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MEMBER MEETING: Board members were on hand, as promised, to give an overview of the last six months and answer any questions.
Of interest to you all would be the financial status of the League now that we have moved. We are on budget for the year and should not have to dip into reserved funds, as we did last year. Outfitting the office space at the gallery as well as paying up un-budgeted expenses at Pineland created some additional baggage this year but we have been able to cover those expenses. Academy income has been steady and though art sales are still light compared to the good old days, our sales at the end of September had already hit our sales for all of 2010. Things like the Concierge nights, Patrons night (Arts Center events hosted in the gallery) and just being open before all performances, have led to huge increases in exposure and certainly have helped sales. In general, we are trying to stay open to all sorts of collaborations to get ourselves out there. We do not want to be, as one board member once said of us, "the best kept secret on Hilton Head."
Marci Tressel ran down the proposed schedule for 2012's featured exhibitions. There will be several opportunities to take part in themed shows next year as well as a number of single featured artists. This should be published soon.
New items discussed were the pop-up galleries we are involved in: Bear Creek, in Hilton Head Plantation, now in its 3rd year, displays artwork from about 30 of our artists in a revolving show. We just hung the second show at the HIlton Head Hospital. This last one (first 40 artists are accepted) was hung in conjunction with the garden clubs rededication of their Pink Garden and Cancer Awareness month. (A huge thanks to Catherine Noyes for putting that all together.) Starbucks at Pineland is also hosting gallery space for us.
For those who missed it, we held a successful first class in gallery volunteer training. Ed Funk and Vickie Jourdan did a great job demonstrating common sense sales techniques. There will be more of these in the future. Watch for them and try to attend one. The better we are, the more we will sell.
Of much interest to many was Sheri Farbstein's presentation of the newly forming 3-D Fine Arts Craft Guild. This group will form under the umbrella of the Art League and will designate, by adjudication, those 3-D artists who have demonstrated fine art standards in their medium. The Guild will be the Featured Artists for December and will host a preview reception for designers, architects, builders and landscape designers. They also hope to provide a lecture or two devoted to buying and decorating with 3-D art.
The search for an Executive Director is going well and is expected to announce results very shortly. Kaye Black explained again how this move can help to guarantee our continued existence and make us a real player in the Island arts scene.
Lastly, I asked for support from all the members as we close the year. You've seen the Art Splash for Got Art? Please help where you can - donate a piece of work, buy a ticket, sell a ticket, or do all three. And renew your membership BEFORE the end of the year. Take a look at your membership level. Could you afford to go up a step? Become a Patron, or Sponsor? Even an Angel? We need your support to survive in these difficult times. I think people may need art now more than ever and our commitment is to see that it is out there and available. So let's keep the lights on.
To those of you who came out last Wednesday, thanks for coming. To those who could not be there, I hope this helps you keep in the know.
Cindy Chiappetta
President

BOARD MEETING Abstract:
Chair Reports:
• ACADEMY: The summer session had enrollment of over 110 students, and the fall semester started September 12. Three board members were thanked for donating heavy-duty book shelves for the Academy library.
• PUBLICITY: Gabriele distributed new rack cards, and announced that the new gallery TV ad is on the air.
• MEMBERSHIP: Member renewal notices will be sent in October. We currently have 491 members.
• GALLERY STEERING COMMITTEE: Gallery Volunteer Training Sessions will begin in October. Six new display cases have been purchased and installed in the gallery to replace the one jewelry cabinet. The GSC worked with the Featured Artist committee to review the 2012 gallery schedule, which will include several themed exhibitions.

Old Business:
• The new pop-up gallery at Hilton Head Hospital is very popular and there will be a special show in October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in partnership with the Breast Health Center and the Avid Gardeners.
• Caroline Alderman reported on the 3-D Fine Art Craft Guild progress. A membership brochure is in the works, and two receptions are planned for the December show.
• Cindy reported that we have had a great response to our ads for the new Executive Director position. The search committee has several strong candidates and hopes to have the position filled by year end.

New Business:
• Jane and Carolyn went to a class for ATAX grant applicants, and they have written the grant for 2012. After reviewing the grant request the board voted to approve the application for $79,300, and that the board will commit to the financial responsibility for carrying out the projects included to the stage of completion, for any approved funding.

Next Meeting - October 19, 2011 - 3PM - Arts Center of Coastal Carolina



The 4th Annual Lowcountry Arts Festival at Frogmore, Saturday, November 5th 2011
Frogmore's Lowcountry Store
736 Sea Island Parkway, PO Box 370
843-838-4646 (Phone), 843-838-2333 (Fax)
Please Mail or Drop off this form at the Lowcountry Store with $20.00
A Limited number of Booths (10' X 5') will be available on Frogmore's Lowcountry Store porch at $20.00 each, tent space and table space will also be available on Frogmore's Lowcountry Store grounds priced by size. All items for sale must be created by the craftsman or artist in the booth and the artist must be present at the show. All artisans will conduct their own sales, custom orders may be taken, no commissions will be paid. All set ups must be completed by 10:00 AM and remain in place until the show closes at 5:00 PM. Mail Application with $20.00 Fee to: Frogmore's Lowcountry Store, PO Box 370, St Helena Island, SC 29920

Call for art: Re-Nude
How would you renew the nude? Submit your original art for a February 2012 juried art show/gallery event organized by the Friends of Planned Parenthood of Beaufort County. Deadline to submit is January 29, 2012, contact plannedart@hotmail.com for details.