From the President - May 2016

Hi All,

I have tried in my recent letters to be positive about the enthusiasm and input from members who have volunteered to help with the running of the Association.

There are many reasons for becoming members of this great Association. We meet other sculptors, network, learn new skills through workshops and studio visits. We receive a newsletter that keeps us up to date and we have a great website. But I think what really draws people in are the fabulous exhibitions that we hold each year. What would we be without these exhibitions?


Unfortunately we have two exhibitions that lack coordinators next year. As you know Jenny Rickards and Mark Cowie have run Herring Island Exhibition and Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show respectively for many years. It is time for others to take over. Others in the Association have run our exhibitions successfully in the past and have done a great job. Many others are very capable of running them in the future.

Other Art groups have recently collapsed due to lack of support. I would not like that to happen to the ASV. It would be very disappointing, demoralizing and dispiriting for all those who have put so much in over the years.

We need our exhibitions. I know we are firstly sculptors and all have very busy family and work lives but if we are to survive we need some new blood. We need enthusiasm that is converted to action.

Perhaps you know someone who is not a sculptor but who would be willing to help. Patrick Culshaw has done a great job as treasurer before he became a member and we currently have a wonderful treasurer, John Ride, who is not a Sculptor. There are other tasks for which a volunteer doesn’t need to be a sculptor – for example handling sales at exhibitions – we do need sculptor sitters to talk about the work – but the EFTPOS is a mystery best handled by someone else.

Jenny wrote a plea in the last newsletter for a new Herring Island Coordinator and explained so many of the positive aspects of that job. She is very happy to lead someone through the first year.

Mark as we know has also run a very good show and would also work with a team to run the show next year. How distressing would it be for him if we cannot continue exhibiting at this wonderful venue after all he has done.

Please contact -Gillian Govan on : 0412122884, Mark Cowie on : 0429336639, Jenny Rickards on: 0418971897

Happy Sculpting Gillian