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Fred Chuang
"Immolation"
18" x 23", spray paint seen through thin, clear panel
This work is a more "personal scaled" version of my large wildfire tribute, "Station Retablo."
I came to fine art through an MFA in Theatre Design (costuming and scenery) and display work for Tiffany & Co. I developed my spray-painting technique, inspired by blown glass, when I needed to create seasonal designs for a large car dealership's showroom. By painting on the back of a clear panel, I surprise myself with every step of the process. I have recently included ceramics in my art and design toolkit.
- Fred Chuang
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| VicePresBuzz Message from Robert Crook
Welcome to 2021! It has been a rough ride to get here. Individually and collectively, we are still feeling the sting of 2020. The pandemic has seen our global community at its best and at its very worst. As artists, we seem to shoulder more of the weight of the world. On the whole, we sense things more. We feel and absorb both the good and the bad energy around us.
It may be hard, but for our own mental health we sometimes need to disconnect from negativity. It is important to keep what I call “the semi-permeable membrane.” You may recall the term from your high school biology class. In order to continue to function, all cells have semi-permeable membranes to allow nutrients to enter and, at the same time, to keep diseases and toxins out. We have to do the same thing for ourselves. Being a creator of art is a wonderful way to exercise that semi-permeable membrane.
So too is embracing good news. Globally, we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out to people on the front line, and in a few months, those vaccines will be available to all of us.
Our world will not be the same, but it might be better. That future depends upon us all. We are looking to go back to the Blynn House for our monthly meetings. Sadly, the Women’s City Club of Pasadena will not be hosting us, but Blynn House will be owned by Pasadena Heritage, and we look forward to working with Pasadena Heritage to return to in-person meetings.
We will also be continuing high-caliber exhibitions. Necessity has honed our skills, and we have made good use of electronic media to present our artists and their creations in a professional manner. We will continue to utilize the internet and print media, as well as in-person exhibitions. We look forward to the 96th Annual Juried Exhibition this year!
We will also continue to reach out to the community we live in to educate and promote artistic endeavors and its appreciation as we have committed to do. To this end, we have received grant funds through the efforts of Kruti Shah and the PSA Grants Committee.
In short, the future looks bright, regardless of the challenges we are experiencing right now. Let’s embrace the positive changes as we move forward into the year!
Robert Crook
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Online Exhibition:
Reflections
January 14 – February 7, 2021
The Ontario Museum of History & Art and guest Curator Dr. Patricia Jessup-Woodlin present "Reflections" – a celebration of regional diversity featuring Women of Color exploring contemporary topics. This exhibit focuses on how recent events have affected Women of Color. A wide range of media such as photography, paintings, drawing and textiles will be featured. To explore the exhibition, visit OntarioMuseum.org.
Photo credit above: "Black Women’s Burden Part 2" by Riea Owens.
Virtual Programs
During this time we are presenting our programs on Zoom. All programs require a reservation; please call (909) 395-2510.
Exhibition Conversations:
Reflections
January 21, 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Join the exhibition's curatorial team for a conversation focused on Women of Color in the arts.
Photo credit below: "I Guess We’re Not Your Type," by Leah Knecht, 2020.
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PSA Photo Contest
Twenty PSA artists participated in our first contest to win a free annual membership. We will feature a photo from each of the other entrants in the next few newsletters.
Congratulations to Tom Oldfield for his winning image in the PSA Photo Contest. He submitted three stunning black and white images, "Shell Beach" being the single winning image. In choosing the image, judges Debbi Swanson Patrick and Kathleen Swaydan said, "Tom clearly is a master of crisp and detailed black and white imagery."
Tom Oldfield "Shell Beach"
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Entries from
the Photo Contest
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| Mims Ellis, "Yellowstone Silhouette"
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Albert Natian, "Directed Graph"
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Laura Henneforth, "Aspendell"
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Bernard Kane, "Agua Dulce Juniper"
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Barbara Thorn-Otto,
"Shadows under the Umbrella"
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Monthly Membership
Zoom Meetings
Monthly membership meetings will resume February 6 on Zoom. The topics of the meeting will be elections and submitting nominations. Check your email for a Zoom invitation.
We will vote on March 6. Then we'll continue meetings each month on Zoom until we can meet in person.
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| PSA Elections
Nominations for upcoming board positions are continuing. Please contact Robert Crook at 626-840-3949 or at facejug@hotmail.com. Robert is calling and emailing current nominees, so be on alert for his emails and phone calls.
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| Exhibition News
The Exhibition Committee is experiencing explosive growth! Art Carrillo and Tom Oldfield have joined on to help with current and future exhibition activities. Exhibition proposals have been submitted to the Board for their review, comment and approval. Update coming soon. Most, if not all, 2021 exhibitions will be online with selected exhibitions including a traditional gallery exhibition at the same time. Most exhibitions will also feature a print-on-demand catalog as well.
Members should brush up on their computer skills and work on mastering the SmartSheets entry form and entry process. Online entries will be the norm from now until late 2021. This includes providing sharp, clear digital images of your artwork for use as part of the entry process. Don’t be left out just because you can’t figure out how to use SmartSheets. Don’t be afraid to request assistance or answers to your questions. Leah Knecht or Rhonda Raulston may be able to help. Send them an email with your questions or comments.
A reminder, all of the recent PSA online exhibitions are still active and can be viewed at your convenience. The exhibitions will remain active for the foreseeable future. Also, all recent printed exhibition catalogs are still available via Blurb. I suggest you contact Exhibitions@PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org with your request for the all-important direct link to the catalog order form. This method is much easier than visiting Blurb and looking for the catalog in their bookstore.
Congratulations to the members that sold art displayed in the 95th Annual Juried Exhibition at Whites Fine Art Gallery in Montrose! Also, PSA wants to thank Miguel Perez, the owner of Whites, for extending the exhibition through December 24.
The Exhibition Committee is hoping you are working in your studio and having a great time creating your latest masterpiece in anticipation of entering it in the next PSA exhibition. Keep the great art coming. There will be plenty of exhibition opportunities during 2021!
Looking forward to seeing everyone at the February 2021 general meeting via Zoom.
'Til then,
The Exhibition Committee
Larry Rodgers
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2020 Grants
In 2020, PSA received two grants: One from the City of Pasadena, an Arts and Culture Relief (ACR) grant for $6,850, and one from Pasadena Art League (PAL) for $2000.
Grant writing involves:
• researching appropriate grants;
• following up with the grantor with questions or for clarification;
• writing the grant to conform to the application requirements;
• reviewing, editing, printing, signing, mailing;
• answering questions from the grantor after the submission, if necessary; and
• submitting a report of how the grant money was spent.
The research phase is sometime frustrating, and is the most time-consuming part of the process, but once we are past that, submitting a grant and receiving the news that we got it always gives me a deep feeling of accomplishment.
We would love to partner with volunteers who can make the commitment to follow through with the tasks they have taken on, who can respond to deadlines, and who are available to respond with edits/suggestions in a short turn-around period when the deadlines loom.
I am happy to give an overview to those who would like to learn about what is involved and can hopefully join us in this exciting effort to fund PSA’s short- and long-term goals.
Thank you,
Kruti Shah
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PSA Member News
Those of you who have been making art, don’t forget to share and promote it by sending to Mims Ellis to post in the Members Only newsletter. Emily Sunez will also post it to Instagram.
Find the form and instructions in the Members Only section of the PSA website. Include a description or thoughts about the piece you submit if you like. It’s ok to promote yourself!
Mims Ellis and the Exhibition Committee
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Looking for Volunteers, ideas & content for PSA videos
Faced with the unparalleled challenges of hosting exhibitions during the pandemic, PSA embraced the 21st century with our inaugural digital exhibition “PSA Virtual Version 7.20.20” and its companion Exhibition Catalog. Now we want to
continue our adventure into the 21st Century and create and present art-technique and how-to videos at our monthly meetings, and share them on our website and social media feeds.
Please contact me if you have any experience with creating or presenting demos and/or videos, if you have ideas, or if you want to be part of this exciting new committee.
Rhonda Raulston
RaulstonART@gmail.com
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Leah Knecht, "Looking Ahead"
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Echo Lew, "Unknown Places"
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| Martin Ehrlich, "Covid Companionship"
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Warner LeMénager, "CalTech Wisteria"
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Membership Dues - If you have already paid for this year, thank you!!
Membership dues for January 1 - December 31, 2021 are $75.00.
You can pay online on the "Members Only" page of the PSA website, OR you can send a check, payable to PSA, and mail it to: P.O. Box 90074, Pasadena, CA 91109.
Remember that you must be current with your dues in order to participate in exhibitions. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact Kathy. We have a confidential scholarship program and we can help!
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