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Artists' Guild celebrates 20 beautiful years Anna Maria Island Sun News Story By Cindy Lane | sun staff writer  Genevieve Alban, who turns 90 this week, was honored as the founding president of the creative clan. She recalls hatching the idea while sitting with a few artist friends at the Anna Maria Island Community Center, some of whom were responsible for naming a room in the gallery after her earlier this year. Several of the founders celebrated memories with her on Monday, including Marsha Bard, Woody Candish, Carl Voyles, Joan Voyles, Gloria Hall Cropper and Ruth Burkhead, who are being honored with an exhibit of their work at the gallery through March 7. Past guild presidents also were honored with a display of their art at the celebration, held at the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation. "Genevieve started the guild because we used to have to go to Bradenton to meet," recalled Peggy Potter, one of the early members and a former president. "We decided we needed one on the Island." With a stated purpose to promote and support visual artists, performers and writers and to develop an artistic community on the Island, the guild's first juried art show premiered on May 21, 1989 at Pete Reynard's restaurant, now the site of TideMark. In December 1989, the First Annual Fine Arts and Crafts Festival drew 113 exhibitors at the former airstrip behind the Holmes Beach City Hall. Due to an election dispute at the end of the first year, some members of the guild formed a new group, the Anna Maria Island Art League, which now sponsors the festival. The guild's gallery opened in 1990 due to the efforts of Bud Coate and Woody Candish, and relocated nearby to its present site, 5414 Marina Drive in Holmes Beach, the following year. Marsha Bard, the gallery's first director, designed a system of movable panels still used in the gallery; 19 years later, she designed the guild's website, www.amiartistsguildgallery.com. Now with about 50 participating artists, the guild is run entirely by volunteers who display and sell their paintings, sculpture, pottery, baskets, jewelry, cards and books at the gallery. During the winter season, free art demonstrations are offered, and free monthly receptions for the featured artist of the month sometimes include poetry readings and musical entertainment. The guild also exhibits a talented high school student's work once a year in the gallery and provides art scholarships, in addition to sponsoring all the children in one grade at Anna Maria Elementary School to tour the Ringling Museum in Sarasota and the Artists' Guild Gallery each year. Monthly meetings are open to the public and provide informative programs and a social network. Under the leadership of current President Joan Voyles, the guild continues to pursue its mission of developing the Island's artistic community as part of the new Cultural Connections program, designed to promote the visibility of the Island's nine arts organizations. Twentieth Anniversary Poem
By Peter and Marilyn Hawkins Twenty years on Growing older and older Weaker in limbs, But in memory strong. Old members we've lost are still close to our heart. But new ones have joined us, some were kids at our start. We've talent and savvy with paintbrush and mouse. And use them with pride Cheers for all in this house! |