October 2021

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View this email in your browser Inspire. Promote. Collaborate.                                                                  October 2021 From Awakening to Hope We start each of our monthly member meetings by reading our mission statement. We read it because it’s more than some prose eloquently strung together by some talented writers—it’s who we are and what we do.    On September 1st, we opened “Awakening,” our biennial member exhibition, and I was beyond proud. Gladys and Marie, our visual co-chairs, did a fabulous job preparing for the exhibition, which included preparing the prospectus, selecting a juror, curating the exhibition, creating a catalog, and securing sponsors for awards. I was also impressed with our juror, Rosa Ana Orlando, and she was equally impressed by the work of our talented artists. Our ECO grant provides a financial resource for our members to explore and advance their creative development. During our September meeting, Glady Jones and Sabina Gartler described how they used their $1,000 grants. Like always, I come away from these presentations learning something myself. Patty Pagan, one of our literary members, recently approached us with a proposal to partner with Field Elementary School. Like many schools, their resources for art instruction or appreciation are severely limited. After listening to Patty’s proposals, the board unanimously accepted one of her proposed options. Patty and June Russell will serve as liaisons between the school and WiVLA. Stay tuned for updates from Patty and June, and keep your eyes peeled for a prospectus of hope. WiVLA’s mission is to provide an inspiring forum for women to explore and advance their creative development, to promote their work in the marketplace, and to infuse the community with their spirit of cooperation and invention. Our member exhibitions, virtual gallery, collaborations, and readings provide our members with platforms for promoting their work. Since the founding of WiVLA, we’ve awarded more than $40,000 in ECO grants to members, enabling them to acquire or hone their skills or improve working environments, allowing them to grow in their art. We’re very excited about our opportunity to collaborate with Field Elementary School and hope that it can serve as a model for more partnerships that enable us to infuse the community with our spirit of cooperation and invention. If you have an idea that you think supports our mission, be like Patty. Text, email, or call any of the board members to float your idea. Your idea could be our next great activity.  - Melody -  Studio Tour with Dixie Friend Gay Saturday, October 16th, 2021 10:30 am Join us for a studio tour with nationally acclaimed artist Dixie Friend Gay. Friend Gay is known for her large public art commissions, including several sites in Houston: George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Alice McKean Young Neighborhood Library, and Midtown Park. For this event, you will need to register in advance. Follow the link below or visit the WiVLA calendar. You must be signed into the member area, https://www.wivla.org/member-login#myaccount, to register. There are only 20 available slots, and this is sure to be a popular event. You must be fully vaccinated and wear a mask at all times to attend. Sign-up now!   To learn more about Dixie Friend Gay, you may visit her website. Register to attend Announcing the annual November Literary Theme: Mask by Ellen Seaton, Literary Co-Chair Event Date: November 16, 2021 7 Slots Left!!!   Fall is coming and that means the WiVLA Annual Literary Reading is just around the corner. Every year in November we write essays, short stories, and poetry about a chosen topic. This year will be no different. The theme for this year’s annual literary extravaganza is Mask. November: Sign Up to Read Deck the Halls with Spooky Crawls Our literary co-chairs have been busy weaving webs with Houston Writers Guild to bring us a hair-raising holiday event. Prepare your pens for another exciting opportunity to share your literary creations. More information will be forthcoming!   Literary Members! WiVLA Virtual Gallery Opportunity   Our November/December virtual gallery exhibition space is seeking one literary member to participate. The deadline to submit your work is Thursday, October 7th. If you want to learn about online exhibitions, this is an excellent opportunity to have guidance from our board. If you have any questions, please contact Marie Casamayor-Harvey, at visual@wivla.org. Deadline for November: Thursday, October 7th. To apply, click here. Sign Up for Exhibition STEP (Starting To Experience Progress) Coming soon! An innovative workshop developed by WiVLA member Gladys Mae Bullock. Bullock utilizes her poetry skills and keen ability to connect emotionally with audiences. The STEP process relies on colloquial poems/language to help participants identify negative emotions. Through this examination, a new sense of self-awareness emerges. If you are seeking an opportunity for personal growth, the STEP workshop will be a wonderful place to begin.   Covers! Covers! Covers! a presentation by artist, Carolyn Dahl Tuesday, October 19  6:00pm - 7:30pm Let’s say you’ve written an art or literary book, or have assembled a publicity packet, but aren’t sure how to chose a cover that will function as an eye-catching “billboard” for your content. In this zoom presentation, Carolyn will share her experience and the many tips she’s gleaned from working with editors, designers, and publicists for her three art books and three poetry books. Using her books as examples, she will explain why each cover was chosen, her role in its selection, technical issues publishers consider, how content impacts an image, and encourage the artists and writers of WIVLA to collaborate and promote each other’s work. A short Q & A will follow. Carolyn Dahl won the 2020 Poetry of the Plains and Prairies chapbook contest and her book A Muddy Kind of Love was published by North Dakota State University in a handmade, signed, and numbered letterpress-printed collectors’ edition.  Her 2019 chapbook, Art Preserves What Can’t Be Saved (Orchard Street Press) won first place in the Press Women of Texas contest and the National Federation of Press Women’s Communications Contest in the chapbook division.  Also an artist, she exhibits nationally and is the author of Transforming Fabric first and second editions and Natural Impressions, and was the grand prize winner in the national ekphrastic contest ARTlines 2. Social Media and Website Information: Website: https://www.carolyndahlstudio.com/about.html 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: If you need to download Zoom, it's free: https://zoom.us/download.  Here is the link to a video on how to join a meeting: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-Joining-a-Meeting    Aliza Bejarano Visual Artist, New Member Aliza J Bejarano is a renaissance woman newly relocated from Southern California. She instills her creative influence in all aspects of life, especially in roles as artist, writer, speaker, performer, and entrepreneur. Her paintings and installations bond with viewers on intimate, universal levels and evoke a sense of wonder and compassion within the human condition. She has shown at galleries such as the Latino Art Museum of Pomona, Bergamot Station in Los Angeles, and others ranging from El Paso, Texas, to Nice, France. In addition, Aliza is a resident artist at Gallery Skye in Houston, home to her open art studio.   Website: http://alizabejarano.com/ Facebook: @AlizaJBejarano Instagram: @Aliza_b_ Twitter: @AlizaBejarano ©2021,Aliza Bejarano, Houston, TX. Hand, 48" x 36", mock resin and oil. ©2021,Aliza Bejarano, Houston, TX. Broom, 14" x 18", oil on canvas. ©2021,Aliza Bejarano, Houston, TX.. Gluttony (Detail of Prism, an installation piece) 8' x 20', mock resin and oil. September Meeting Highlight: ECO Fund Grant Recipients, Gladys Jones and Sabina Gartler During our September monthly meeting, we heard from our 2020 ECO Fund Grant recipients, Gladys Jones, and Sabina Gartler. Each explained how they utilized their one thousand dollars to fund their artistic development through research and online workshops.  You may view the meeting on the WiVLA YouTube channel.    Sally Worthington will be participating in Print Matters Rockin’ Rollin’ Prints 2021 at the Printing Museum, W Clay St, Houston, Tx 77019, October 3 from 8 am - 4 pm. Each registered artist brings a carved 3’ x 5’ woodblock, which will be inked and printed using a 2-ton steamroller as a printing press. The prints will be available to view and purchase. The exhibition will be at The Printing Museum from January 13 - March 5, 2022. Free and open to the public. www.printmattershouston.org sallyworthington.com @sallypaintingsandsculpture Melody Locke has a solo exhibition October 1-25 in the West Gallery of Silver Street Studios. The artist reception will be from 6-8 pm on Friday, October 8. For details, see the following event information on the WiVLA calendar.    Houston Center for Contemporary Craft upcoming exhibition, Copy Culture: Zines Made and Shared, is curated by HCCC Curatorial Fellow María-Elisa Heg. Heg, alongside Anastasia Kirages, presented on Zines to WiVLA in February 2020. Check out all the great events they have planned to coincide with the show.  Whether you’re a professional craftsperson who needs to restock your studio supplies or a student looking to perfect new techniques, Jerry’s Artarama has all the tools, supplies, and expertise you need to make your project shine.  Art Supply is 7,500 square feet of fun, inspiration, and unlimited creative possibilities for artists, students, parents, and anyone who simply has the urge to create.  It is family-owned and operated, and the proprietors can be found in the store ready to assist all customers.    Texas Art Supply has been a staple in the Houston community since it opened in the 1950’s. With the largest arts and crafts store in the nation, students, hobbyists, and professional creatives have access to over 60,000 products in their three locations. So, head on down, get inspired and see firsthand what Texas hospitality is all about. Blick Art Materials is a family-owned retail and catalog art supply business. Established as a mail order business by Dick Blick in 1911 and purchased by Robert Metzenberg in 1947, it is one of the oldest and largest art materials suppliers in the United States, as well as a primary supplier of mail order art supplies. 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. Copyright © 2021, Women in the Literary and Visual Arts, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: P.O. Box 130406, Houston, TX 77219-0406 Want to change how you receive these emails? 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