Painting to Preserve Show Recap
By every measure, this past weekend’s “Painting to Preserve” art show was an absolute success. The fact we even HAD a show is an accomplishment. When planning started in early February, many of the venues we contacted regarding hosting the show were not taking reservations due to uncertainty surrounding Covid. We were fortunate to contract with MBA and thankful for Chestnut member Julie Brown facilitating the first conversation with them. You could not ask for a better space than the Davis gallery on the MBA campus; we could not be more grateful for their space and their partnership.
In planning the show, we set out to fulfill the following goals and believe we successfully checked all the boxes:
- Celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Chestnut Group and recognize our partners
- Provide a premier showcase of all the fabuolous Chestnut artists
- Raise awareness of The Chestnut Group and our mission—preservation/conservation/education
- Generate funds to replenish The Chestnut Group operating fund
Friday night’s opening reception was extraordinary. While we hoped for a great turn out, our expectations were tempered by the potential reluctance of people to gather in large groups and the fact that it was our first Chestnut member-centric show. Nevertheless, we were thrilled with attendance which was shoulder-to-shoulder for the majority of the evening.
Friday Night Opening Reception
For more photos, see our Facebook Photoalbum
An event of this magnitude is not possible without the support and involvement of so many of the dedicated Chestnut member volunteers. We were fortunate to have 52 members volunteer in one capacity or another, with several taking on multiple roles over the course of the show. We are also particularly thankful to our “Sponsor” members who not only volunteered their time but also contributed financially, including:
- Renee Bates, Bates Nursery & Earth Mix
- Terry Warren, Warren Executive Coach
- Haden Pickle, Haden Pickel Art
- Kim Barrick, Kim Barrick Art
- Brenda Coldwell, On Track Studios
- Carol Johnston, Johnston and Associates
- Suzannah Green, Greentree Consulting
In addition, we had 10 “Host Committee” members who not only volunteered their time but also contributed financially.
Also, huge thank you to:
- The Chestnut Group board of directors who approved and fully supported the show in a multitude of ways.
- Karen Philpott for her leadership, support and “can-do / we’ll get it done” enthusiasm. Kept our path clear and gladly took on the hard challenges.
- Judson Newbern for his guidance, insight and keeping us out of the ditches during the early planning stages.
- Ed Routon and his crew of Melody Hall, Cindy Rutherford and Terry Warren, for their indefatigable effort to photograph 498 paintings over the course of two and a half days. Amazing! In addition, Ed assisted mightily with the recruitment and organizing our volunteer force.
- Margaret Cameron, our Treasurer who was present for every minute of the show and then some – managing a most critical piece of a successful show – collecting payment! Melody Hall and Carol Johnson also provided support insuring smooth check out process. (Margaret spent night in nearby hotel to insure she’d be there as needed)
- Donna Brumbergs who provided her usual solid support processing title block submissions and hanging blocks along with all the associated reporting. All those small details that can be a big problem if not properly managed.
- Renee Bates for her amazing energy to solicit “Host” sponsors. Her work alone insured a financially successful show. And the beautiful flowers and greenery she provided from her home garden.
- Beverly Ford Evans and Karen Philpott for their countless hours, expertise and patience designing a grid and directing the hanging of all 498 works of art. Absolutely stunning presentation.
- Jess Peoples for sharing her digital strategy skills by creating a test site for potentially taking our show online.
- Suzannah Green our Operations and Marketing Consultant who promoted the show and touched every aspect of the show, and made it better by doing so. Outstanding.
And yes, we sold paintings. 78 paintings were sold over the course of the weekend. The most satisfying was the first sale of the show, which went to Sarah Clinton, as “The Giving Tree” was purchased by our host MBA!
Suzannah Green placing the first RED DOT
Painting to Preserve Facts, Figures and Tidbits:
- 70 artists participated in the show
- 498 paintings submitted
- 52 volunteers participated
- 78 paintings sold
- First second-generation Chestnut: Kate Kincaid. Her grandmother was an early member
- One member sold 5 paintings (congratulations JoEllen Thatcher)
- Three members sold 4 paintings
- Four members sold 3 paintings
- 43 different artists sold paintings
- Highest selling price $3,000 “Home of Midnight Sun” – Teresa Townsend Hargis
- 5 new memberships
- One unsolicited cash donation of $60.00 by woman moved by the art and conservation mission of the group
- $41,975 in sales for the weekend, with a couple of sales pending
- $10,581 to MBA financial aid program
- $15,779 distributed to various artists
- $3,267 in “donated” sales proceeds
- $21,000+ to The Chestnut Group operating fund. This figure includes sponsorship proceeds, yet to be finalized pending full reconciliation.
Again, we cannot thank the Chestnut membership enough for all your support, participation, and encouragement. We had a wonderful week putting the show together and met so many new friends along the way. Can’t wait for the Radnor show. Looking forward to seeing you and all your wonderful works then.
Ellen Parker Bibb and Dale Finley
Painting to Preserve Co-Chairs
Ellen Parker Bibb, Dale Finley, Karen Philpott