Sept 12 OAG Meeting

A Thank you from Lee Asta, President

Dear Vivian,
      Thank you so much for all your hard work and strong Leadership during our Brainstorming Session at our September Meeting.  Members present at the Brick were encouraged to give their input as to how to improve our Art Group’s various elements such as Meetings, Demos, ARTventures, Trips, Workshops, etc. 

        As the President for this past year, I was so pleased to see that our efforts to follow our OAG MISSION STATEMENT for educating Members as well as the Ocala Community, did NOT go unnoticed.

        Be assured, as a FORMER TEACHER, these educational elements were ALWAYS on my mind AND ALWAYS WILL BE!!!! Thus, it appears that this past year’s Demos, cultural trips to Movies, Shows and Museums, as well as our WELL ATTENDED Intergenerational Mixer, ARTventures, and even our Luncheons, were greatly appreciated for their socialization aspects, as well as the education they fostered.

         Lastly, we appreciate our meetings being brought up for IMPROVEMENT, as this was next on our list of things to do also!!!My Board and I were already working on them and have come up with somewhat radical changes to BOTH our Board AND Members’ meetings, but MUCH NEEDED ONES AS WELL!!! CLICK HERE + TO SEE WHAT WE HAVE COME UP WITH!! We will assess these changes at the end of tthe year to see how we liked them??????

         Hopefully, this Brainstorming Session is just the beginning for our art group to work together to help make this an attractive and fulfilling means to foster CREATIVITY (and its appreciation) for all concerned!!!

         Thanks to all who contributed!!!   
Sincerely, Lee Asta, President

Brainstorming Summary
Below are the suggestions from the OAG members that were present at the 9/12/2022 brainstorming session at the Brick City Art Center. Following the suggestions, the members voted (up to 5 votes per member) for the suggestions that are the most important to the member.

OAG Website

• Revisit/understand purpose and mission statement (18)
• Add more links from other artistic groups

Call to Artists

• Help with applications (3)

Meetings

• Exec board – meet via Zoom on another day (9)
• Agenda for members meetings (12)
• More demonstrations and education (18)

Art-Ventures

• Get togethers/lunches (4)
• Plein air adventure, sitting outdoors (6)
• Educational trips (18)
• Open studio day (8)

Conclusions:

1. The OAG Purpose and Mission statement need to be better understood by all members to ensure that the group is on track with its activities to meet the purpose.
2. Education is highly important to the member, learning about art types, mediums, styles and processes. The education component can occur during/with an OAG meeting (demonstration) or an outside location, such as part of an Art-Venture. More hands-on learning and interactive activities are preferred.
3. Members also want to improve the quality of the Meetings, both in time-management and in organization. Suggestions for these include:
   1. Provide a general Agenda for the Members Meeting.
   2. OAG Exec Board should meet via Zoom and on a separate date from Members meeting.

---

+ NOTE FROM PRESIDENT LEE ASTA – IMPLEMENTING the CONCLUSIONS

+ Thanks to Vivian Drawneek and her Team, a lively Brainstorming Session was able to timulate the OAG Board to forge ahead to make some much needed changes to the meetings held by the Board and also the meetings for the Members. 

         These changes will be instituted TEMPORARILY  for the remaining 6 meetings at the Brick and will be studied at the end of the year to decide if these changes will remain or further changes would be necessary????

           In an effort to shorten Members Meetings, most Business Reports from our Board’s work/Projects will be posted on our WEBSITE so there will be NO NEED to include such in an IN PERSON MEETING when held at the Brick Center. THese meetings will mainly be for reviewing details for upcoming art show venues or other Projects.

             CHANGES TO BOARD MEETINGS:

All Board Meetings will now be held on the FIRST MONDAY of each month via ZOOM from 10:00-11;30. THIs would even be for tose months with TRIPS and Luncheons…unless cancelled by the President due to lack of business!

                 CHANGES TO MEMBERS’ MEETINGS:

Members’ Meetings will still be only 7 per year at the Brick City Center during the following months: Sept., Oct., Nov., Jan, Feb, Apr.  AND May.

Two Luncheons in Dec.and Jun.

Three ARTventures: March, July and August.

Members’ Meetings will start at 11 for a very brief meeting for business (if needed).

Demos immediately start around 11:20 – 1:00. Meeting ends at one and Members can go as a group (or individually) to a local restaurant for eating AND socializing. We can set up reservations from SIGN UP DONE AT MEETING UPON ENTRY INTO THE CENTER. 

SUMMARY:

BOARD MEETING= via ZOOM week before Regular meeting…on FIRST MONDAY …from 10-11:30.

MEMBERS’ MEETING= at Brick from 11-1:00. Go to lunch at 1 if want to socialize

Board will vote on this at the first ZOOM on October 3rd to try this till end of year in June. …Cathy please add to NEW business…thnx

Sounds just like what we needed!!! Thanks to Susan Fink for working these details out with Sandra Fox!!!