30 Oct October: From the President’s Corner
RAA has been out front and center in the last month. On September 8th, Larry Harvill spoke at the Kiwanis lunch meeting, giving an overview of RAA, who we are and what we do. On the 15th, Janet Edwards and Judith Sparhawk also spoke at the following luncheon meeting, about the Youth Art Education program in the gallery, as well as MCAEEF’s role in youth art education in the community. We had the opportunity to show the MCAEEF film to further illustrate the ways that we impact art education. Kiwanis is a service organization that emphasizes working for the good of children in the local community.
On the evening of September 19th, we opened the gallery to be a site for the annual “Girls Night Out”, sponsored by the Downtown Redlands Business Association. Jewelry and fiber artists were invited to display additional artwork over and above that in the regular show. Wine and appetizers were served to enhance the festive atmosphere. Although the response in the gallery was less than anticipated or hoped for, a few sales were made, and it felt good to open up on a Saturday night and invite in the women of Redlands.
It seems that every time we have an event in the gallery, some of the visitors say that they didn’t even know we were here. So let’s do everything we can to be visible in the community, make the most positive impression we can, and always invite people to come back. A warm welcome goes a long way toward inspiring a return visit.
Judith Sparhawk, President