General Meeting Minutes - April 2025

Art League of Fort Bend

General Member Meeting

Monday, April 28, 2025

Call to order at 10:01 am by Vice President Diane Whitmarsh

Welcome New Members - no new members

Approval of Minutes

February 24,2025 and March 24, 2025. Motion made by Arlene Martin, seconded by Debbie Rose to approve February and March minutes. Motion carried.

Update from the Board

Alexa speakers added to the Gallery and Gift Shop to play music. the system is set on automatic, please do not change the music. Action Item: Diane Whitmarsh will check the instructions, the speakers may be on a timer.

Show invoices worked well, 87 artists, $2884. Working on simplifying registration, just have LSAG.

Pennant type signs are not allowed by the City in Historic Downtown Rosenberg.

We have a new You Tube Account since the old password has not been recovered.

Fifth Street - working on expanding classrooms and making the surroundings charming and well lit.

The Board has scheduled a planning retreat for June 14th.

Financial Report

Checking                         $22,350

Savings                                  6,648

Emergency Savings          20,811

Paypal                                    5,537

Stripe                                               0

                             Total     $55,346

March Profit                       $1,421

Year-To-Date Loss           ($6,741)

We really aren’t losing money this year. This loss is because we are Cash Basis Accounting, so we report income when we receive the money, and report expenses when we pay for them. And we received most of the income for the St Hillaire and Vie Dunn-Harr workshops during 2024, but we paid for the expenses during 2025.

New Business

Coastal Prairie Quilt Guild has reached out to collaborate with Art League of Fort Bend. For the quilt show every year at Stafford Center, artists would submit artwork and they would chose some to represent as quilts. Motion to participate in the Coastal Prairie collaboration made by Valarie Nicholson, seconded by Gladys Jones, motion carried.

Linda Pietz proposed that we consider special displays in the gallery throughout the year that would hang for 1 week. We could generate publicity and possibly have a reception/open house. Linda and Nola have a hooked rug display of 44 rugs depicting the presidents that she would like to suggest for next February. Please email Kathy Golden [email protected] if you are interested in sitting on a committee to iron out details.

The board would like to consider placing an iPad at the front desk for new member registration, workers sign in, and capturing customer information for email blasts. Price would be approximately $400 each for 2, one for each facility. Motion by Don Golden, seconded by Peggy Nicholson to purchase 2 I Pads with mounting hardware to secure them, one for each facility, motion carried.

It was suggested that we add a potluck meet and greet sometime mid year in addition to the regular Christmas party in December.

Unfinished Business - No Unfinished Business

Committee Reports

Art Shows and Workshops - Bobbie Davis

Joan Fullerton workshop is scheduled for October. Vie Dunn Har has been invited back for next year. If you know of any potential workshop artists, let the board know.

Education Committee - Bobbie Davis

Nina Struthers is our demo artist for today on Art - repreneure.

May will be Irina Nair on silver jewelry, June will be Carolyn Hancock pastels, and July will be a swap and trade.

Eugenia has one opening for a teacher for acrylic painting of dogs for the Summer Camp for the Friday class in June, also need an assistant for that class.

Eugenia is collecting supplies for the Summer Camp and Michelle Russo and Jackie Pena have offered to donate some things.

Mini workshops coming up -Lynette McQueen doing a Zentangle workshop during the August demo, Irina Nair in September, Linda Pietz doing Tessellation in October.

Field trips: Texas Art Asylum in Houston on May 14, Quilters’Museum in LaGrange on June 7th.

Garden committee will meet soon to address creating an oasis at the 3rd St patio for Plein Air, relaxing, or small get togethers.

Education Committee will meet May 9th at 1pm at FBAC.

Community Display - Brenda Bowman

Sugar Land Airport will have art intake this Friday, May 2nd from 8:30 - 10:30 am. Theme is florals.

Attack Poverty and Civic Center will change the first week in June.

Fundraising - Brenda Bowman

We collected $2850 in cash donations for the Spring Show.

LSAG - Brenda Bowman

The 3D committee will present changes and additions to the show rules for Category J at the May 10th LSAG meeting. Questions or concerns, contact Brenda.

The registration for the LSAG virtual show will run from April 27 through May 31. The show will be held June 14th. If you have placed first through first honorable mention since the last LSAG show, you are eligible to enter.

Events - Ellie is stepping down as chair, thank You Ellie for your hard work! We are looking for a volunteer to chair this committee. Contact Kathy Golden if you are interested.

Gallery - Fereshteh Solati

Workers will get Team Up credit for a scheduled work day or event as long as it equals 5 hours.

Please be prompt hanging your new artwork during changeout.  Also, please use approved labels.

Check Team Up and sign up for your required shifts. If there are enough S workers on a day, pick another day. Please use the prefix S for sales (you know how to work the system), N for not so much, and T for training. When we do not have at least 2 workers (at least one S) for each facility we have to close the store.

Gift Shop -Debbie Rose

Diane Whitmarsh has been looking into a landline, it was decided that we do not need another land line. It was suggested we have some sort of intercom system maybe using the Alexa speakers. Action Item: Diane will check with Travis.

Marketing - Nina Struthers

Newcomers Magazine at Fort Bend Herald has our ad.

We are on the Chamber map under Arts, will be out next month.

Membership/website - Travis Lairson - no report

Rosenberg - Kathy Golden

Next RAA General Meeting May 29th at 5:30 pm at The Another Time Soda Fountain

Miscellaneous

The phone message in the Gallery has been updated.

The new awning for the Gift Shop back door has been approved and has been ordered.

Lynette McQueen reported that the Sugar Land Area Artists closed 2 years ago as attendance was down. Per their by laws, the funds remaining in their bank account would be donated to another non-profit. They have chosen ALFB to receive $3740, thank you to our fellow artists!

Next Meeting

Next Board of Directors Meeting - May 12, 2025 at 1 pm

Next General Member Meeting - May 19, 2025 at 10 am please note the change of date due to the Memorial Day holiday.

Adjourned - 11:13 am

Respectfully submitted,

Kathy Golden

ALFB Board Secretary