Many Thanks to Christine Drewyer, Outgoing AWA President

AWA has been so fortunate to have Christine Drewyer lead the organization through many changes with positivity, generosity, and grace. She will be sorely missed as President but will remain active with AWA as a Master Signature member and continuing to volunteer to coordinate member group advertising while also serving on the Loveland exhibition committee and being available as a resource for incoming President Janet Lee who will begin in January.

Parting Words as President from Christine

Dear Talented Ones,

Wow, did 6 years really just go flying by? I could have sworn that I was just signing on as a new Board Member yesterday. So many lovely memories and so many lessons learned.

When I joined the Board in 2017, I was not sure how well I would integrate with a full active and working Board as well as an Executive Director. Like many in my entry time frame, I was recruited by Kathy Lemke Waste and Robin Knowlton, a powerhouse team that did their fair share to advance the organization to exceptional heights. My qualifications were, that I had been the active President of Women Artists of the West for the previous 4 years and 8 on their Board! I had also co-owned an art gallery myself for 13 years, so certainly I am no stranger to teamwork! So, I imagined I was prepared and qualified… I got to find out how green I still was very quickly!

What a talented, dedicated, and intelligent Board I have had to work with. I’ve never met a group of women more willing to help me to steer that battleship that were willing to roll their own sleeves up and help. That includes team members who currently serve and many from the past as well. We all love this organization and I do not see that changing!

It has been the most rewarding and challenging leadership position that I have ever tackled, and I have grown personally so much because of being part of this remarkable team. I feel that I really was able to spread my own leadership wings and use my hard-earned skills when we brought on Sandra Harris as our Executive Director. Sometimes, you just find a teammate that you just click with and can hit the ground running together. We have spent hours too numerous to count, brainstorming and planning and plotting to advance this organization and I will sincerely miss being on the inside track of the machinations of the planning.

One of the highlights which we accomplished together was to do the Awards ceremonies commentaries for the winning artists in our shows. Prior to COVID, we had only announced the winners online, and Sandra and I decided to really celebrate these artists and make them the focus of the ceremony. What a delight that has been, as we both adore talking about art and promoting the artists!

I feel it is such a great honor to be part of this very elite group of talented artists and a leading organization in the world which supports and promotes women! I have been humbled to have been a part of our history and will miss that chapter greatly.

I would encourage any of you who would like to become more involved in the organization to consider being a part of the team, as a Board Member, or as a part of a task force team. There will be so many wonderful opportunities going forward, where you can more personally get involved. The rewards far outweigh the efforts!

Thank you for being the most illustrious group of talented hard working and brilliant stars, I’ve loved every moment of being part of the leadership team… you haven’t seen the last of me, I’m going to be chained to my easel - hopefully much more now and making art for our upcoming museum shows!

We appreciate each of you who gave this week and thank you for a successful Giving Tuesday!

We raised over $6,000 to support AWA educational programming. If you missed Tuesday, it's not too late to include AWA in your end of year giving. Every dollar helps us offset the cost of operations and allows us to provide resources and awards for members!

Kimberly Jordan

Welcome AWA's new Membership Services Manager!

AWA is happy to announce the hiring of new employee Kimberly Jordan who will work part-time as our new Membership Services Manager. Kimberly brings a wealth of experience in membership management for multiple nonprofits and professional organizations through the years including the Alanta Convention & Visitors Buruea where she partnered with arts organizations to create dynamic experiences for members and visitors. Her expertise includes CRM database management, sponsorship coordination, program and event management, digital communications, and website maintenance. Kimberly will train during December and officially take the reins in January. Welcome, Kimberly!

Thank You to Corinne Litchfield and Camille Wall

AWA has been fortunate to have talented contractors Corinne and Camille assist with Membership and Communications for years. Despite working on a very part-time basis, they have supported the organization through many changes and growth. Their personal commitment to AWA's mission and our members has shown through in everything they do, jumping in to assist in many areas of the operation with passion and professionalism.  We wish them both the best as they continue to serve other clients in their contractor roles. They will both assist through December as we transition. Thank you, Corinne & Camille!

Happy Holidays!

We wish all AWA members and friends a peaceful holiday season!

Image: Moonlit 18x27, Oil by Nancy Peach

Upcoming AWA Exhibitions

2024 Tubac Center of the Arts- Tubac, Arizona
Master Signature & Heritage Members Only
Opening Reception & Awards March 1
Exhibition March 1 - April 14, 2024
Submission Period: December 15 - January 19, 2024

2024 Annual Online Juried Show
Opens April 30, 2024
Application Period: February 26 - April 8, 2024

2024 The Loveland Museum - Loveland, Colorado
Opening Reception & Awards September 13, 2024
Annual Symposium on Women in the Arts September 14, 2024
Exhibition September 14 - November 10, 2024
Updated Application Period: March 29 - May 10, 2024

2026 Customs House Museum & Cultural Center - Clarksville, Tennessee Mid-February - April, 2026

2027 Brookgreen Gardens - Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
May 8 - July 25, 2027

Image: Winter Solstice, 12x16, Oil by Penny Billings

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