Feb. 2024 Newsletter

President’s Message:

It is February 2, 2024 and I did not see my shadow today—what does that mean for me?  It is time for me to write my President’s message for our February newsletter.  There is a lot to share, so read on.  Our program on Tuesday, February 6 will be a great interest to all our artists and craftsmen.  Not only will we hear how to accomplish  and take a great photo of our fine art or craft, but we will actually be doing it “live” at our meeting.  Great photos of our artists’ and craftsmen’s work are what your Reading-Berks Guild is always asking for to put on our FaceBook page and our advertising.  What a great night it will be to help our members accomplish this.

2024 just started and already new things are out there for our members.  Social Media started featuring a Reading-Berks Guild Craftsman or Artist on Facebook.  Gary Rosborough, our membership chair,  had the honor of being Reading-Berks’ “First” on Facebook.  Everyone, please check it out.  It is a great bio and great picture.    Social Media would love to feature everyone of our artists and craftsmen on our FaceBook page.  It is great for us and great for you!

Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen’s Board welcomes Paula Conrow to our Board this year.  Paula is assuming the role as Education Chair.  It was a sad day for me when Carol Haile,  education chairperson, asked me to find a replacement for her position.  I personally along with the Board and all members of Reading-Berks cannot thank Carol enough for her many years of excellent service in this position.  She has worked tirelessly in this position and her efforts have been very helpful to our Guild over the many years.   Carol could not have been more pleased when Paula stepped up to assume this important chairmanship for our Reading-Berks Guild.  We are very pleased to have Paula join the Board and we look forward  to working with Paula and her enthusiasm for this role.

2024 is an election year for Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen.  Our Guild has a long standing history of being one of the largest guilds in Pennsylvania.  This is due to the many talented artists and craftsmen and their desire and love for creating fine art and crafts.  The continuation of education and creativity is so important to our Guild and to our future.  Working together for our artists and craftsmen is our present and is indeed our future….together.

Don’t forget to renew your membership.

“Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”  Joshua J. Marine

  Your President,
Barry L. Bennecoff
 

Programs:

This months’ program will cover photographing your crafts. Hosted by Lisa Short. This will hopefully create a new bunch of photos that can be uploaded to our multi media platforms. Bring your items to photograph, along with your phone or digital camera. A Photo Booth will be set-up to provid exceptional lighting conditions.

This will be a hands-on meeting where you will have the opportunity to have up to five of your craft items photographed. I will speak briefly about basic photographic technology, and will provide a handout with tips on how to photograph your craft, after which we’ll jump right into photographing your work. Items larger than 18 inches should be limited to three. We’ll do the best that we can with what we have to work with.

Shows:

We are hard at work on our two shows,

First we are up-dating the work behind the shows this year. Working to move to an on-line real-time application process for the 2025 shows. This would let you pay on line and we would have all your information in a shared form for the committee to use. This should be a real time saver for us.

We have also spent a large amount of time studying the information collected at the gate of the fall show so as to better spend our advertising dollars. This year the cost of getting each customer into our show ranged from $46 to free. This data points to one of the best ways of getting folks through the door is by you inviting them, using post cards and your social media. Of the 1200+ folks who came to our show 874 had some form of discount coupon.

We are accepting applications for the spring show. You should join us.

We are always looking for guild members to step up and takeover some of the show duties. Many of our team are over 70 and would like to step down, at some time, knowing that the show will go on.

Apply to the Spring Show

Social Media:

Spring Show Event on Facebook and Instagram

Please help us to promote our Spring Show by going to the Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen Facebook page and sharing the Spring Craft 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. You can also share this event to your Facebook page. This would really help us to get the word out.

Handy links:
Facebook Spring Show Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/7084969871587569

Reading-Berks Guild Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rbcraftsguild
Reading-Berks Guild Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readingberksguild/
Artisan Spotlight 

If you are a juried member of the Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen we would like to promote you on our Facebook page with an Artisan Spotlight. We have a post for Gary Rosborough up now if you would like to take a look.

https://www.facebook.com/rbcraftsguild

The Artisan Spotlight is a post all about you, and can include links to your website or other sites, like Facebook, Etsy, or Instagram. You will also be able to share it on your page. It’s easy, just request a questionnaire or an interview via the following link, and we’ll reach out to you.

spotlight@rbcrafts.org

Beware of Facebook Scams

We have been getting hit by scammers that are posting items for sale, and false information on our Facebook page. They are also posting that if you want to get into the Spring Show you should contact them through Messenger. Please don’t follow these links, they are trying to scam you into sending them money for an application you will never get. Our free applications are only available through our website via the following links:

https://rbcrafts.org/

https://rbcrafts.org/festivals/first-saturdays/

Links from our posts are valid, we do not let other people post to our Facebook page, but we do allow comments because we like to hear from you, and links in comments from people you may not know could be a scam. As a rule of thumb, remember to do your own research, never click on suspicious links and distrust sites asking you to enter personal information—it’s one of the ways social media accounts get hacked.

  Social Media Chair,

Lisa Short                                                                                              Lisa  Short

BCTV:

Don’t forget to tune into “Your Berks Craftsmen” on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 7:00 PM when you will meet and learn about Mariellen Hittner, a juried member of Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen for many years.  She is juried in basket weaving and gourds.  Gourds, you ask; yes,  gourds and we will learn the why and how she turns these simple gourds into beautiful works of art through painting, carving and  pyroengraving.  You can view “Your Berks Craftsmen” on Channel 15 if you have Comcast.  No Comcast, no problem. Go to bctv.org and watch us there.  You can also see “Your Berks Craftsmen” in a day or two after the initial airing on our website at rbcrafts.org/our-guild/bctv-your-berks-craftsmen/  and we are on YouTube.

Your BCTV Host,
Kay L. Bennecoff 

Standards:

The next jury session is scheduled for Tues, March 5, 2024 at the Goggleworks in room 325. Members who have belonged to our chapter for a minimum of 3 months are eligible to present their work for jurying. The room will be open at 5:30, and jurying will begin at 6:00. Members will be asked to leave before jurying begins, and can return in 30 minutes for the results. Any Standards Committee member who can’t attend, please let me know. For more information or for an application, go to https://rbcrafts.org/resources or contact Louise at eglassplace@gmail.com.
Standards Chair,
Louise Mehaffey 

Mini-Grants:

The  W. Eugene Burkhart, Jr. Memorial Mini Grant  Annual Award for 2024 is now open for application for Reading-Berks Chapter Members.

Four (4) Mini Grants, in the amount of $50 each will be awarded in April, 2024.  If more than 4 applications are received, a random drawing will be held to determine the recipients at either a general or board meeting.

Applications (completed in full) must be received at our Reading-Berks Chapter PGC, ATTN. Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 85, Mohnton, PA  19540 address by April 1.  Those received after April 1, 2024, will not be considered.

Applications will be received from members of the Reading-Berks Chapter, PGC, having a current membership in both the chapter and state organizations, effective January 1, 2024.  You need not be juried, but must have current membership status.

Applications may be applied to further your education in your craft … you may use the grant to purchase books, tools, do research, take seminars or classes, attend workshop, etc. to further your knowledge in the art of your craft. You may also use your grant to explore a new craft.

If chosen as one of the four winners, you must use the grant within the calendar year 2024 (prior to December 31, 2024) or return the grant money.

As a Mini Grant recipient, you agree to give a 15 minute presentation at one of our general meetings.

Please inform Matt Vardjan (pa.germanstarcaft@gmail.com) when you have fulfilled your commitment for this Mini Grant and will be ready to present a program to the general membership.  If you do not fulfill the requirements, the Mini Grant funds must be returned.

Click here for the application!

Membership:

Membership Chair,
Gary Rosborough

Pa Guild of Craftsman Shows:

Fine Craft Fairs – Apply now! The PGC is delighted to announce we will be offering two new indoor Fine Crafts Fairs in 2024.  Pipe and drape is included! 6×10 booths are also offered – perfect for those beginning their journey as our Fine Craft Fairs are recognized as being among the top such events in the Eastern United States.

Summer Fine Craft Fair will be June 22-23, 2024 at the beautiful, climate-controlled, easy-to-access Foundry 48 Event Center in Lititz, PA. Located in beautiful Lancaster County and situated just off PA Rt. 501 N, this event will draw customers from Lancaster, Lititz, Reading, Chester, and regional cities such as Philadelphia & Baltimore.

Fall Fine Craft Fair will be September 28-29, 2024 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.  Known locally as the “Oaks Expo,” this convention and exhibition center in Oaks, PA, is located in the center of suburban Philadelphia, attracting locals from Montgomery County and Chester County, PA, as well as New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.

PGC Joint Chapter/Membership Chair,
Denise Wilz

Events:

General Meetings: (1st Tuesday of Month)
 
February 6th, 7 PM  at the Goggle Works, check the board for room #
March 5th, 7 PM at the Goggle Works, check the board for room #

Shows:

Spring Show:  First Saturday (4th) in May

Newsletter:

Changing your e-mail address, please make sure that I get the new address,  Send it to info@rbcrafts.org and have the subject line NEW E-mail address!

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

Would like to put something in the Newsletter? Contact me at info@rbcrafts.org
Newsletter Editor,
Sandra Jones