When I was about five years old, my mom came home from Bamberger’s department store with a cookie jar. Throughout the years, this beloved cookie jar has held all of my favorite homemade cookies. Although it probably didn’t cost much, it held a place of honor in the Locke kitchens in New Jersey, a couple of homes in Houston, Grand Junction, Colorado, and Temple, Texas. My dad, who was known for chipping dishes as he unloaded the dishwasher, once told me that he was afraid to touch the cookie jar for fear of breaking it. After he died in 2018, the cookie jar traveled back to Houston with my mom when she moved into an independent-living community.
Throughout the 55+ years and five moves, the cookie jar suffered only one tiny chip. In March of 2020, a couple of strokes necessitated moving my mom from independent-living to an assisted-living community. As you might recall, our world changed significantly that month. To make the move, I hired a wonderful company that photographed her current apartment, packed her belongings, moved them, and then arranged them in her new place. Everything went well, and I knew that Mom would feel right at home when she arrived to her new apartment from the hospital.
Unfortunately, my mom died before she moved, so she never saw her new place. When the assisted-living facility finally let us remove Mom’s belongings, I noticed that only one item had been damaged in the move.
Since April 2020, the pieces of the cookie jar have been carefully wrapped—silently beckoning to me to do something with a broken lamb cookie jar that I can’t bring myself to discard. Recently, a friend reminded me of Wabi Sabi, and I remembered the broken little lamb. My angst over this cookie jar has changed and I now look forward to embracing and enhancing its imperfections through art, not so unlike the imperfections of our crazy new world.
- Melody -
ECO Grants: This could be your year!
Each year, WiVLA awards two $1,000 grants--one to a writer and one to an artist. These grants afford our members professional and educational development opportunities. At this year's April meeting, you'll hear how Gretchen McDaniel and Marie Casamayor-Harvey, last year's recipients, used their grants. After their presentations, they'll draw the names of this year's lucky recipients.
To be eligible for this unique opportunity:
You must be a member in good standing for the past two calendar years (2020 & 2021). To verify your eligibility, contact our membership chairs at membership@wivla.org.
You must be a member in good standing by April 7, 2022. Do you need to renew? If so click here.
You cannot have received an ECO Grant. Prior recipients are not eligible.
You must email your completed application by Thursday, April 7th.
For further details about the ECO Fund Grant opportunity please see the WiVLA website. Application forms will be available starting February 7th.
Since the beginning of the ECO Fund Grant awards, WiVLA has given $46,000 to our members. Perhaps this really could be your year!
WiVLA has secured a space on the wall at Smither Park! Our space is the second space to the right of the large, white mosaic that is located in the center of the wall. Our space was started by another group, but was abandoned. To make this space our own, we need to remove the current mosaic.
Deconstruction
We need a team of strong, able-bodied members to help with the demolition. Swinging a hammer at a wall of concrete and tile is a great way to channel anger and work out your frustrations by bashing away at concrete and tile!!
Design
Don’t let this project intimidate you! Partner with another member and collaborate on a design. The following diagram provides the dimensions of the space. Send a rendition of your design to Sally Worthington by March 31. The following diagram provides the shape and dimensions of the space.
Construction and mosaic know-how
The Orange Show holds mosaic workshops on the 3rd Saturday of each month from 10am-1pm. The workshops cost $10. To register for a workshop, use the following link, and sign up for a class under Upcoming Workshops. https://www.orangeshow.org/visit-smither-park
This project has something for everyone:
Demolition to help you to work out your frustrations.
Ideas, ideas, and more ideas!
Collection (and perhaps creation) of materials
Mosaic construction
If you are interested in participating, consider visiting the space at Smither Park at 2441 Munger Street. For more information, contact Sally Worthington at worthington75@gmail.com
Calling all WiVLA members! If you are interested in participating in a virtual exhibition the 2022 season you may apply on the WiVLA website. This is an excellent opportunity to add to your CV and is a great marketing tool for your artistic endeavors. This is a free benefit to all WiVLA members. If you are interested in learning more please reach out to our Visual Co-Chair, Aliza Bejarano at visual@wivla.org. If you would like to reserve a spot for the 2022 season you may do so by clicking the button below.
Now that 2022 has arrived, it's time again for WiVLA's biennial collaborative exhibition. The theme for this years' Collaboration is Reflection. Because of the time involved in planning and executing the collaborative pieces, now is a good time to start finding a partner. Please take advantage of our member directory on the WiVLA website to find your co-collaborator.
Mary Wemple: Words & Art - Visual Art Meets Literary Art Tuesday, March 15
6:00pm - 7:30pm
Mary Wemple is a poet, artist, and creator of Words & Art (wordsandart.org), a reading and workshop series inspired by art in Houston. She has conducted writing workshops and hosted poetry/prose readings based on art at the former Rice University Art Gallery, the Menil, and the Contemporary Art Museum Houston.
She holds degrees in English and Studio Art from the University of Houston. Her poetry has been published in the first issue of Equinox (honorable mention), Right Hand Pointing and Enchantment of the Ordinary and her art has been shown at the Inman Gallery, DiverseWorks, and Lawndale Art Center.
Mary will talk about her two passions: art and poetry and how she combines the two in her reading series.
Meeting Schedule
6:00 - 6:20 pm Social Time and Board Announcements.
6:20 - 7:20 pm Presentation with Q & A.
7:20 - 7:30 pm Time permitting, Member announcements.
*Some meetings may run slightly off schedule due to the nature of the conversation.
Zoom Meeting Information
Due to Zoom's security suggestions, we will send out another email with the Zoom meeting information one day before the meeting. Be certain to look for it. If you need the meeting code, please send an email to newsletter@wivla.org to get the meeting code no later than 5:00 pm the day of the meeting.
If you need information on how to use Zoom before the meeting date, please use the links below:
WiVLA Members Gladys Mae Bullock, Yvonne Jones, and Melody Locke are featured in the March-April virtual exhibition. To view their exhibition, please click here. For best results, view on full screen on your computer or laptop. You will be prompted to download the app if you view it on your mobile device.
This is an opportunity available to all WiVLA members. For information or to register to exhibit your work please visit our website.
Gladys Mae Bullock is a poet, educator, and motivational speaker. She has been writing and reading poetry derived from her own experiences for over 20 years. In 1995, she developed the innovative workshop STEP (Starting To Experience Progress), which utilizes her poetry skills and keen ability to engage emotionally with a wide array of audiences.
Ms. Bullock is an alternative classroom educator at a title 1 school in Pasadena, TX, conducts STEP workshops at various organizations as well as students assigned to in-school suspension. Her book, "Ten Cents..." became a local #1 best seller and was well reviewed by the Austin American Statement.
A mother of three enjoys hiking, cycling, backpacking and is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts of American serving as a troop leader for over 20 years.
Working her way from a restricted childhood, Jones grew up using curiosity, education, and determination, now identifying herself as an ‘emerging Posthuman (feminist) Artist’.
Qualified as a teacher of Maths and Biology, (B.Ed.), she went on to study painting in Liverpool College of Art (B.A. Hons), and in Winchester School of Art, gaining an MA with Distinction, and an art practice-led PhD. (UoS).
Jones works with painting, video, built canvases and installation pieces; an installation piece of built canvases is permanantly sited in the Cancer Research Centre, University of Southampton. She has exhibited widely including paintings in the Royal Academy of Arts, London; a video installation in Bloomberg New Contemporaries, selected by Dinos Chapman, with work held in the unique collection of Contemporary Women Artists at Newhall College, Cambridge, and in Gwynedd Museum and Art gallery.
Her built canvases, expose the dilemmas in an increasingly posthuman world.
Melody Locke uses alternative and non-camera photographic processes to create fine art prints. Her love of nature inspires her landscape photography and her more intimate and somewhat ethereal lumen images of plants and flowers, many of which grow in her own backyard.
February Meeting Highlight:
Art for All Homes
The WiVLA Member Meeting program on February 15 featured Lisa Sheinbaum and Catherine Wile, Founders of Art for All Homes. This nonprofit organization provides art to people of limited means through their partner organizations, e.g., Habitat for Humanity. The presenters shared their goals to support their mission of bringing the experience of enjoying and owning art to everyone, regardless of resources:
Collect more donations of art (except nudes)
Partner with more organizations that need art
Provide art classes to Lawndale and the Museum of Fine Arts
Find donated storage space
Raise money
Spread their story through word of mouth and social media
Potential art donors can connect with Art for All Homes via art drop offs usually during the first Saturday of each month. The next art drop-off is March 5th, 10:00 a.m. at the Harris County Public Library - Spring Branch parking lot - 930 Corbindale. They recommend that you RSVP before the drop-off date - artforallhomes@gmail.com https://www.artforallhomes.org/contact-us
In addition to providing art to Art for All Homes, WiVLA can support this worthy organization by posting and reposting information about them on social media. Volunteer opportunities are available through their Ambassador volunteer program. Check out on their website - https://www.artforallhomes.org/
February Workshop Highlight:
Dr. Kathryn Peterson: Writing the Perfect Bio for Authors & Artists
WiVLA members received advice and suggestions on writing bios and artist statements at the Weekley Community Center on Saturday, February 26. Kathryn Peterson, Dr. Kat, led the group through tips for writing bios with samples of effective and not so effective bio examples.
● Limit your bio to a single paragraph.
● Write in the third person
● Include your credentials, if relevant: if no credentials tell what you are working on. People are interested in what you are doing or what you are about.
● Write about your interests, if relevant (i.e. if you were a cops and courts reporter for a newspaper, that would absolutely be relevant for a bio for a True Crime novel or a noir-themed short story, but maybe not so much for a Cookbook)
● Match the tone of your bio to the publication (i.e. if the publication is satirical, like The Onion or like McSweeney’s, you may want to include humor or a little punchy sarcasm, but you probably wouldn’t do that elsewhere)
● Investigate examples of the types of bios the publisher would like to see and their own tips for success.
Kathryn also stated that the Artist Statement is about the artist's journey, her inspiration and what she wants her art to say. It is usually written in the first person. The website of Lynet McDonald contains an excellent example of an artist statement.
We'd love to celebrate your good news. If you are interested in sharing, please send your items to newsletter@wivla.org. The deadline for inclusion in the next month's newsletter is the 20th. Thank you.
When I was about five years old, my mom came home from 
Throughout the 55+ years and five moves, the cookie jar suffered only one tiny chip. In March of 2020, a couple of strokes necessitated moving my mom from independent-living to an assisted-living community. As you might recall, our world changed significantly that month. To make the move, I hired a wonderful company that photographed her current apartment, packed her belongings, moved them, and then arranged them in her new place. Everything went well, and I knew that Mom would feel right at home when she arrived to her new apartment from the hospital. 
Calling all WiVLA members! If you are interested in participating in a virtual exhibition the 2022 season you may apply on the WiVLA website. This is an excellent opportunity to add to your CV and is a great marketing tool for your artistic endeavors. This is a free benefit to all WiVLA members. If you are interested in learning more please reach out to our Visual Co-Chair, Aliza Bejarano at visual@wivla.org. If you would like to reserve a spot for the 2022 season you may do so by clicking the button below.
Now that 2022 has arrived, it's time again for WiVLA's biennial collaborative exhibition. The theme for this years' Collaboration is Reflection. Because of the time involved in planning and executing the collaborative pieces, now is a good time to start finding a partner. Please take advantage of our member directory on the WiVLA website to find your co-collaborator.
