Newsletter October 2023

President’s Message:

These cool mornings recently really get your blood pumping.  They also make you want to get into your studio and get work done so you are ready for our 73rd Annual Juried Holiday Fine Art and Craft Festival at Kutztown University.  The count down is on.  It is right around the corner, November 4 and November 5.  I hope if you are not being a vendor that weekend please come out for this great event; better yet volunteer to help out.  I appreciate very much all the volunteers.  Without you, this show would just not happen.  Your show committee puts in a lot of time to prepare for this and they want to make this show for you the very best.  And I will say without a doubt this show will be great.

I am so looking forward to our meeting on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at 7:00 PM at the GoggleWorks.  The program will be presented by our recently juried members and also our mini grant winners.  In all these years, I always look forward to this program.  To me it epitomizes what we like to do as guild members.  We learn; we create, we share in each others’ accomplishments.  So take the evening off from your studio and come out and support your fellow craftsmen and artists.  You will be glad you did.

IMPORTANT and EXCITING!  Construction of an Art Park at the GoggleWorks is underway.  Everyone must enter the GoggleWorks through the doors on Washington Street.  Everyone may still park in the regular lot that we have been parking in but you must walk around to the front of the building and use the Washington Street doors.  To stay informed visit the top of the GoggleWorks’ homepage at www.GoggleWorks.org.

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”  John Lennon

Your President,
Barry L. Bennecoff

 Programs:

Come join our newly juried members for 2023, as they display their crafts. Also our mini-grant winners will talk about how they used their winnings to expand their crafts and art forms. To our newly juried members: Bring along your items that you were juried with and give a short history of how you got started with your art form.

Also, a reminder that the holiday social will once again be at the Yellow House Hotel. A sign-up sheet will be at the October meeting or you will be able to sign-up online in November. So, pencil in December 5th at 5:30 to join your fellow Guild members.

Shows:

The Holiday Show will be here soon (November 4th and 5th).  Make sure you tell all of your customers about our show.

We would not have a show without our volunteers.   Carol has a few jobs that still need filling:

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

The Holiday Show is only a few weeks away. We need more volunteers for the Admissions Table (if you are comfortable counting change), Raffle Table (always a fun job), and Greeter (handing out programs).  

If you haven’t volunteered before, now’s your opportunity to learn from the best!   

We also need some booth sitters. 

Contact Carol Haile (inkpencjh@msn.com).

Social Media:

Our Social Media Team is in full gear to promote our Holiday Show. Please share our posts, comment on a post, and follow us on the following social media channels.

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/rbcraftsguild
Help us to promote our Holiday Show by going to the Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen Facebook page and sharing the Holiday Show Event to your page. If you’re planning on visiting or participating in the Event, you can select Going from the event page which will give you the option to invite your Facebook friends. This would really help us to get the word out.

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/readingberksguild/

Have you sent us any NEW images lately? We’re always looking to post your latest creation, please send your pictures to us at the following email address: images@rbcrafts.org

                                                                        Social Media Chair,
Lisa  Short

BCTV:

“Your Berks Craftsmen” plays a big role in getting the word out about the Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen’s 73rd annual juried Holiday Fine Art and Craft Festival and I want to say a big “THANK YOU” to Steve Hunter, Chairperson of our event and several craftsmen and artists, namely Lisa Short, Gary Rosborough, David Aquiline and Barry Bennecoff who appeared on our September 20 program.  Everyone gave a little insight of themselves and showed some of their pieces and talked about them.    Steve talked about highlights of the festival and some of the undertakings that go into producing the festival.  This month Steve will be back with several more artists and craftsmen who will be at our festival and they too will entice our viewing audience with their craft or fine art.   Appearing on BCTV on “Your Berks Craftsmen” is great for you the artist or craftsman because it gives you another way to reach the public.  It is also a great way to help your Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen keep getting the word out about fine art and crafts and all what The Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen do.

Watch “Your Berks Craftsmen” on Channel 15 with Comcast.  Don’t have Comcast, go to BCTV.org and watch on your computer.  You can also see “Your Berks Craftsmen” on our website at rbcrafts.org in a day or so after the initial airing and also on “YouTube”.  Let’s keep our audience well informed.

Your BCTV Host,
Kay L. Bennecoff 

Standards:

Congratulations to members whose work was successfully juried!

Jolene Vezzetti:   Fiber Arts

Jennifer Roche:   Jewelry

Our next jury session will be March 5, 2024.

Standards Chair,
Louise Mehaffey 

Membership:

Thanks Much!Membership Chair,
Gary Rosborough

Events:

General Meetings: (1st Tuesday of Month):

October 3,2023: 7 PM at the Goggle Works  (Enter through the Washington Street Entrance)

November meeting will be at our Holiday Show at 9 AM Sunday, November 5th.

December 5th, 5 PM is our Holiday Social at the Yellow House Hotel, you need to sign up for this event.

Shows:

Holiday Show:   November 4th & 5th
Saturday: 9 AM to 5 PM
Sunday:  10 AM to 3 PM

Opportunity for our Craftsmen

Mary Ellen of “The Friends of Reading Hospital” wants to extend the following invitation to our Guild Members to participate in their annual fundraiser, “Holiday Happening”.    Following is the invitation:

The Friends of Reading Hospital  are organizing their annual fundraiser, Holiday Happening.  The event will be held in the conference rooms of R Ground (Main Entrance of the Hospital) on Wednesday. December 6, 2023, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.  We hope you will be able to participate as a vendor in this endeavor.  You may sell items which are unique/special to your business.  The hospital has 5,000 employees; we will supply the tables and sales slips for all the vendors.  The vendors will record their sales and The Friends will handle all cash/credit transactions.  The Friends will retain 30% of all sales and remit 70% to the vendors.  We have the advantage of being able to set up for this event (in the conference rooms) on December 5.  That will enable all participants to be ready to begin at 7 a.m. on Wednesday.  Because we are in a hospital, vendors are required to show proof of insurance, flu and COVID vaccinations.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.

Thank you for participating.

Mary Ellen Batman

The Friends of Reading Hospital

For more information, contact Anne Marie Kline at 484-628-8434 (Hospital contact)

Newsletter:

If you know a member who is not getting the newsletter, please have them e-mail me at info@rbcrafts.org.

If you would like to put something in the Newsletter, please contact me at info@rbcrafts.org
Newsletter Editor,
Sandra Jones