We had a wonderful time at the
QOTW meeting yesterday. It was great fun to see all the quilts turned in for the two upcoming events. The quilts turned in for the
Archeology challenge were fabulous. It is an amazing collection of quilts and very fun to see everyone’s personal interpretation of the theme.
We also got to see the quilts being turned in for the
Whitter gallery show. That is also going to be a strong show for the QOTW group. Several of us will be traveling to the opening of that show. It will be after a regular QOTW meeting when it opens. That will be a long day!
We also benefited from seeing some works in progress from a few of the other members. It is truly a great group of talented artists.
Here's the "And More" Stuff...One of the benefits of going to these meetings is being able to talk to the members after the meeting. There is a lot of useful information out there that is "tribal knowledge" and the best way to discover it is over lunch.
It was really interesting to talk to Rose Hughes about the origins of QOTW and why it was started in the first place. Like our group, it was birthed out of a desire to have a "sharing and caring" group of artists that would support and help each other in the development of their art. This was their original mission statement and they have done a great job. The group is truly that.
They have had other members that wanted a different focus to the group and even though they were good ideas, they would have pulled QOTW away from the original intent. Those members were then able to start a group that had exactly what they wanted as their goals without the conflict of two different directions.
Ok, so what are you getting at you ask? Well, since five of us were stuck on the 91 for a time coming back, we were discussing this very topic. We do not have a formal mission statement. We are a young group and wanted to keep this a loose and supportive endeavor without the "mental overhead" of a formal guild type group with officers, by-laws, etc.
We have discovered though, that without at least a semi-formal mission statement, in writing, that confusion has developed on what the intent and direction of the group is.
We will be formalizing this statement, and all input is welcome, but we must remember the original reason the group was formed.
1. We wanted to concentrate on art quilts with a forward focus on new techniques.
2. We wanted to share with each other things we had experimented with. This was to include the good, the bad, and the ugly! (Sometimes you learn more from the failed experiments!)
3. We wanted to be our own critique group that would give positive feedback on what a member was working on. (That doesn't mean that you have to love everything, just that you would make observations and suggestions in a supportive way.)
4. We wanted this to be FUN!We are very fortunate that the City of Temecula has given us a venue to show what we love doing. It is a great gallery space. It is wonderful to see our work out in the public arena and to get positive feedback from people outside the quilt world.
But, first and foremost, let us not forget why we started Textures and what we wanted to contribute to the group. We may have grown a little fast, and perhaps did not adequately explain what our ultimate vision is for the group. We wanted a sharing, creative, supportive group. The consensus from the "91" is that we need to get back to our original intent. We do not want to lose members because they see us drifting from this, nor do we want to have members where this does not match their goals or vision.
There are an incredible amount of artists groups that offer just about anything you want in the way of development, either creatively or professionally. Let us all make sure that we are in a group that fits our personal goals.
Let's have fun!
Posted: Trish
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