Monday, March 3, 2014

February 2014 Meeting - Guest Speaker Wilfredo Valladares

 The Friends of the Arts Meeting * February 11, 2014, 10:30 am * Café Mezzanotte

About 26 members were present including three guests.

Vice President Joan Machinchick called the meeting to order and conducted a brief business meeting.

New member, Dinah Little has volunteered to fill the vacancy and serve as Recording Secretary for the remainder of the year.

Silk scarves project: Freda Gandy reported that several members have gathered in her studio to paint the
silk scarves. Thirty of the sixty scarves are finished. Two more sessions are planned, Tuesday February 18 and Wednesday February 19 at 10:00. She invited anyone unterested in participating in this project to come on either day.

The donations of gently used scarves have been coming in and several have already been sold. More can be brought to the next meeting on March 11. We will have a display and sale of them at the card party as well as selling them over the summer.

Card party: The annual Card Party will be held on Wednesday, March 19 from 11:00 to 3:30. Tickets are $25.00 per person. Volunteers are needed and should arrive around 9:30. Lunch donations of sandwiches and desserts will be appreciated and Ellenor Alvarez passed around sign-up sheets.

Next meeting: Aileen Thomas announced that next month’s meeting will be held in the Annapolis Room at Ginger Cove where lunch can be ordered. The speaker will be Mark Hildebrandt showing a film he created called “Anthem” about the War of 1812 and the Star Spangled Banner. More information to come.

Grace Stark mentioned that FOTA is scheduled for an exhibit in the art gallery at Ginger Cove in August, for two-dimensional art that can be hung on the walls. This could possibly include fiber arts. She suggested that we look carefully at the gallery space at the next meeting.

Ellenor Alvarez introduced the guest speaker, Wilfredo Valladares, an instructor at AACC, who gave an interesting overview of three-dimensional art. This stimulated a lot of lively discussion at the tables over lunch. 
Born in Honduras, Central America, Wilfredo Valladares Lara began his career as an artist and educator. It was because of his creativ abilities and challenging perceptions as a teacher during time of conflict in his country that it was necessary to seek political asylum. Wilfredo arrived in the early nineties to the United States, where he continued his journey as an artist by attending Montgomery College - then MD Institute of College of Art - and graduating with a BFA in sculpture. He continued his studies at the University of MD where he received an MFA in sculpture. It was evident that his chosen path would lead him to make contributions in the academic and artistic arenas. Since his arrival, he has been part of numerous artistic and educational events such as group shows, solo exhibits, workshops, and environment installations. In 1997, he had his first international sculpture show in Milan, Italy where he had the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse community of artists and curators. Wilfredo's work is designed to cross boundaries and to move beyond the traditional paradigm of cross-cultural art. One of his most notable installations "Ofrenda al Dios del Maiz" (Offer to God of Corn) explored Mayan mythology. It captivated the imagination of its viewers and transported them to a place cloaked in mystery with endless discoveries yet to be uncovered. His most recent commission project is a sculptural stainless steel form designed for the Georgia and Wayne Avenues Park in Silver Spring, MD.

Minutes submitted by Dinah Little, Recording Secretary

*from notes of Joan Machinchick and introduction and bio by Ellenor Alvarez

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