1) The meeting date had been changed from May 6, 2004 to May 26, 2004 due to illness and several Board members being out of town. The meeting was called to order byPresident Jo Williams.

2) Williams introduced new officers and new committee chairs: Diane Dorn, First Vice President; Beth Haywood, Second Vice President; and Millie Johnson, Secretary. Present were Jo Williams, Ingrid Scobie, Millie Johnson, Nancy Donley, Beth Haywood, Donna Lewis, Fran Shurtleff, Joan Hart, Mary S. Morris, Diane Dorn, Judy  Uebelacker, and C. J. Solberg.

3) Copies of the minutes from the April meeting were handed out. The minutes had also appeared on the NTAAL/VAST website. Nancy Donley moved that the minutes be accepted as written. This was 2nd by Joan Hart and passed by vote of the Board.

4) Treasurer Nancy Donley reported $2,180.89 checking account and $5,390.67 continuing for CD. Donley noted that $26,931.87 had come in while $28,959.14 had been paid out of VAST accounts in the last year. However, dues are being paid for 2004/05, balance of fees are to be paid for the upcoming Zimmerman workshop, and grant money received from GDAC will be available by July 16, 2004. There are several expenses and the Annual Spring Juried Exhibit Peoples’ Choice Award that will need to be paid before the end of May. President Williams scheduled a Budget Committee meeting for 11:00 a.m., June 23, 2004 at the Cupboard Café’. Those that will make up this committee are President Jo Williams, 1st Vice President Diane Dorn, Treasurer Nancy Donley, and 2 other VAST members, Beth Haywood and Ingrid Scobie.

5) Outgoing 1st Vice President Ruth Keefer reported on the progress of future workshops.

a. Sharon Zimmerman workshop will be June 9, 10, and 11 with Beverly Sipos acting as workshop chair. Zimmerman is to be paid $1050 per agreement. Fees are $125 with 10 to12 participants registered.

b. Gale Webb workshop will be held either February or March 2005. Mary Emerson will act as workshop coordinator under 1st Vice President Diane Dorn. Refer to Workshop Guide February 2004, for more information on procedures for workshops. We decided after reviewing Gale Webb’s terms for workshop that we would make an offer as follows:

Pay $15 per day for food, pay actual cost of gasoline, offer her a place to stay in a member’s home and pay her fee of $450 per day (4 days = $1800) for the workshop. With 15 participants @ $180 each, VAST will take in $2700. To learn more about Webb go to http://members.aol.com/galewebb/index.htm.

c. Color theory workshop led by UNT professor Sally Packard is in the works for Fall, 2004 - October 8 and 9 or October 15 and 16. Maximum 15 to be allowed to attend. Ruth Keefer, though moving out of state in June, will continue to work with Packard, a former teacher of Ruth’s. 12 student paying $70 each plus their supplies for 2 days will gross $840 for VAST, less $500 to Packard. VAST nets $340.

d. Ken Hosmer workshop (check his website at http://www.watercoloronline.com/KenHosmer) Spring of 2005 is time frame being considered. Keefer will also contact Hosmer about setting a date for the workshop prior to her move.

6) Out going 2nd Vice President Donna Lewis has been unable to get into a locked cabinet at CVA that is used for VAST supplies and equipment. She was advised by the Board President to cut the exterior lock from the cabinet and purchase a new combination lock.

a. Community Art Center Ft. Worth - Ingrid reported its availability for exhibitions.

b. Ideas for a studio tour - past President Judy Uebelacker. " Select a few studios each year to tour and combine that with an art walk which would consist of local businesses, especially on the Square, displaying art for the night or the weekend. The weekend would be good as people just look the night of the walk and would probably go back to purchase a piece of art. In Alpine the gallery walk is 2 nights and is combined with music and booths outside. The store owners have various size spaces or walls dedicated to art. The artists are there to meet the public on the second night. They do this in the spring and fall. The main street folks here have the one day festival of antiques, autos, and art on the Square, as you know. Maybe it would be a possibility to add this to an event such as this or we can do a separate event. Promotion being expensive, I would suggest doing it at a time when the city or GDAC is already having an event.

Since we no longer have any big galleries, business places and spaces such as Green Space Art Collective could be used. We could have a large show at Greenspace as well as the Square and arrange transportation like they use d to do for our gallery walks which included UNT and TWU. We could put this in the Events Calendar in our local paper as well as the Dallas Morning News events publication, etc. Spring or Fall when the weather is nice would be best. What do you think?"

Discussion determined that the walk would function best by using existing businesses around the Square to display art, leaving the work up for 2 to 3 days. Have the Gallery Walk Friday evening and still in place all day Saturday. Would Main Street organization be interested? Uebelacker, Williams, and Haywood will meet with the staff to discuss the project. Uebelacker will call for an appointment for the week of June 14, 2004.

c. Lewis has been investigating areas where exhibits could be held, featuring art by members of VAST. She has met with local Barnes and Noble bookstore manager about hanging within their store at Golden Triangle Mall. They would allow us to put name/price cards with the works but could not promote an exhibit. They were also interested in a show almost immediately while Williams felt we would need at least 2 months prior notice due to number of people to be involved. Lewis and in coming 2nd Vice President Beth Haywood will meet with the manager .

Joan Hart asked about hanging exhibits in local restaurants. VAST (while NTAAL) members have done this and there is some risk of damage or theft involved. Randy Robinson, president of Texas Bank, had suggested to Ingrid that Robson Ranch, a retirement community just west of Denton, be contacted about an exhibition, either in their model homes or public community areas within the compound. He suggested Herbert Holl be listed as the contact person. Cappuccino Café’ was also mentioned as an area to hang smaller groups’ art. Several members have done so in the last few months/years.

7) Membership report was given by Jo Williams as chair Vidya Kagal was unable to attend. There has been confusion over dues that were paid early at the previous amount. 9 people had paid at the old rate. Fran Shurtleff moved that dues be accepted for the year at the former amount for those that had paid early. Motion 2nd by Judy Uebelacker and passed by majority vote. C.J. Solberg suggested that dues amount be reviewed at the Executive Board meeting each January.

New members and renewing members need to fill out an information form each year.

8) Volunteer Coordinator C. J. Solberg was able to provide the names of several members willing to take on duties within the organization.

9) Jo Williams also gave report for Summer Members’ Exhibit co-chairs Deanna Wood /Jennifer Quarles.. Prospectus are labeled and ready to be mailed. Take-in is July 15 and 16 and volunteers are needed to work that activity. C.J. Solberg will make name tags and labels to be used in the show. Millie Johnson is considering chairing the reception.

10) Williams reported that from time to time NTAAL/VAST is asked to sell its member mailing lists. A policy needs to be formulated to handle this. Concerns included makingsure that list be used for art related mailings only, that use permission be granted by each member, and that charged amount should cover the costs of the labels plus a fee. It was suggested that we sell our membership list and our list of North Texas area art centers for $25 plus cost of labels and that these are printed for one-time only. Dianne Dorn asked if art centers list (approximately 30 to 40 names) be put in the VISION.

11) It was noted that NTAAL has, in the past, given a gift to GDAC but lack of finances will not allow us to do so this year. It was recommended that a VAST calendar be given to GDAC when these become available.

12) Report on hours for Executive Director Ingrid Scobie is not yet completed at meeting time

13) Contract renewal and job description for E.D. Ingrid Scobie was discussed. (See hard copy in permanent files). Scobie will consult with Randy Robinson about some word changes in the present contract. Also funds are low at this time, and we need to know what will be forth coming to be able to pay Scobie per terms of the contract. VAST can commit to one half the salary amount stated and when more funds are made available a raise can be given to Scobie.

14) Grant funds from are to be paid to VAST July 16, 2004. The amount applied for was $10,553.00 but we received $4,200.00, which was less than the $4600.00 amount received in 2003/04. The amount requested was to cover the Executive Director’s salary, the annual Student Exhibition awards (an educational community service function), annual Summer Members’ Exhibition, and the annual Spring Juried Exhibition. The grant does not break down the amounts nor stipulate how it is to be spent. Scobie has almost completed all that is needed to file for 501 c3 tax exempt status for VAST. When this is achieved we will work on major fund raising for the organization.

Submitted by Secretary, Mary Sigle Morris