Thank you ASMA members and supporters! Through your generosity, ASMA was able to raise $23,596 for the 2017-2018 Anchor to Windward Capital fundraising drive! We have surpassed our initial goal to reach $100,000 by our 40th anniversary. Some said it could not be done, but we took it to heart, did not give up, dug a little deeper, and have built a foundation to help insure a lasting legacy for the ASMA. What a wonderful accomplishment! The Society will continue to work towards reaching its long term capital goal of $250,000 over the course of a ten year time span. Thank you for believing in the mission!!
There are so many things in the works for the coming months. Next fall, we will meet in Charleston, SC from November 1-4, 2018 to celebrate ASMA’s 40th Anniversary with a special retreat! We are coordinating a really fun filled weekend for our members, with many activities, good food, great artists, a fabulous ASMA Invitational show at one of Charleston’s most prestigious Galleries, great demos and more!! Please check out the brief article in this issue of the News and Journal for some of the activities that will take place during our celebration. We will keep updating our members of additional activities through the ASMA website as we keep getting closer to the event. Members can register online at the ASMA website: www.americansocietyofmarineaartists.com. Members can also register by printing and filling out a registration form off of the website, and sending it with their payment to: ASMA – P.O. Box 2903 – Gainesville, GA 30503.
In this issue of the News and Journal, Fellow Charles Raskob Robinson will be presenting an updated history for ASMA, as we proudly celebrate 40 years for the Society. My sincerest gratitude goes out to Charlie for his unwavering dedication to our organization! It is hard to fathom the daunting amount work that Charlie has contributed to ASMA over the course of 40 years. Trying to keep up on the historical spreadsheet alone is a major undertaking, let alone reporting the historical facts of the internal mechanics of the Society. In addition, he served decades as Chairman of the Exhibition Committee, held various executive positions on the ASMA Board of Director, and has written hundreds of articles to help promote the magnificent artists residing amongst our ranks. On behalf of the Society, thank you Charlie Robinson for bringing so much to the table with 40 years of service to the American Society of Marine Artists!
I would also like to give very special thanks to ASMA News and Journal Editor Robert Semler. Bob’s efforts to keep the Journal going is very much a lifeline to our members. Every quarter, he lovingly compiles all of the news, reports and articles from various member and directors. More often than not, we push the deadlines to the very last second, to try and bring as much information as we can to our members. Thank you Bob, for patiently waiting on me almost each and every issue, in an effort to keep our members up to date. I hope that somewhere down the line, we can enlist some assistance to be passed your way, to help take some of the pressure off of your own plate!
The membership will also see a notice from the ASMA Board of Directors in this issue of the News and Journal, requesting a revision of the official By-Laws. ASMA Members are being asked to allow the Board to increase the number of 13 Directors up to a maximum of 15 Directors, based on the current needs of the Society.
Years ago, we changed the By-Laws and decreased the number of Board members, feeling many Directors were simply not pulling their weight. At that time, it was causing delays for making Board decisions. With the recent creation of the National Marine Art Conference, this has dramatically increased the amount of work expected of our Board members, all of which is purely voluntary. There have been several members stepping forward to volunteer their services to the Society. When we have an opportunity to include very talented members on the Board that possess various skills that we are looking for, it is to the benefit of the Society to engage new members in the area of their expertise.
The Board would keep the minimal number “as is” which is no less than 9 Board members. As President, I would encourage the membership to vote “Yes” to allow the Board the extra flexibility to increase the numbers of Directors on the Board.
Wishing everyone a successful spring and look forward to seeing many of you in Charleston this fall!
