Joplin Regional Artists Coalition
Board Meeting
October 5, 2021
Attendees: Nancy Erwin, Sandra Parrill, Andrew Batcheller, Chadan Tomlin, Angel Brame, Al Gritten, Emily Rose, Daria Claiborne
The meeting of the JRAC board was called to order at 6:04pm by President Andrew Batcheller.
Agenda Approval: A motion was made by Angel Brame to approve the agenda and seconded by Sandra Parrill. The motion was unanimously approved.
Minutes Approval: Minutes approved via email prior to meeting and disbursed to members.
Chadan Tomlin presented a Treasurer’s report that showed a beginning balance of $9,563.01. Ending balance after membership dues and disbursements result in a balance of $10,22.50 in the bank account. Treasurer’s Report Approval: A motion was made by Emily Rose to accept the report and was seconded by Angel Brame. The motion was unanimously approved.
Membership update: Current membership stands at 105.
Coffee Talk will be changed to a Pizza Talk quarterly. JRAC will organize a quarterly meeting in the evening to discuss a planned topic. A local restaurant will be chosen each time so that JRAC can support local businesses. A motion was made by Angel Brame to adopt the change and was seconded by Al Gritten. The motion was unanimously approved. The first event is tentatively scheduled for November 16th, 6-8pm.
Studio Tour plans are well underway. Publicity materials are at the printers and will be ready for disbursement this week. Chadan Tomlin will begin posting on all social media platforms. Sandra Parrill will add the event to one of her columns. Angel Brame will contact Marta Churchwell for a possible mention in her column. Pick up of event materials for participants is Saturday, October 9th, 10am to 2pm at Empire Market via Daria Claiborne. Additional pick up later in the week at Andrew Batcheller’s studio will be announced.
Prize structure currently stands at: 1st place-$200, 2nd place-$150, 3rd place-$75, Best Use of Theme-$50. The board discussed the possibility of increasing the prize money and adding three Honorable Mention awards to each event as a way to give back the artists and encourage more participation. A motion was made by Angel Brame and seconded by Al Gritten to make the following changes: 1st place-$250, 2nd place-$200, 3rd place-$125, Honorable Mention (3 awards)-$50, and Best Use of Theme-$50. The motion was unanimously approved.
Front and Center at Maple UnCommon in Columbus, KS is currently open. The reception is on October 9th from 4-6pm. This reception coincides with the hot air balloon festival. Chadan Tomlin will post an event on social media. Andrew Batcheller will double check details with Laura Lowry-Greene on People’s Choice Award.
The show at Spiva Center for the Arts is the next event for members. The theme is “Vertically Inclined.” The theme is intended to be used as a starting point for ideas, inspiration, challenge, etc. It is not mandatory to adhere to the theme in order to show. Anyone choosing to submit works without the theme will not be turned away. Drop off is at Spiva on November 1st, noon to 5pm. Anyone needing an alternative to that drop off needs to contact a board member for instructions. Andrew Batcheller will coordinate with Shaun Conroy on an opening reception and label details.
Plein Air Paintout is coming up soon. The event will take place at Wildcat Glades with the use of the cottage on site for viewing and awards. The date is October 16 from 1-4pm. Judging will take place from 4-5pm. Participants are responsible for all supplies. Minimum participation is six. Members are free. Non-members are $40 as an incentive to join for $35. RSVP’s due by 10/12. Angel Brame will send out an email to members and former members.
Spiva Pizza Think Tank was a success with quite a bit of participation. One idea discussed was the inclusion of local high schoolers in a mentor/emerging artist program. The idea needs more discussion and any inclusion of anyone under 18 in membership will need to go through the by-law process. A second idea for outreach is to produce a podcast. That discussion has been tabled for a future meeting.
The meeting was declared adjourned at 7:16pm by Andrew Batcheller. The next meeting of the JRAC Board will be at Andrew Batcheller’s studio on Tuesday, November 9th at 6pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Angel Brame, Secretary
Joplin Regional Artists Coalition
Board Meeting
September 14, 2021
Attendees: Nancy Erwin, Sandra Parrill, Andrew Batcheller, Al Gritten, Emily Rose
Absent: Daria Claiborne, Chadan Tomlin, Angel Brame
The meeting of the JRAC board was called to order at 6:03pm by President Andrew Batcheller.
Agenda Approval: A motion was made by Sandra Parrill to approve the agenda and seconded by Al Gritten. The motion was unanimously approved.
Minutes Approval: Minutes approved via email prior to meeting and disbursed to members.
Andrew Batcheller presented the Treasurer’s report that shows a beginning balance of $9,640.72. Ending balance after membership dues and disbursements result in a balance of $9,563.01 in the bank account. Treasurer’s Report Approval: A motion was made by Al Gritten to accept the report and was seconded by Nancy Erwin. The motion was unanimously approved.
Membership update: Current membership stands at 105 and we are pleased to welcome brand new member Thomas “TJ” Hayes.
Alternatives to Coffee Talk were proposed by Andrew Batcheller and Emily Rose. The idea that was most favored was to hold an event during a weeknight every few months at Spiva with wine, casual food and discuss a pre-selected concept, such as framing artwork or the merits of working with pastels.
Studio Tour – We have 12 artists participating at 7 locations. There is still room at the Empire Market with Daria Claiborne if anyone else would like to do a late signup, but we are now past the deadline to get in on the advance publicity for late signers. Jane Ballard has most of the PR campaign done and we can use some pictures from participants. We have obtained a sponsorship from SMB once again for $500, which is very good news.
Front and Center at Maple UnCommon in Columbus, KS is hung and ready to view. The reception will be held on October 9 from 4 to 6pm. Efforts will be made to get this publicized on social media.
“Vertically Inclined” at Spiva is proposed to run November 2 to December 18. The given theme will be left to each artist to interpret in their own way. We will need to put down 50% of the gallery rental and get the contract signed ASAP. Andrew will coordinate with Shaun Conroy at Spiva to make this happen and determine a drop off date. A motion was made by Al Gritten to approve the necessary expenditure to secure our venue and was seconded by Sandra Parrill. The motion was unanimously approved. Andrew Batcheller proposed a printing of posters and postcards to publicize the event, with a solicitation to go out to our artists for images of their work for the promo materials. A motion was made by Emily Rose to approve printing costs for posters/postcards and seconded by Al Gritten. The motion was unanimously approved.
The contract for JRAC’s “Verdant” at artCentral is signed. It will run from February 4 to March 12, 2022 with an opening reception on February 4 from 6 to 8pm. Dropoff date will be Sunday, January 22, beginning at 1pm. Further details will be provided for getting images of each artist’s work for promotion on social media and obtaining the details needed for the label mail merge, but these will need to be provided well ahead of dropping off work. New work is needed: think green and alive when creating your masterpiece.
Plein Air Paintout is set for Wildcat Glades on October 16 from 1 to 5pm. Members are free. Non-members are $40 as an incentive to join for $35. Plein air painters will meet in the main entrance parking lot and we will have use of the cottage during the last hour for judging and prizes. Our standard prize structure will be in effect: 1st, 2nd, 3rd place and an honorable mention. Top prize is $250. Al Gritten has generously coordinated this effort, Andrew Batcheller will be in charge of executing the event and judging. Participants will be required to RSVP.
Spiva Pizza Think Tank was a productive event with many good ideas proposed for increasing JRAC membership and participation. The ideas included outreach to emerging artists through their classes in various area colleges utilizing our relationships with teaching staff and culminating in the possibility of making our 2022 Spiva show all about showing work from the emerging artists we identify. We elected to examine this further in future meetings, with a serious discussion about what our definition of an emerging artist will be for the purposes of the proposed show. Other items that were discussed in the Think Tank were ways to reach non-participating members who may not be comfortable with showing their work yet due to confidence issues, an opportunity to have work reviewed in a positive, upbuilding atmosphere, creating a new JRAC membership category for fledgling artists to encourage them to give our organization a try at an affordable rate. These items will be examined further in future meetings.
After donating 300 of our JRAC brochures for Joplin Arts Fest, our stock is significantly depleted and we need to reorder. The motion to approve the expenditure for a reprint was made by Al Gritten and seconded by Sandra Parrill. The motion was approved unanimously.
A one year scholarship for Cindy Copeland was discussed. The motion to approve her scholarship was made by Al Gritten and seconded by Emily Rose. The motion was approved unanimously.
The meeting was declared adjourned at 7:03pm by Andrew Batcheller. The next meeting of the JRAC Board will be at Andrew Batcheller’s studio on Tuesday, October 12th at 6pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Emily Rose
It’s time to enter the 26th Annual Thomas Hart Benton Art Competition and Exhibition!
SEPTEMBER 18, 10AM-4PM | $140 EA., LUNCH PROVIDED | SPIVA in Joplin
This workshop will present early Renaissance techniques in egg tempera
painting. An introduction to related media (for example– Flemish
egg-oil) through lecture and demonstration will also be included. This
process will allow participants to grasp the use of egg as a binder for
color. Such activities as preparing a drawing, using gesso ground on
paper and applying a cross-hatch drawing, grinding the pigments,
and preparing various emulsions will re-create the process used in
the fifteenth century studios of Italian and European masters. This is a
day-long workshop designed for high school and adult ages, and all
materials will be provided.
www.spivaarts.org
The JRAC Board is holding a think tank at Spiva!
Tuesday, August 31st 6-8pm This is a come and go as you please event. Stay for a little while or the whole time. We’d love to see everyone!
The object of this think tank is to get some ideas from our members on a variety of topics:
Increasing our membership and retaining current members
Additional opportunities to show with JRAC
Workshop ideas/requests
Feedback on how the board is doing and how it can improve
Pizza and drinks will be served. Spouses/significant others are welcome. Please RSVP by August 24th for refreshment headcount.
August 21, 2021 2-4pm
Andrew’s Studio
Members Free, Non-Members $40. Registration will be required as class size will be limited to 8. Please email joplinrac@gmail.com to be put on the list.
This workshop will cover basic journal construction. We will coffee dye, stamp, and print our own papers to use.
Please bring any papers, ephemera, cards, pictures etc. that you might like to incorporate into your journal. Bring any stamps, watercolors, acrylic paints, paint brushes that you would like to use. Brenda will provide other materials.
Please wear clothing that you do not mind getting dirty and bring gloves to protect your hands from staining (if desired).
Joplin Regional Artists Coalition
Board Meeting
June 8, 2021
Attendees: Nancy Erwin, Sandra Parrill, Andrew Batcheller, Chadan Tomlin, Angel Brame, Al Gritten
Absent: Emily Rose, Daria Claiborne
The meeting of the JRAC board was called to order at 6:00pm by President Andrew Batcheller.
Agenda Approval: A motion was made by Al Gritten to approve the agenda and seconded by Sandra Parrill. The motion was unanimously approved.
Minutes Approval: Minutes approved via email prior to meeting and disbursed to members.
Chadan Tomlin presented a Treasurer’s report that showed a beginning balance of $8,979.80. Ending balance after membership dues and disbursements result in a balance of $9189.30 in the bank account. Treasurer’s Report Approval: A motion was made by Sandra Parrill to accept the report and was seconded by Al Gritten. The motion was unanimously approved.
Membership update: Current membership stands at 106.
Joplin Arts District requested a renewal of JRAC’s membership with a dues payment of $35. A motion was made by Angel Brame to renew the membership and seconded by Nancy Erwin. The motion was unanimously approved. It was discussed that future annual renewal would be contingent upon a better understanding of how membership fees are used to promote the arts district.
Coffee Talk was held on May 22nd at 10:00am with Sandra Parrill hosting in person at Becketts in Joplin. Sandra will begin posting more details of what is discussed during the events on social media accounts. Topics on May 22nd included discussions of theme or no theme to shows and additional workshops for members on the business of art and not just techniques. Next Coffee Talk is June 26th at 10am at Becketts in Joplin.
Studio Tours resuming in November, 2021. The tour has been scheduled for November 6th and 7th. Applications will be available soon. A home base for members who have home studios and would prefer a public space is needed. Andrew suggested Lori Hahn might have a store front on Main Street available and will contact her with dates. Chadan also suggested the Empire Market may have an option. Daria will follow up on these options.
Andrew presented the topic of “Pizza Think Tank at Spiva” as a way to have members meet and talk about JRAC. Spiva has agreed to let JRAC use the main gallery for the event. Andrew will discuss dates with Spiva for August. More details will be sent to membership as they become available.
The summer exhibit at MSSU’s gallery on campus will be held June 28-July 22, 2021 with the title, “The Light in the Darkness.” Pieces for the exhibit will be delivered to Andrew Batcheller’s studio on June 17th from 5-7pm. Works will be delivered to MSSU and installed by June 22nd. A reception will be held on July 9th from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. An email will go out as a reminder of the exhibit to all current members. Chadan will write the press release and create a poster for the event. The theme was discussed as it was brought up at Coffee Talk. While the theme will be used as a standard for the judging process, it will not be used to turn away works for the exhibit.
The next workshops for members are being scheduled for late summer and fall. Brenda Hayes will conduct a book binding workshop and Andrew Batcheller will conduct a canvas stretching workshop. Details will be sent out as they become available.
The meeting was declared adjourned at 7:11pm by Andrew Batcheller. The next meeting of the JRAC Board will be at Andrew Batcheller’s studio on Tuesday, July 13th at 6pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Angel Brame, Secretary
Hello!!! Spiva is looking for art instructors to teach some classes and/or camps! We pay $20/hour and don’t require a degree, just a strong portfolio and an outgoing personality! If any of your artists would like to apply to teach, have them send me an email, sclements@spivaarts.org. Thank you! Contact Sara Clements at sclementsA@spivaarts.org.
A summer exhibit at MSSU’s gallery on campus will be held June 28-July 22, 2021 with the title, “The Light in the Darkness.” Kyle McKenzie has agreed to be the judge. Pieces for the exhibit will be delivered to Andrew Batcheller’s studio on June 17th from 5-7pm. Works will be delivered to MSSU and installed by June 22nd. A reception will be held on July 9th from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. A new award, Best Interpretation, will take the place of Honorable Mention. Pieces submitted for the exhibit need to reflect the theme/title which is defined as the community coming out of the pandemic. It can be the light at the end of the tunnel, hope, promise, or a new beginning. What does “The Light in the Darkness” mean to you?