The Mitchell Gallery -- 25th Anniversary Exhibit

Our own Annette Uroskie was docent for this special view of The Mitchell Gallery at St. John's College in Annapolis.

Annette and Hydee

Tom Wallace in the 'Waiting Husband' position

FOTA's 2014 Holiday Party

FOTA Celebrates Another Year of Scholarship Fundraising

The Friends of the Arts (“FOTA”) recently held their annual holiday luncheon at the home of Clarke Van Sice. Everyone participated and enjoyed a potluck luncheon and a Yankee Swap (managed by Kathy Nevel).

Plans for the next season include a lunch at Les Folies with speaker April Nyman of the Anne Arundel County Arts Council in January; a February visit to the studio of local artist and educator, Candy Bigelow; and a sculpture tour of Washington, D.C.

On March, 18, 2015, FOTA’s 11th Cards and Games party will be held at a new location: Broadneck Evengelical Presbyterian, 235 Bay Dale Dr., Arnold MD. The proceeds from this fundraiser are applied to the FOTA Scholar program. Applications for the 2015-16 scholarships will be sent to Maryland colleges in January 2015. Full-time art students who live in Anne Arundel County are urged to contact Fotascholar@gmail.com for full details. Two $3,000 scholarships will be awarded.

FOTA has been fundraising for the arts for over 35 years. Its meetings and trips are on the second Tuesday from September through June. We invite anyone who would like to join or to learn more about membership to contact Membership Secretary, Aileen Thomas at 410 266-8784, e-mail Friendsofthearts@excite.com, or write FOTA, P. O. Box 4635, Eastport, MD, 21403. Visit our blog, fota-friendsofthearts.blogspot. 

FOTA President, Jeanne Shaw of Annapolis; Friend and Keeper of the Name Tags, Barbara Myers, Arnold

FOTA Founder and Membership Secretary, Aileen Thomas; Guest Betty Anne Jeffrey; Treasurer Annette Uroskie; Friend Darlene Hansen, all of Annapolis

Friends Mary Melvin, Annapolis; Ellenor Alvarez, Arnold; Grace Stark, Annapolis; and Vice-President and Name Tag Designer Joan Machinchick, of Arnold.

Recording Secretary Dinah Little; Guest Jane Riley, both of Annapolis; Friend Mary Ellen McGrath, Riva; Kathy Nevel, Annapolis

More of Josie's Works

Our Josie Thoms is an Artist of Note

Here's the first page of the "Wareham Courier" article. It seems that people kept finding large pieces of canvas that unlocked Josie's creative juices.

FOTA Visits The Mitchell Gallery at St. John's College

Our own Annette Uroskie was docent for the special 25th anniversary of The Mitchell

Annette and Hydee Schaller

Tom Wallace assumes the "Husband Waiting" position

More shots Yvette sent--Thanks.

Ashley makes her presentation

Ashley, Jeanne and Yvette

Yvette shows portraits

Art Scholars Help FOTA Kick Off Another Year of Fundraising

Art Scholars Help FOTA Kick Off Another Year of Fundraising

The Friends of the Arts (“FOTA”) held the first meeting of the 2014-15 season at Ginger Cove. The year’s slated trips were presented by Trip Chair, Gail Olmstead. Planned visits include: The Mitchell Gallery in October; a November trip to galleries in Easton, Maryland; and a Spring sculpture tour of Washington, D.C.

As part of their scholarship requirements, the recipients of the 5^th Annual FOTA Scholar award, Ashley Lim, a junior at MICA; and Yvette Yu, a sophomore at UMD-College Park delighted and impressed the Friends with presentations of their approaches and their outstanding art works. Don Dement, Gail Higginbotham and Richard Niewerth were the jurors for this year’s entrants.  

Fund-raising for the 6^th FOTA Scholar will include the March, 2015 Cards and Games Party and, coming up, the sale of evening purses and hand-painted silk scarves at the upcoming Annual Fall Festival, Sunday, September 21, 2014, along Maryland Avenue and State Circle, from 10-5.

FOTA has been fundraising for the arts for over 35 years. Its meetings and trips are on the second Tuesday from September through June and its members invite anyone who would like to learn more about trips or membership to contact Membership Secretary Aileen Thomas at 410 266-8784, e-mail Friendsofthearts@excite.com, or write FOTA, Box 4635 Eastport, Md 21403. Visit our blog, http://fota-friendsofthearts.blogspot.com/. 

Photos by Donna F. Rhody

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2014 FOTA Scholars Ashley Lim, Glen Burnie; and Yvette Yu, Laurel

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Friends Ellenor Alvarez, Arnold; Tony Fry; Harriet Sierer; and Amante Carlquist, all of Annapolis

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Friends Mary Melvin, Bets Ryan, Aileen Thomas of Annapolis; and Bess Sharland, Crofton

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Recording Secretary Dinah Little;  Jane Lunney; Mary Lou Alison; and Treasurer Annette Uroskie, all of Annapolis

FOTA Fundraising Continues

The Friends of the Arts (“FOTA”) will be selling hand-painted silk scarves and evening purses at the upcoming Annual Fall Festival, Sunday, September 21, 2014, along Maryland Avenue and State Circle, from 10-5.

The proceeds will be applied to the FOTA Scholar program awarding scholarships to two Anne Arundel County residents who are full-time art students at accredited Maryland Colleges.

The 2013-14 FOTA Scholars are Ashley Lim, a junior at MICA; and Yvette Yu, a sophomore at UMD-College Park. Don Dement, Gail Higginbotham and Richard Niewerth were the jurors for this year’s entrants.  

To learn more about the FOTA Scholar requirements, e-mail fotascholar@gmail.com, or write FOTA Scholar, Box 4635, Eastport, Md 21403. Visit our blog, http://fota-friendsofthearts.blogspot.com/. 

[FOTA090914FallFestival] FOTA President Jeanne Shaw and Event Chair Joan Dreissen, both of Annapolis, with scarves and purses.

FOTA Picnic - June 17, 2014

The Friends of the Arts celebrated another season of art with a picnic at the beautiful home of founder Aileen Thomas’s daughter Laurie Dean.  Co-hosting the event were Mary Melvin, Jane Lunney, Dinah Little and Aileen Thomas. Next year’s officers were named: President, Jeanne Shaw; Vice-President, Joan Machinchick; Treasurer, Annette Uroskie; Recording Secretary, Dinah Little; and Corresponding Secretary, Donna Rhody.

FOTA Scholar Chair, Gibby Edson announced the winners of this year’s competition:  Ja Hyun Lim, a sophomore at MICA; and Yiqi Yu, also a sophomore at UMD-College Park. She also introduced guest, Don Dement who, with Gail Higginbotham and Richard Niewerth, was one of the 2013-14 FOTA Scholar jurors.  The FOTA Scholars will do a presentation of their works at the September 9, 2014 meeting.

Friend Grace Stark will curate an exhibit of FOTA artists’ works at Ginger Cove on August 2, 2014. The exhibit will be open to FOTA members and their families. And, the special Barbara Award for extraordinary service to FOTA was presented to Joan Driessen. 

Scholar Juror Don Dement and Friend Gibby Edson    

Anne Kraemer; Marie Cushing; Amante Carlquist; new member Shirley St. Martin

Friend Mary Ellen McGrath with her guests
Betty Ann Jeffery and Doris Gomoljak, and Friend Founder Aileen Thomas 

Friends Kathy McGilvrey, Ellenor Alavarez, Terry Adams, 

Barbara DiCenso and Joan Driessen

From Mary Ellen McGrath

Gibby Edson presents Pres. Jeanne Shaw with a wise gift

As Dinah takes notes

June 7 & 8, 2014 - Annapolis Arts, Crafts and Wine - From Joan Driessen and Friends

Barbara Winner and co-event chair Joan Driessen "womans" the booth

Just a few of the beautiful scarves

Joan's Favorite Customer

Future Friends, Amy, Kara and Kimberley

A Successful 2014 Cards and Games Party

Aileen Thomas fills snack cups 

while Ruth James and Bets Ryan get ready for guests. Wonderful volunteers have the tables set with colorful clothes and card-playing materials.

 Jeanne Shaw stands next to the silent auction table. Annette Uroskie and Joan Machinchick "woman" one of the stands of FOTA-designed scarves. Another table of gently-used scarves. We earned almost $700 in scarf sales.

Robin Wallace, Mary Patane, Claire Sokolowski and Ellenor Alvares "woman" the kitchen.

Ward Anderson, Sharon Chappell, Linda Elliott and Barb Cole are part of a duplicate group.

Lesley Younes, Regina Novotny, Deb Kimball and Babs Kolker move their weekly Mah Jongg game.

Jean Wagner, Lynn Hansen, Rona Greenberg and Violet O'Malley are part of another duplicate group.

FOTA's March Meeting - We View "Anthem"

Producer Mark Hildebrand and FOTA President Jeanne Shaw with DVD of "Anthem"

FOTA 11^th Annual Cards and Games Party to Raise Scholarship Funds

The Friends of the Arts (“FOTA”) will celebrate the 11th Annual  Cards  and  Games  Party Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 333 DuBois Road, Annapolis 21401 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Proceeds will help fund the FOTA Scholar Program which will award two $3,000 scholarships to full-time college art students who are Anne Arundel County residents.

A light lunch will be served from 11:30-1:00. Outstanding prizes will be raffled. This year, the Friends will include the sale of silk scarves. Anyone who plays Bridge, Pinochle, Mahjongg, Poker, Dominoes, Scrabble or any kind of games is welcome. Playing cards and score cards will be provided.

Although tickets ($25) will be available at the door, reservations are strongly recommended. Please call Pat Brooks, 410 349-1497 or Aileen Thomas at   410-266-8784 for tickets and information.

Posing for PR and getting silly, Emma Adams, Freda Gandy (scarf leader extraordinaire), Joan Driessen, Joan Machinchick, and Terry Adams

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