Waimea Arts CouncilMay, 2013

PO Box 181867-1201 Mamalahoa HighwayKamuela, HI 96743

808-887-1052www.waimeaartscouncil.org

facebook: waimea arts council/firehouse gallery

WAC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the arts, the encouragement of artists, and providing a forum for art-related communityevents. This newsletter is made possible by donations from WAC members and W.M Keck Observatory, who does the printing.

In the Firehouse Gallery

Religion and Culture in West Africa :A Land Less Traveled

May 1 - 25, 2013

The Waimea Arts Council is proud to present a collection ofphotographs byWaimea photographer Susan Bailey Harris. Theexhibit "Religion and Culture in West Africa: A Land Less

Traveled" will be at the FirehouseGallery in Waimea from May 1-25.

There will be an artist’s reception atthe gallery, with wine and pupus, onFriday, May 3rd, from 5-7 pm. Thepublic is cordially invited.

To quote Susan: "When I tell peopleI’ve recently been to Africa their firstquestion is, “Did you see a lot ofanimals?” In this case, the answer is“no.” In West Africa—a land lesstraveled—the focus is on religion andculture instead. My collection ofimages portrays the culturally richand ethnologically fascinating tribal

cultures presently existing inBenin, Togo,Ghana,Burkina Faso,and Mali. Venture deep into the heartland of these countries tosee how people live and work. Meet fetish priests and healers;attend colorful festivals, markets, and ancient ceremonies.Witnessmasked dancers performingon stilts inMali and dancersin voodoo trances inTogo. Voodoo is endemic in these countriesand in this part of the world the practices are still authentic.Religious affiliations are complex—voodoo, animism,Christianity, Muslim—and often dualistic in nature. Some, forexample, claim to be both Catholics and voodoo adepts, and see

no conflict in espousing both.This area is also the heart of theearly slave trade and vestigesof slavery are very much inevidence today.

My exhibit attempts to sharewith you my enthusiasm forand gratitude towards thepeoples of Togo, Benin,Ghana, Burkina Faso, and

Mali. While I took many pictures ofthem, I frequently looked up to see themalso photographing me with theirubiquitous cell phones. In the heartland,visitors are still a novelty."

Susan is a Professor Emerita of TeacherEducation (California State University,Fresno). She was born and raised inNapa, California and lived most of herlife in the northern half of the state,moving to Waimea in 2011. Althoughshe considers herself primarily alandscape/architectural photographer,when she’s traveling she tries to captureimages that become visual metaphorsreflecting the “spirit of place.” Her photographs have beenwidely exhibited in juried and solo shows in museums andgalleries as well as in permanent public collections in northernCalifornia and Oregon.

The Firehouse Gallery is located at the intersection of Highways19 and90 inKamuela. Free parking is available behind the seniorcenter in back of the gallery or next door at the Thelma ParkerGym.

If you'd like to hear "the story behind the images" in Susan'sexhibit, she will be presenting a slide show at Tutu's House onThursday, May 9th, from 5 to 6 pm. Tutu's House is located at64-1032 Mamalahoa Highway in the back of the KamuelaBusiness Center and across the road from HPM.

"Little Girl Waiting"Cotonou, Benin

"Dogon Dancer"Tirelli, Mali

"Toninou Woman'"Ganvie, Benin

"Dagomba Home"Tsibeli, Ghana

"Vegetables for Sale"Porto Novo, Benin

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Mahalo to our VolunteersThe followingmembers volunteereda total of 203.5 hours duringthe month of March. Mahalo for your time and dedication!

Docents: Kris Lockard, Carolyn Harper, Merna Watta, JaclynMacKinnon, Julie McCue, Terry Bensch, Denise Ulrich, CollieWill, Pat Dinsman, Susie Cysewski, AnnGuth, SuzanneHaight,Teresa Crowell, Sam Cudney.

Other: Janice Gail, Marcia Wishnick, Susan Harris, JulieMcCue, Irina Place, Judy Folk, Jay West, Amber Bonnici.

A big welcome to our newest members:Glory Guerpo - Hilo photographyInger Gulmala - Kamuela oilPeter Jefferson - Kamuela watercolorHan Choi - Kamuela watercolorGeoffrey Mundon - Kamuela watercolor

The Firehouse GalleryThe Firehouse Gallery is the most visible project of theWaimea ArtsCouncil, an all-volunteer non-profit organization that sponsorsprograms, exhibits and education related to the arts.

It is strategically located in the heart of downtown Kamuela in SouthKohala’s historic old fire station, at the crossroads of MamalahoaHighway and Lindsey Rd. (Hwy. 19 and 190), across from theWaimea Chevron. Exhibits change monthly.

The Firehouse Gallery serves as a venue for Big Island artists byproviding educational and creative opportunities for sharing work.Artists donate a percentage of any sales to the organization. Thegallery is open Wednesday - Saturday, 11 am to 3 pm, subject toavailability of docents. There is plenty of free parking behind thegallery or next door to Thelma Parker Gym.

From the Gallery Committee Chair.....This month's contributor is Janice Gail, Gallery Curator

Springtime greetings to all our Firehouse Gallery members. I’dlove to talk about ART and all its wonderful aspects, but whenasked to write something for this space in the newsletter, Ithoughtperhaps I’dbetter stick tomy joband let youknowwhat’scookin’.

We’ve had a pretty good winter/spring transition, in spite of theeconomic climate, and our participation has increased alongwithour membership, with a resulting increase in donations. Thefunds that were raised by See’s Candy sales over these past twoseasons have helped to provide us with awards for the Na Opi`oShowwinners, and some promising Gallery improvements. Wealso have been able to generate some advertising in theprestigious Ke Ola Magazine, which will, we hope, impact ourimage andpresence around the Island. Many,many thanks to ourGallery Publicity Chair, Marcia Wishnick, for her efforts inboth of these endeavors, as well as to our Board of Directors fortheir foresight and approval of these advantageous changes.

Fellow committee members Merna Watta and Susan Harrisare to be commended for their diligent helpwith preparations andinstallations, including the presentation of our ParticipatingArtists in the Member's Gallery, and the photographic talents ofSusanHarris.By theway,wemustALLsendourbiographies andphotos of ourselves and our work to her ASAP---we have a newpresentation portfolio to display our artists in the gallery, andprecious few pages so far to put in it. (Susan's email issusharris43@gmail.com.) And don’t miss her May exhibit!

Thanks also to Marcia Wishnick for her donation of lovely newtable covers and tableware for our receptions, as well as creatingthe drape that now covers our unsightly hardware/storage areaadjacent to the bathroom. Shewas also responsible for asking theCouncil for our new lighting, a new business card rack (pleasebring us your latest business cards), AND (soon to be installed)venetian blinds for the Gallery side windows!

Onward and upward: our Council has artists willing to teach, butwe need more input from the Membership---suggestions forPrograms, for Exhibitions, etc., please. To sum it all up, ourfuture looks bright, andwe thank all of ourArtist and SupportingMembers for their encouragement and assistance. Keepmakingart!

Aloha from Janice Gail.

Out the front door...New Gallery in North KohalaLook for watercolors by WAC members Julie McCue andCarolyn Lancaster as two of the featured artists in the KohalaMountain Gallery, which just opened recently in the NanbuBuilding in Kapaau.

Clytie Mead Studio SaleAward winning, local artist and long-timeWaimea Arts Councilmember ClytieMead is cleaning out her studio tomake room fornewworks. She is opening her studio to visitors whowish to addoriginal watercolor on silk paintings to their art collections onSaturday and Sunday, May 11 &12, Saturday, May 18 from11:00 am to 4:00 pm.Many paintings are available at greatly reduced prices, plusscarves, cards, and more. Light pupus and drinks will be served.Plus shewill bedemonstratingpaintingand silkdying techniquesshe has perfected over her career.Clytie’s studio is located on Waimea side of Honokaa offHighway 19 between mile markers 45 and 46. Please emailclytie@clytiemeadart.com or call 775-0400 directions.CongratulationsWaimeaArtsCouncil president JayWestwas awarded first placein North Kohala's 7th Annual Trash Bash Art Show for her"CannedKimono" at the reception held onApril 20. This popularshow recognizes artists and their creative use of recycledmaterials.This year’s art show will be up until the end of May at the KavaKafe, upstairs from the Kohala Coffee Mill in Hawi.

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Okay, I've created a masterpiece... now what?by Julie McCue

After you have had all the fun of creating a painting, how do youmake it look good enough to display in the gallery, or even sell?We've had a number of new members with questions aboutframing their work. I am not an expert, but I am cheap. I've donemy own framing for years, so thought perhaps I could throw outa few helpful hints that I have picked up over the years.

I'm going to discuss watercolor, since it is probably the mostcomplicated, and where I have experience. The traditionaltreatment forwatercolor is to use amat over the painting and thena frame with glass. Unless you varnish over the watercolor, youneed glass to protect it. Themat serves twopurposes - to enhancethework (youcan"crop"yourpieceusingyourmatopening), andto keep the painting from touching the glass. With the humidityinHawaii, the painting could stick to the glass and be ruined overtime. If you prefer to glue your painting on top of a piece ofcoloredmat board, be sure to put a spacer in the frame to keep theglass off the painting.

Depending on the size of the art, a mat width of at least 2-3" ispreferable. Sometimes a really big mat on a small piece can bevery dramatic. You also can make the mat width the same allaround, or "weight" it (make it larger) at the bottom. A doublemat, either two different colors or even all one color often givesthe piece more depth.

Custom Framing:A custom frame shop will be happy to help you pick mat colorsand a frame style that will enhance your piece. This is your bestchoice if you are dealing with an odd size, or a very large piece.They often can also do fancier or more unusual treatments, andhave a large selection of colors and styles to choose from. Wehave an excellent custom frame shop, Ironwood CustomFraming andDesign, right here inWaimea. See their ad in thisnewsletter. Some shops will make the frame, cut the mat for youand let you assemble it yourself as a less expensive option.

Purchase frame and mat:Thinkbeforeyoupaint!Makeyourpaintinga size thatwill fit intoa standard "readymade" frame. Also look at the opening sizes inprecut mats and design your painting accordingly.

Frames: There are a number of local sources for ready madeframes - Ace Hardware in Waimea, Pictures Plus in Kona, oreven Costco, Walmart, K-Mart, Target, Ross, etc. Many customframe shops also sell ready made frames. Sometimes they havebargain areas with custom sizes that someone didn't want. Youcan go to garage sales and purchase a framed piece at a bargain,throw away the picture and use the frame... recycling at its best!Just be sure that the frame you purchase is deep enough to holdthemat(s), the paper and a backing board (foam core is popular).You also must be able to attach a wire hangar at the back.

For odd sizes, an option is to purchase the metal moulding thatcomes in numerous lengths and colors. You buy two sets - 1 eachfor the length andwidth that youwant.You can go to a local glasscompany to have glass cut to fit. You just need a screwdriver toput it all together.

Mats: You can purchase pre-cut mats in a limited number ofstandard sizes from many of the same sources that have frames.This does limit your color possibilities somewhat.You can alsoget them online.

Purchase frame and make your own mat:Another option is to do your own mat-cutting and put them intoready-made frames. If youarewilling to spend the extra time, thisgives you great freedom to cut mats any size you want, and youcan savemoney by purchasing full sheets ofmat board and usingthe cutouts on smaller pieces of artwork or prints. It is worth theinvestment to get a good matcutter that has guide rails to holdyour matboard in place while you cut, but you don't have to getthemost expensive one. I have used a Logan Intermediate cutterfor over 10 years and have found it meets all my needs. It costsunder $200 and it will cut up to a 40" piece of matboard which isthe size of a full sheet. The current comparable model is a 450-1.It comes with both a bevel cutter and a straight cutter .

Be sure to purchase acid free or archivalmat board. If you use thecheaper standardmat youwill savemoney but it's not worth it inthe long run. Over time, the cut edge that shows around thepaintingwill yellow and look old. It also can damage yourwork.

Assembly: Always use a backing board! It can be foam core ora scrap piece of mat board. Once you have your mat cut, you caneither attach the picture to the backing board or to the back of themat. I always use acid free artist's tape for this. You can also usea "hinge" of tape to hold the backing board and the mat together,so that it can't slip. Then slip it into the frame and secure it so itcan'tmove. Be sure to clean the glass and check carefully thatthere are no specs of anything behind the glass beforesecuring it. It's a nuisance to have to redo the job later.

Back:Having a neat backside on your piece is the final touch. Ifyouwant tomake thebacksideofyourartwork lookprofessional,and also keep out the bugs and dust that often seem to work theirway under the glass, you can cover it with brown paper. Cut thepaper larger than the frame, use double sided tape or glue alongall four edges and attach the paper to the back of the frame. Thenuse a fine sandpaper and gently sand along the edge of the frameuntil you cut through the paper - this will give you a very cleanedge. Attach your wire after this step, so you don't have to workaround the fittings.

Finally, you can attach your business card to the back, or a sheetwith information about yourself, and/or any story behind thepainting. This could make the piece more meaningful for theperson who buys it.

Only you know howmuch time and effort youwant to spend, butthere are ways to cut the cost of framing. Have fun! Think of itas part of creating the piece... it can be just as important.

Images from theHula Show inApril. A beautiful tribute to the dance!

L to R: "E HuliMakou" by IrinaPlace, "Wahineof the Falls" bySusie Cysewski,"Receive" byAmber Bonnici

WAIMEA ARTS COUNCIL BOARD OF DIRECTORS2012-2013

President - Jay West artglass@aloha.netVice President - Wendi Roehrig wendi.roehrig@gmail.comSecretary - William Chillingworth willc55@earthlink.netTreasurer - Judy Folk jfolk@hawaiiantel.netIrina Place placeirina9@gmail.comLauren Avery hawaiilauren@gmail.com

COMMITTEESGALLERY COMMITTEE - Janice Gail (janicegailart@aol.com),Merna Joan Watta, Susan HarrisHOSPITALITY - Irina PlaceMEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE - Julie McCue, Marcia WishnickPUBLICITY - Jay West - Chairman, Press Releases - LynnChapman Website - Amber Bonnici, Julie McCue SocialMedia & Internet - Amber Bonnici Gallery Marketing - MarciaWishnick Newsletter - Julie McCue, Barbara Schaefer

Botanical Show coming up soon...Our next member themed show is coming up in June and thethemewill be "Botanicals". Summer is coming - time tobringoutall your beautiful paintings, drawings, photos, etc. of flowers,trees, plants... anything growing.

This is open to WACmembers only - there is no fee. Each artistmay bring in a maximum of 3 pieces of art. Maximum size 24"x 36" (864 sq. ft.) or 18"x18"x18" for a three dimensional piece.Items for wall must be framed or gallery wrapped and wired forhanging.

Pieces must be submitted on or before May 26. There will besomeone taking in entries onMay 25 and 26, 11 am - 3 pm at thegallery. Any questions, contact Janice Gail 936-1449 orjanicegailart@aol.com.

Community Events/Classes Coming UpFor more information, go to the websites shown.

Waimea Community Education 885-1435 waimeaeducation.com

May 4 "Demystifying Your Digital Camera". 11:30 - 3:30,Parker School Classrooom. Learn how your camera works andthen get help to optimize your camera for your specific needs.Robert Frutos $55

Waimea Community Theatre 985-5818waimeacommunitytheatre.orgMay 17 - 26 "Four Weddings and an Elvis" 7:30 pmFridays/Saturdays, 3:00 Sundays. "Come enjoy four acts oflove... or something like it. What happens in Vegas... ishilarious." Parker School Theatre.

Waimea Artists' Guild (WAG) 887-2289waimeaartistsguild.comEvery Friday through June 29 (except April 13) - "'Ohana inthe Arts". Workshops that the entire family can participatein. Visual fundamentals in April and May. Woodworking inMay and June.May 12 Native Hawiian Arts Market. Maoli Arts Month hasteamed up withWAG to present this market at the Kahilu TownHall. Blessing at 9 am, vendors open from 10 am - 4 pm.

Firehouse Gallery Upcoming 2012 CalendarThe main gallery is available with a small fee for special art exhibitionsor events by community groups. Calendar is subject to change.

2013May 1-25 "Religion and Culture in West Africa"

Photography by Susan HarrisMay 3 Wine & Cheese Reception for Susan

Harris 5 - 7 pm.May 29-June 29 "Botanical" Member show open to all

members of WAC (take in May 25-26)July "Pattern and Texture"August Amber Bonnicci solo showSeptember Juried Photography ShowOctober 29th Annual Helen M. Cassidy

Memorial Juried Art ShowNovember "Reflections and Reflecting"