Mission Statement

The Rocky Mountain Society of Botanical Artists is an open and diverse group of artists, collectors and admirers who share a love for the practice and perpetuation of botanical art and illustration with a fond focus on plants in the Rocky Mountain Region.
We encourage and participate in educational outreach, juried and non-juried exhibits, lectures, workshops and regular chapter meetings. The RMSBA is proud to be the very first chapter affiliation of the international organization, the American Society of Botanical Artists.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Tomorrow a Super Blood Blue Moon!





So go out east and see what Grandmother at perigee looks like coming up over the horizon.

Reminder: Membership dues for 2018 must be submitted now. Please check the box for RMSBA when you go the ASBA renewal site.

Open Studio at Carol Till’s was instructive and fun. Your Editor learned all about mistakes and ways to do it wrong(ly). Sorry you weren’t there with these ladies:

Next Open Studio will convene at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science for some display sketching. Contact Vanessa Martin for details and to participate. Bring a stool, a drawing board… and, of course, your own personally preferred media and substrates.

ArtCozy assemblers needed. Volunteer to help Judy Vanderbosch finish the RMSBA Art Cozies and you will be rewarded [we are not one bit above bribery around here] with a FREE Art Cozie!

Thursday February 1st from 9:30 am to 3 pm. Lunch and snacks provided. You do not need to have any sewing experience to volunteer!

We need about 6 people to do:
 - Stamping, cutting out and ironing RMSBA labels.
 - Cutting, plastic pockets (need to know how to use a rotary cutter)
 - Cutting fleece for bags with a rotary cutter.
 - Sewing on labels and plastic pocket.

I have 2 machines that should be enough for this session but if you have one you would like to bring that is good. Also rotary cutters would be good to bring. I have the needed supplies for the rest. Any questions just call.

Please RSVP to Judy at redbudart@gmail.com  303-375-7718

‘Lost in the Woods’ is open for entries at OnlineJuriedShows.  Deadline for entry is May 15, 2018.  The show will open at the Valkarie Gallery in Lakewood.
 


Installation is on Monday, June 18, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, June 23. First Friday event on July 7! Artists will be implored to attend, to mingle and discuss…



RMSBA Executive Board meeting on January 14 was attended by these officers and members:
Eileen Richardson – President (new!)
Vanessa Martin – Interim Treasurer (new!)
Irma Sturgill - Exhibits co-chair
Shiere Melin - Exhibits co-chair
Kristi Czajkowski – Secretary
Martha Narey – Communications editor
Dorothy DePaulo – Logistics chair
Sharon Garret – RARE exhibit chair
Susan Fisher – Director emerita

Carol Till - member
Judy Vanderbosch – member

The Board extends great thanks to Ronda Ballard for her service as Treasurer, 2015-2017.

Inasmuch as a few unclaimed originals are still in exhibit chairs hands following the RARE shows (yes, even from RARE I), and a number of prints and other materials, the Boards announces the establishment of a left-work maximum period of 30 days following the closing of an RMSBA show, juried or nonjuried. Participants must retrieve, or make alternative arrangements with the Exhibit Chair(s), all originals and unsold accompanying materials by 30 days after the closing. Any unclaimed artworks will be offered for sale by RMSBA, and the proceeds shall accrue to the RMSBA treasury. This proposed By-law change will avoid burdening any member serving as exhibit chair.

2018 Member Meeting Schedule
March 18. Location TBD (a week earlier than usual: the 25th is Palm Sunday)
June 24. General meeting at the Bel Mar Library in Lakewood (attendees can see “Lost in the Woods” at the Valkyrie Gallery after the meeting!)
September 30. Location TBD
December 9. Holiday Party

Scotland’s Horticultural Society invites the Cream of the Crop to participate in BISCOT 2018, so if you are among them, check this out here.

Any botanical specimen.

Eligible to show at BISCOT 2018 are:
Anyone awarded a Gold or Silver-gilt award from an RHS Botanical Art Show
Graduates of the RBGE Botanical Illustration Course who hold a Diploma with Distinction
Artists who have passed the BISCOT assessment in 2017 or previously

… by Valentine’s Day, folks. Deadline is February 14, 2018.

The Kirkland Museum of Fine Art and Decoration will open its new building at 12th and Bannock in Denver with an exhibit of Colorado prints on March 10.

March will be the Month of Printmaking. Events include a studio tour on Saturday, March 24 from 10 to 4, and Carol Till’s studio will be among those open. Carol will also host an open house on Sunday, March 25, from 10 to 4. Mo’Info on Mo’Print later.






Saturday, January 13, 2018

Stock Show! National Western Wool Show!

Reminder: Executive Board meeting on January 14, 2018, to review and preview and make plans. The next member meeting is on March 25. What would you like to see happening in 2018? Any member who wants to propose an agenda item, or who has suggestions about the coming year, should contact a board member or plan to attend. We gather at Noon on 1/14 at Hooked on Colfax.

Reminder: Membership dues for 2018 are due now. Please check the box for RMSBA when you go the ASBA renewal site.

Extended Exhibits! Through May 2018, “Cannabis: A Visual Perspective” remains on display at the University of Colorado Natural History Museum in Boulder, after which it will move to the Paquette Gallery at the SteamPlant museum in Salida. Participating artists offering prints or cards/postcards for sale at the Salida venue when the Cannabis exhibit moves in June should package the inventory and deliver to Vanessa Martin before May 31, 2018, the installation date in Salida.

“Whimsy: Botanical Art & Illustration” remains at the Denver Botanic Gardens through August 2018, after which the exhibition is expected to travel to other venues, including museums, libraries and universities.

Call for Entries: The RMSBA show “Lost in the Woods” will open for entries on January 15, 2018, as specified in excruciating detail at OnlineJuriedShowsEntry fee for RMSBA members is $20 per entry plus $5 for each additional entry. Non-members entry fee is $30 per entry plus $5 for each additional entry. May 15, 2018, is the deadline for entries and all fees. Get those portraits prepared and send in images. We look forward to following those breadcrumbs through the forests…


ASBA 21st International exhibit is now accepting entries. The Preferred Plant List is based on the collections of the Wave Hill public garden and culture center in New York, but other species will be considered.

Holiday party update: Terrific food and great camaraderie as always. Sharon Garrett received a Sarah Simblet book from the board as a token of gratitude for her labors and efforts with the RARE II exhibit over several years, from concept development to completion of an extended tour.  Many thanks to Shiere for hosting in her beautiful home and Eileen for the food.


Reprise on the ASBA 2017 Conference in San Francisco, a smoky event; we were all reminded of how quickly our lives can change. Some ASBA members lost their homes to the raging fires and more had to be evacuated. Several flights into San Francisco International were delayed because of the smoke, etc. Despite all, we rallied for a really good time. We visited Alcatraz, Golden Gate Park and Filoli.  We got to see the Florilegia at both Filoli and Alcatraz.  It was a great conference and we look forward to next year’s conference in St. Louis – the Missouri Botanical Gardens are wonderful.