26th Annual Art Extravaganza!

This year's Art Extravaganza was a change of pace for the Foundation.  First, we were in a new venue--SpringHill Suites Marriott was not only our new site for the show but our new Premier Sponsor, hosting both the event and the reception on Sunday, April 29.

Second, both new and returning members worked the show.  President Patti Krueger was in charge of the Silent Auction; and VP Patricia Oro worked on the brochure and helped behind the scenes.  Jonette McNaughton was the curator of the show, and Secretary/Treasurer, Mark Joseph, helped with email/social media.

We want to thank our artists for entering, our judges (Bill Parsons, Kim Harrington and Celeste Smeland), and SpringHill Suites, making the event a success, artistically and financially.

This year we received over 70 entries from 26 artists.  The categories included oils & acrylics, watercolors, photography, pastels and mixed media/other.  Winners for each category are listed below.

Best of Show was Steve Reczkowski's "Used Clothes, 816 lbs, Vallejo CA" and People's Choice was Jonette McNaughton's "Endangered."

Oil & Acrylics

• First Place:  Ken Chew, Alpha 7
• Second Place:  Jonette McNaughton, Endangered
• Third Place:  Misuk Goltz, Sunday Breakfast

Drawings & Pastels

• First Place:  Janice Peterson, The Heister's Building
• Second Place:  Janice Peterson, Napa Airport

Watercolors

• First Place:  Misuk Goltz, LA Barista
• Second Place: Misuk Goltz, Hannah
• Third Place: Pam Jones, Koi

Photography

• First Place:  Steve Reczkowski, Used Clothes, 816 lbs, Vallejo CA
• Second Place:  John Comisky, Alone
• Third Place:  Dennis Ariza, Bodie

Other/Mixed Media

• First Place:  Eric Sabee, Year of the Dog
• Second Place:  Brent Beck, India Ceylon
• Third Place:  Pam Jones, Bird Vase

For more info, go to our website, amcanart.org, or check out our Facebook page.

AmCan By the Bay - April 21

The Arts Foundation teamed up with the City, and the American Canyon Middle School's Art program to produce an exciting art project.  Since it was an Earth Day event and the theme was reusing plastic, we developed an art project that used recycled plastic water bottles.  We also reused an Oak Tree mural from an earlier event (remember--reduce, recycle, reuse).  With help from Jenifer Leahy, ACMS Art Teacher, we helped children craft beautiful flowers from the bottles.  Used wine corks (it is Napa Valley, after all!) were fashioned into the rolling hills around town, and voila! you have art.

This was also a great opportunity to recognize our grant to ACMS Arts program to assist Ms. Leahy in buying more art supplies for her students.

We're about Charitable Giving, too!

The Arts Foundation is a nonprofit organization, and one of our missions is to give back to the community.  This year we were able to sponsor Arvind Nischal's Holi Festival, and we will sponsor the FilAm Club's Filipino American History Celebration this Fall.  This was made possible in part by grants from the City of American Canyon and the Arts Council Napa Valley, and it is part of the Foundation's Arts & Culture program.  Thanks to continued funding from the City, we will support Arvind's Multi-Cultural Event this October.

We also provided a $500 grant to the Middle School's Art Program, as noted above.  And we will be announcing three student scholarships next month.  This year Helping Hand Indo-American donated funds for a third scholarship--thank you, Board Member, Arvind Nischal!  

As we grow our programs and fund raisers, we will also be able to expand our charitable giving as well.  Remember, 100% of our proceeds goes back to the community--we don't have paid staff or much in the way of operating costs besides insurance and storage (talk about lean and mean!).  Feel free to donate--it's a worthy cause!

MEMBERSHIP NEWS

As we get further into the year, most of our members have already renewed, so the list shortens.  Just two new memberships this month (from April 15 to May 4):

• Maggie Ford
• Chris Tennyson & Family

Membership has its privileges, as they say.  Discount on the entry fee for our Art Extravaganza, plus exclusive opportunities to show at the Welcome Center, or to participate in our Holiday Boutique or many other member events.  Part of your membership also includes either a link to your website, or, a complimentary webpage on ours!  You can let us know when you fill out the application, but feel free to send us an email if you need more info.

To sign up online, just click here.

Stay Tuned Next Month, when we unveil our new 2018 Sponsors banner.  Of course, you would have seen it already if you made it to our Artist Reception & Silent Auction.