A Belated Memorial

The family of Bette Decker was kind to reach out and let us know of her passing in July of 2022. Jenna Lacy, Betteʻs granddaughter, shared some wonderful information that will be interesting to all of us who have benefitted from Betteʻs skills as an organizer and an artist. "Bette was a co-founder of the Windward Artists Guild along with her friend Rosalie Prussling" along with Gini McCall, Lucille Cooper, and with the assistance of Juliette May Fraser and David Ash. "She was a fierce lover of life and adventure and had such a keen eye for interesting art and antiques, which she often used as models in her paintings. She was always wearing some fascinating conversation piece or article of clothing, changing the molecules in the room with her astonishing intellectual synthesis of life and the hidden realities of the world, and always having the most fun. She was an artist to the very core of her heart, and we are feeling the tremendous force of loss of her absence in our family." Thank you to the family of Bette Decker for letting us know. She left us a wonderful legacy of friendships, great shows, thousands of dollars of good deeds, and an organization that turned 60 years old back in 2020! Her obituary is below but you can also find it here: https://www.stoessfuneralhome.com/obituary/Bette-Decker Bette Marie Decker, 92, passed away on July 31, 2022. She was born in San Diego, CA. She was the first of three girls born to W.T. Wolley, Lt Commander USN (Ret.) and Nelly Wolley. She followed her passion in 1948 by studying fine arts at Florida State University and University of Hawaii. Throughout her life she actively pursued her love of art and painting, and created thousands of pieces, to include design in oil, acrylic, clay, sculpting, etchings, and print in a variety of media. In 1950, she married the love of her life, Walter Decker in Pensacola, FL. Bette was the co-founder and Creative Art Director of the Aloha Candle Company, Resort Line Hawaii, and Banana Bay clothing company. She co-founded the Windward Artists Guild in Kailua, HI, which still exists today. She was president of The Made in Hawaii Association, a large group of manufacturers of local Hawaiian products. She loved teaching children creative expression through art in various forms at the YWCA and the Summer Arts Program for children in Kailua-Kaneohe, Hawaii, later volunteering in classrooms for children ages 5-18. The majority of her life was spent in Hawaii and Kentucky. Bette is survived by four children, six grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Windward Artists Guild Announces the 62nd Annual Member Show

We invite our members to display their art at Ho'omaluhia in October. This is not a juried show, but it always brings out beautiful art from our members. Hanging work at Ho'omaluhia is a chance to show many visitors from all around the world your beautiful art! If you would like to join us for this show (and our upcoming Arts at Marks holiday show), please do feel free to join or renew your WAG membership. The members display is free for all WAG members. Then you can download the prospectus from our Call for Entry page. The gallery space in 2019 during our 59th annual member show Unlike previous years, we will be requiring members who have pieces in the show to be at the gallery for two 3-hour shifts during the month the show will be open (October 2022). This is a valuable opportunity to meet new people. You can answer questions they might have about the show or about your art, and it gives you a chance to see the show in depth and spend time at the gardens. Food is not allowed in the art gallery, but you can bring a snack and enjoy an impromptu picnic either before or after your gallery sitting.

A Generous Gift

Julie Anne Banks Julie Anne Banks, a vibrant artist who lived in Kaneohe for many years, recently left a legacy of generosity that WAG deeply appreciates and would like to acknowledge. During her memorial celebration, the family and friends of Julie Anne made donations to WAG in lieu of flowers. We are grateful for the trust placed in us to use the gift wisely. For our first action, we are in the process of setting up a scholarship bearing her name for art students. Details will be posted in our newsletter sometime within the next year as we finalize and follow through on the plans. Julie Anne was a member of Windward Artists Guild and had fond memories of social and charitable activities while she was involved with the guild. Her love of art was a passion, and for those lucky enough to own a piece of her artwork, the beauty of her creativity lives on. From her obituary comes this insight into Julie Anne as an artist: "She was always thinking and sharing about how she could get her work out to the world."   You may see her full obituary here: Julie Anne Banks Full Obituary We extend sincere condolences to her loved ones. We are touched by her thoughtfulness and the kindness of her family and friends.

Current Shows for the end of March 2022

Windward Artists Guild would like to share a few shows that are happening now and in the near future featuring WAG members... Hawaii Watercolor Society Members' Show at Downtown Art Center 2022 Hawaii Watercolor Society Members' ShowDowntown Art CenterMarch 29-April 30Tues-Sat noon-6pmSun noon-4pmJuror Eric Wiegardt has selected 70 works from local artists--many of whom are members of WAG and AHA as well as HWS. The exhibit also includes 3-D work by invited ceramicists, including the late Charles Higa who was active as a potter as well as an award-winning watercolorist. First Friday reception will be April 1, 5 - 6:30 pm. Linda Umstead's piece, Daybreak Waterhole (above) won the Best in Show/Golden Callus award. HERstory at Arts at Mark's Garage Arts at Mark's Garage hosts HERstory through March 26, 2022. The gallery is open Tuesdays through Saturdays noon to 5 pm. There is one last Pau Hana Reception on March 25, 2022 from 5 - 7 pm - don't miss it! The show features some of our talented WAG member artists including Cynthia Schubert, Claudia Wallace, Frances Wong, and MaryAnne Long who curated the show. Also open in the same area is the Downtown Art Center, with new regular hours Tuesdays - Saturdays 11 am - 4 pm. WAG Members Wendy Roberts and Jimmy Tablante have work in the gallery at this time.

2020 Online Show: 60 Years of WAG

2020.WindwardArtistsGuild.org Ponds No 31 by Azadeh Nikou, 1st place in the 2020 Online Show: 60 Years of WAG We are pleased to announce that the latest Windward Artists Guild Show is now available to view! Featuring 32 artists, 107 beautiful art works, and awards selected by accomplished Maui artist Carmen Gardner. Most of the art in the show is available for purchase with the click of a button (with shipping and taxes included) to make it an easy process to get a beautiful new piece of art ! 2020.WindwardArtistsGuild.org

Updates

Due to quarantine, all events and workshops have been cancelled for spring and summer. The needs of the community will determine our plans, thus, we are still planning to hold the member show in October, assuming quarantine allows. Thank you! We look forward to seeing all the new work of our members when it is safe to emerge from our homes and studios.

Happy 2020!

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year at the easel and beyond! This is just a small update to let you know the Call for Entry page has been updated (for now). There are more show prospectus expected to come, including Hawaii Watercolor Society's Member Show within a few days...

Colorbridges Workshop by Dawn Yoshimura

Dawn Yoshimura is teaching her techniques for handling watercolor and keeping it vibrant and clear by painting meditative Color Bridges®. DATE AND TIME Thu, April 12, 2018 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM HST LOCATION First Unitarian Church 2500 Pali Highway Honolulu, HI 96817   Please see all the details here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/all-inclusive-color-bridge-workshop-learn-to-paint-harmonic-watercolor-tickets-43736844078?aff=es2  

How to Frame and Photograph your Art: A Free Workshop by Dawn Yoshimura

Two excellent new workshops are on the calendar to be taught by Dawn Yoshimura.  The first is outlined below  and presented via AHA (Association for Hawaii Artists): FREE:  HOW TO PREP FOR ART COMPETITIONS WORKSHOP There is a FREE workshop that is important for more than just competitions - it's all about the finer details of photographing and framing art properly.  This information will help give your work the polished presentation it deserves. Dawn Yoshimura will be teaching a workshop on how to get your paintings ready for competition from photography to framing. This is in partnership with Association for Hawaii Artists, but it's open to anyone! Do you know how to photograph your art and submit it at the right size? Do you have beautiful art but the photos don't do them justice? Have you picked up your work from a venue and notice that someone has had to tighten the wire?  Has your work ever fallen off the wall?  Has a piece you have framed ever stuck to its protective glass?  Do you use cardboard or boxboard to back your pieces even though they contain acid that will ruin your art over time?  Do your eyehooks interfere with your piece hanging flush on the wall so the piece tilts? No public confessions necessary! Please come learn how to remedy these common mistakes and much more! We highly recommend you attend this FREE lesson on the best practices to make your art polished and professional. Better to know now what mistakes you are making than to have a problem at the next show! Please RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-prep-for-art-competitions-your-image-file-and-presentation-tickets-43734518121?aff=es2

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