the last two years.

Specifications:
Hand-delivered work must be able to fit through a standard-sized double door. Shipped work must conform to UPS regulations. It must weigh less than 150 pounds. Length must not exceed 108 inches and girth must not exceed 130 inches.

Submission:
Art works can be submitted as slides, photographs or digital images on CD for initial jurying. Slides must be 2"x 2" standard size. Oversize mounts and glass slides will not be accepted. Please indicate the top of the work with an arrow.

Whether in slide form, photographs or digital images, please include the following information:
1. Name of Artist
2. Title of Work
3. Medium
4. Size
5. Price (include insurance value if work is "NFS")
6. Date

Work that differs considerably from the original entry will be disqualified. Only one slide, photograph or digital image of two-dimensional work may be submitted. Up to three views of sculpture and other three-dimensional pieces may be submitted.

Entrants must complete the entry form and notification form attached. Slides, photographs, and/or CDs will be returned to the artist. Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the return of submitted materials.

Please mail to:
21st Annual National Juried Exhibition
CAC
P.O. Box 2018
Douglasville, GA 30133

For further information: 770-949-ARTS (2787) or culturedirector@earthlink.net.

Entry & Fee:
A non-refundable entry fee of thirty dollars ($30) for current CAC members (Annual Individual Membership is $20), and forty dollars ($40) for non-members, qualifies the artist to submit up to three works and will be used to promote the show. Submission does not guarantee acceptance.

Please make all checks payable to the Cultural Arts Council.

Catalog:
A copy of the exhibition catalog/brochure will be provided to each entrant.

Awards:
Purchase Award Up to $1,000
First Place $500
Second Place $300
Third Place $200
Two Honorable Mentions $100

Sales will be encouraged; 25% commission will be taken on all work sold with the exception of the purchase award.

PERMISSION TO COPY THIS FORM GRANTED



Delivery of Accepted Work:
Accepted work may be hand delivered or shipped to:
CAC
8652 Campbellton Street
Douglasville, Georgia, 30134

*All work must arrive by October 29th.
No work can be accepted after this date.

The Cultural Arts Center of Douglasville/Douglas County is open 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Mondays - Fridays, and 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Sundays. All works must be picked up on December 3rd by 5 p.m. Shipped work will be returned C.O.D. as soon as possible.

Liability:
The Cultural Arts Center will take every precaution against damage or theft, but artists are responsible for their own insurance.

Calendar:
Friday, September 7 – Submission deadline
(whether mailed, shipped or emailed)
Friday, September 28 - Notification sent to entrants
Sunday & Monday, October 28 & October 29 -
Hand-delivered work received
Monday, October 29 - Deadline for receipt of shipped work
Sunday, November 4 – Artists' Reception & Gallery Talk,
3 p.m.
Friday, November 30 - Show closes
Sunday, December 2 & Monday, December 3 - Pick up work Sunday, 1 - 5 p.m., & Monday, 9 until 5 p.m.

By signing this, I acknowledge that I have read and understand these terms.

________________________________________________
Applicant's Signature

Please return this original form and make a copy for your records. Thank you!

This program is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. The Council is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes a great nation deserves great art.

How to Pay 2007 Dues

Join Plein Air Georgia with just $5.00 per year.

All dues for 2007 can be paid by clicking on the link below. PAG physical year begins in January. Some members have recurring membership via paypal, others have one year subscriptions that will run out December 31. If you are unsure of your membership status, check the membership page and contact us if your information is not correct.

Your dues help:
keep this site on line
pay for finding sponsors for workshops, events, gallery shows, postage
pay for affiliate fees
Use the PayPal button above for quick payment
or Email for check payment and mailing address

Submit your member information and painting images via pleinairga@yahoo.com
PAG wants to provide a Galley Page for you with four images to represent your work.
Contact us, send your digital images & professional information and we will build the page for you.

Ads on the Resource Page are free for members of PAG based in Georgia.
Out-of-state classifieds are $15.00 per ad. Please email for details.

Maureen Smith Exhibits

Maureen Butler Smith
recent works
at the Pettigrew Center
of the Fort Valley State University
Artist Series
featured artist for July 2007

On July 14th the Pettigrew Center will celebrate
its 25th Anniversary with events
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and I will be doing
a painting demonstration.

The Pettigrew Center
1005 State University Drive
Fort Valley, Georgia 31030-4313

Working small

Working in a smaller format has many advantages for plein air painters. The first consideration for many plein air painters is getting the canvas to the location where the painting will be created and back while still wet successfully. To solve this very first problem painters us everything from professional wet painting carriers to clean pizza boxes. Along with a smaller canvas, packing your supplies will need to be packaged smaller as well. Pochade boxes solve this problem by giving the artist a place for mediums, paints, brushes, turp and of course the palette. There are many companies that sell these boxes, but you can make your own from small wooden boxes you can buy at craft stores. Whichever you choose, the main thing is to keep it ready to go. Some even have more than one so they can keep one in the car or take care of a different medium.

Once you get to the location and begin painting you will find that working in a small format is the best way to break painting down to its essentials because it forces you to focus on what is important and leave out unnessary detail. Realizing that you only have a matter of two hours to capture the light the way you see it brings home the point of working with economy of brush strokes. It's much like the carpenter rule that says measure twice cut once. If you are working with a smaller canvas then you can concentrate on making decisions just for that size and zero in on what drew you to the site in the first place instead of having lots of room on a larger canvas to expand and add more to your first vision.

When you paint on a small canvas, paint using brushes no smaller than a #8 bristle brush or try your hand using a palette knife. It's a great way to learn how to handle a brush properly and with that economy of brush stroke as mentioned before.

Many plein air painters use their paintings as studies for excuting larger works in the studio. They use their smaller works to work out compostion, color, vlaue and design issues. Working small also gives freedom from thinking that you might be wasting supplies, time or energy. It allows to to try out different techniques, like bush calligraphy, different paint thickness, different color combinations which is a great learning/teaching tool to use in workshops or just independent study. If you don't like what you have done, it's easier to toss than a larger canvas for sure.