Welcome to our ArtMatters Newsletter August 2019 issue. We hope you find this information useful as you plan your precious time. We enjoy promoting the Arts to the Carver County community!

To become a Member of the Arts Consortium of Carver County, please visit our Membership page. You’ll find a list of Member benefits as well as different membership levels to choose from. Thank you for supporting the Arts in our community!

Summer Events

Nature: Water & Waves Exhibit at Arts Center now to August 23
Michelle Plombon, Featured Artist at the Arts Center now to August 23
Victoria Fine Art Fair in downtown Victoria on August 3, 10am to 5pm
Members’ Show Exhibit at Arts Center August 28 to November 1
Members’ Show Artists’ Reception Thursday, September 12 6:30-8:30pm
Arts Center Gift Shop and Gallery open Wednesday-Friday 12-5pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm. Until 8pm on Classic Car nights, Wednesday August 7 & 21 and September 4 & 18

Check our online Calendar for more events and classes

Arts Center in August

Current exhibit Nature: Water and Waves. The show runs through August 23. Remember, all the art for sale in the shop is by Carver County artists.  We hope you will support their work.

Members’ Show August 28 through November 1, 2019. August 19 is the submission deadline for the Members’ Show exhibit at the Arts Center. We look forward to showcasing as many Members as we can. Be sure to register early, all media types are welcome. We will display our Member’s biography on the walls at the Center so you can learn more about each artist as you browse the Gallery. You can also search for artists on our Directories, link below. For registration information and details about the exhibit, visit the Members’ Show.
ACCC Member Directories – search for your favorite ACCC artists!
View Visual Artist Directory
View Music Artist Directory
View Literary Artist Directory
View Theater & Dance Directory

Summer Festivals
The annual ArtStock Art, Wine & Music Festival at Parley Lake Winery was held on July 13 & 14.  This popular event featured opportunities to purchase great art and to enjoy fine wine, food and music.  In honor of the Woodstock 50th anniversary, a 60’s theme featured artists and guests embracing their groovy-ness! This year we had a hot, sunny day to get together and celebrate art in the community, and we are so grateful to our amazing volunteers who made the day especially enjoyable. Thank you to all the artists and booth sponsors – everyone had a wonderful day and we can’t wait to start planning for next year. Special thanks to Steve Zeller and our host Parley Lake Winery.

Victoria Fine Art Fair
Bonjour!  Bienvenue!  Welcome to our 3rd annual Victoria Fine Art Fair in the heart of trendy Victoria on Saturday, August 3rd from 10am to 5pm. This year we have a French Flair complete with French wine, food and, of course, the Eiffel Tower. Our French-themed Art Fair will be held in conjunction with the German Volksfest in Victoria, bringing us together like the Rhine River! Enjoy music, sample fine French wines, French food and pastries, and explore the fine art for sale in the lovely lakeside setting in Victoria. Nearby cafes and restaurants will be open as well as specialty food trucks. Guests will enjoy a walk along the parkway overlooking scenic Stieger Lake. We hope you will come find the most unique treasures, gifts and displays of fine art.  Please see our website for details.

Live Music in the Charlson Thun Community Bandstand:

• Holly & Matt 10am-12pm
• Internationally renowned Monroe Crossing 1-3pm
• Two Sundays, 3-6pm
• More music performed with Volksfest until late into the evening!

See you Saturday August 3rd. 10am -5pm at the Victoria Fine Art Fair 2019!

Literary News

The ACCC Literary Committee hosted a Haiku Jam at ArtStock at Parley Lake Winery on July 13-14.  At the end of the day, there were 44 new haikus!  Congratulations to all who wrote one.  You will have a second chance at the Victoria Fine Art Fair on August 3.  Watch for our sign and try your hand at poetry about the day.

The Literary Committee also hosted an open reading entitled Writers Read Water and Waves on Thursday, July 18 in the Arts Center.  Fourteen authors from across the county read a wide variety of poetry and prose related to the theme of water.  We had about 25 people in the audience, enjoying the art on the walls and the literature they heard read.

Finally, ACCC and the Literary Committee announces a new initiative to display short literary works along with art in the Members’ Show.  Any writer who wishes to display a poem, flash fiction, or another short literary work, prepared for hanging on a wall, can submit it under the “Other” category in the Members’ Show guidelines.  Your writing must use at least 16 font size.  Follow the guidelines for artist submissions in terms of timing and other requirements on the ACCC Members’ Show submission page.  If you have questions, contact Susan Coultrap-McQuin, Literary Liaison on the ACCC Board for further details.  Deadline August 19 for submissions.

New Look at the Arts Center

“…time for a cool change, I know that it’s time for a cool change…” Little River Band 1979.

Change. That’s exactly what is happening in our Arts Center Gallery and Retail space right now. Board member Amy Rottunda has stepped up to lead the retail committee, and boy is this team excited! You may have already noticed a whole new “vibe” in the Center recently. If you haven’t been by in a while, we hope you’ll come in and check out the great new volunteer desk where our amazing gallery team helps everyone to have a great experience at the Arts Center.  New fixtures are coming soon that will allow us to offer even more great locally crafted goods and represent more artists in the space.

So, come on downstairs and cool off! We’ve got amazing original work pieces that would be ideal wedding and anniversary gifts, a new line of greeting cards, jewelry and some new pottery pieces.

Want to learn more about our retail opportunities? Send an email to inquire about submitting your art to: GiftShop@ArtsofCarverCounty.org

Photography Contest

We are starting to get entries for the ACCC Photo Contest 2019. This year’s theme is “Agriculture” and photographs can include any aspect of agriculture and rural life. Ribbons will be awarded in the following categories: K-4th grade, 5-8th grade, 9-12th grade, Adult (18+ years of age) resident of Carver County, Adult (18+ years of age) non-resident of Carver County. The application deadline is midnight November 5.  Check our website for submission instructions. Shown is the 2018 Adult Resident Blue Ribbon winner Rebecca Willette.

Business Skills Classes for Artists

Hello! We wanted to share this opportunity with our Members and Supporters. The Carver County Library has put together an amazing list of Business Skills Classes for Artists. Registration opens August 1, 2019 on the Carver County Library website. Space is limited, so if you are interested, be sure to register! Classes are FREE!

Could You Volunteer 2-3 Hours of Your Time?

Arts Center Volunteers: We always welcome new volunteers to help us in the Arts Center for a few hours every month. We will provide training by experienced volunteers before you will be asked to work on your own. You can always choose to work with others. It is fun and supports the arts in our county. Shifts are 2 or 3 hours. If you are interested, please fill out the Volunteer Form.

Victoria Fine Art Fair (Aug 3) also needs volunteers for 2- or 3-hour shifts to help setup or work in the ACCC booth.  If you are interested, please fill out the form on the Victoria Fine Art Fair page to indicate your availability.  Event coordinator, Sue Thompson Steenhoven, will contact you to confirm and provide details.

Thank you for your support of the Arts Consortium of Carver County!