Artists Alive and Well

Artists Alive and Well Meets August 11

2009-07-27T23:04:00.000-07:00

Next Artists Alive and Well Meeting – August 11, 2009
Learn How to Photograph Your Work

When it comes to entering art exhibits and contests, nothing but the best will do for submitting photos of your work. Learn from a professional photographer the DO's and DON'Ts of documenting your work. Our speaker is photographer Kristy Peet. Kristy has an MFA in photography and teaches photography and digital art at Montgomery College, Houston Community College Southwest and University of Houston.

EXHIBIT UPDATE: We’ll also discuss plans for our next several exhibits.

ARTISTS ALIVE AND WELL MEETING
DATE: Tuesday, August 11, 2009
TIME: 7:00-8:30PM
PLACE: The Forum
777 North Post Oak Road, Houston (the red-brick high-rise at North Post Oak Road and I-10)

PARKING INFO: Free parking is available in the lot adjacent to the church next door to The Forum. PLEASE NOTE: Police officers may be directing traffic for an event at the church next to The Forum - don't let them keep you from coming to our meeting!

WE’LL SEE YOU ON AUGUST 11!

Linda Posey

Artists Alive and Well City Hall Exhibit - Closing Reception

2009-07-27T22:53:00.000-07:00

12 Artists Alive and Well Members Show in City Hall

Twelve members of Artists Alive and Well are showing their work in the Houston City Hall Annex, 900 Bagby, Houston, TX 77002. The art exhibit, which is across the hall from City Council Chambers, is up through July 31.

Please join us for the closing reception:

Artists Alive and Well City Hall Exhibit
Reception and Light Refreshments
Thursday, July 30, 3:00 – 5:00 PM
Houston City Hall Annex, 900 Bagby, Houston, TX 77002
(at the intersection of Bagby and Walker Streets)
RSVP – Linda Posey, LSPosey@earthlink.net
Note: Paid parking is available in the lot on the west side of Bagby directly behind the annex – enter from Walker Street side.

Participating Artists – Linda A. Askin, Marilyn Balke-Lowry, Heather L. Bause*, Daniel Brents*, Laura G. Castriotta, Elizabeth A. Dawson, David C. Gibson, Margo I. Green*, Rona Lesser, Linda Summers Posey, Lilly Stevens, and Yvonne A. Ybarra.
* Heather has work in this year's Lawndale Art Center Big Show, a well-respected local exhibit. Daniel and Margo were finalists in the prestigious 2009 Hunting Art Prize Competition.

You’re also invited to visit the exhibit anytime during City Hall hours.

For more information about Artists Alive and Well, visit our website, www.ArtistsAliveandWell.com, or join our Yahoo! Group, www.groups.yahoo.com/group/artistsaliveandwell. For more about this exhibit, contact Linda Posey, LSPosey@earthlink.net.

Mission Statement: Artists Alive and Well, Inc. (AAW) supports its member artists in creating innovative, economical opportunities to exhibit and sell their work and gain recognition throughout Greater Houston. We provide artists with a congenial environment for exchanging ideas with other artists, reaching out to the community, and expanding/building their careers with passion and confidence. AAW meetings focus on educating artists with practical knowledge and strategies for marketing their art and developing and managing their careers.

Special "Success Secrets" Event - Come As You Will Be in 2012

2007-10-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

"Come as You Will Be in 2012" Seminar and Party
Sunday, October 28, 2007 - 4:00 -7:00PM
Eastman Gallery, 1110 N. Post Oak Road, Suite 310, Houston, TX 77055

Get ready to live your dreams as a wildly successful artist. Join us for a celebration that will stretch your imagination and catapult you into your own future.

Arrive for the seminar as you will be 5 years from now. Dress in your very best or your very "artiest."

First, we'll prepare the "props" to demonstrate our over-the-top successes and creative achievements. Are you on the cover of American Artist magazine? Has your work sold for a record-breaking price? Make it so.
Then we'll "practice" living - and partying - as if all our goals have been achieved, and all our dreams have already come true. Have you just returned from your first solo show in Paris? Are you working on a huge commission from a loyal wealthy customer? Tell everyone at the party all about it.

Led by internationally known coach, Colette Streicher, LMSW. Colette is the founder of Creation Mastery and author of the e-book Mpower: How to Manifest Miracles with your Mind! She normally charges $200 for this program -- and she's giving it for Artists Alive and Well at cost. Don't miss this chance to become the Master of your Future!

Tuition: $10 in advance (to cover refreshments); $15 at the door.

Contact Linda Posey for details.

Linda Summers Posey
Founder and President, Artists Alive and Well, Inc.
713-781-1030 -- for fastest response, leave messages at this number
281-451-3808
LSPosey@earthlink.net
http://www.artistsaliveandwell.com/
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/artistsaliveandwell

How the Artists Alive and Well Show Began

2007-10-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

The Artists Alive and Well Exhibit starts THURSDAY, October 18, 2007.

OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, October 18, 2007, 6-10PM
EVENING WITH THE ARTISTS: Friday, October 26, 2007, 6-10PM
LOCATION: Eastman Gallery, 1110 N. Post Oak Road, Suite 310, Houston, TX 77055

Just 3 short months ago, Artists Alive and Well, Inc. had its first organizational meeting, and now we've created our own art exhibit with nearly 30 of our artists participating, plus an equal number of the gallery's artists -- in a show named for our our organization.

As the founder of Artists Alive and Well, Inc., I'm proud of this achievement and even prouder of this fine group of emerging artists who have stepped out to claim and celebrate their creativity, and to share that creativity with the world.

I invite you to join us at one of these opening receptions -- you'll meet and see the work of some of the most creative up-and-coming artists on the Houston art scene.

How Did Artists Alive and Well Happen So Quickly?
The Complete Untold Story

The seed for Artists Alive and Well was planted more than a year ago. In 2006, I participated in the Wisdom Unlimited Course presented by Landmark Education. (Landmark Education, www.landmarkeducation.com, is a global training and development company known for its cutting edge programs that give participants the opportunity and the tools to create a life they love.) Among many other benefits, the Wisdom course gave me the freedom to experience my own creativity in a new way, to publically declare myself an artist and to acknowledge that the creation of beauty through art is just as valid as any other contribution I might make to the world. (I'd been suffering under the delusion that contributions involving truth and goodness were somehow more signficant.)

The homework for the Wisdom course involved making collages, and I took on the assignments with a passion that surprised me. Every collage I created gave me immense satisfaction, as well as the life-altering insights that were the intended outcome. Example: One collage showed me clearly how I'd been sabotaging myself by doubting my creativity and gave me the certainty that my creativity was unstoppable, that it permeated everything I said or did.

Inspired by the fun of collaging, I dug out some old sketchbooks left over from art courses of the distant past. I began filling these sketchbooks with free-form creations. Unlike when I'd taken short art courses in the past, this time I had no agenda, no rules, no intended outcome -- I wasn't trying to create Art or even trying to make something that resembled anything. I wasn't using any particular technique or aiming for a certain style. I wasn't trying to please an art teacher or anyone else -- except myself. I simply PLAYED and had more fun than I'd had in recent memory. I knew this avenue of self-expression would be important for me, but I still wasn't sure how that would manifest.

Eager to pursue the possibility of actually doing something with my art, I took a class with Wild at Heart Art (www.wildheartart.com), a program that focuses on process painting -- painting strictly for self-expression, rather than for the creation of "product." This felt like exactly what I'd been doing with my sketchbooks, and I enjoyed the class immensely.

I started looking for support and opportunities to share with other artists. I discovered that Houston has a vast arts community -- there's an artists' organization for almost every part of town and every medium you can imagine. I also found plenty of online support groups, blogs, websites, ezines, art coaches, etc. Many of these groups are very positive, informative and helpful. And yet, almost every one of them is tinged with negative energy:

An artist sharing her work would preface her posting with,"I'm not real happy with this one, but... here it is." (Inevitably, I'd look at the work and be blown away with its quality and creativity, and wonder, "What is she complaining about?")
A coach would end an upbeat peptalk with an admonition that you'll have to work really hard to get anywhere as an artist (without reminding us of the passion that could sustain us through the hard work).
I heard some artists talk about their lack of creativity, time, energy, money, etc. (rather than about their dreams, goals and plans for achieving same).
I heard a fair amount of whining about how hard -- or impossible -- it is to create and sell art, make a living, find a gallery, etc. (instead of sharing the abundant resources in our community).
I found artists bemoaning how much they had to sacrifice for their art (when they could have focused on finding their passion and not letting anything stop them from going for it).
A disturbing number of people in the arts community -- even successful ones -- seemed to be caught up in the "poor starving artist" way of thinking. They weren't literally starving, but they were starved for confidence, courage and positive energy.

Now, I'm old enough that I didn't want to go there at the start of my art career and work my way up. I wanted to start with a life-affirming outlook that would support me in being more creative, passionate and positive about my art. This is what I call "abundant artist" thinking:

As an "abundant artist," I show my work with confidence. Even while my talents are still in the earliest stages of developing -- especially then -- I say to myself, "I love my work, I love what I'm doing. Every piece I create expands my talent and creativity."
My fellow artists and coaches empower me with my own excitement for my art. Whatever I'm doing to build my art career (even the "hard" parts), I infuse it with so much passion that I don't experience it as hard work.
I set ambitious, yet doable goals, goals that inspire me to be my best, goals that make my heart sing. Then I draw to myself the time, energy and resources to achieve those goals.
I play with other artists who openly share the resources they have found that sustain them -- whether it's an online source with great discounts on brushes or a gallery that's open to first-time art exhibitors.
I have given up sacrifice and suffering as a way of life and find the courage and commitment to regard every perceived setback as an opportunity.

My desire to find a group that would truly embody this "abundant artist" mentality eventually led me to start Artists Alive and Well, Inc.

In June 2007, I enrolled in the Self Expression and Leadership Program (SELP), another program of Landmark Education and the third part of Landmark's Curriculum for Living. The program involves, among other things, creating a project that allows participants to expand their experience of being self-expressed leaders in one of their communities.

Almost immediately, I decided that my project would involve artists and their careers. I was so inspired with this idea, that I didn't stop to think that I had very little experience as an artist and no professional standing in the art community whatsoever. I simply knew I wanted to make a difference for artists, including myself. My audaciousness in taking on this project was an afterthought I chose to ignore.

Over the next few weeks, I talked about my experience of the "starving artist" mindset and how I wanted to transform that into an "abundant artist" mindset. Almost every person I spoke to -- whether they were an artist or not -- came alive during our conversation and told me how important and needed that kind of transformation was. Artists asked to be included in my project; non-artists gave me the names of artist friends. Before I knew it, the ball was rolling.

The rest, as they say, is history. As with other ideas whose time has come, I quickly found an abundance of the resources needed to spark the project to life. Just a few of the people who helped inspire and motivate me:

Richard Eastman, a gallery owner who shares my passion for art and for creating a powerful future for artists.
Dan Krohn, a lawyer-philosopher who shares his expertise with abandon.
Art consultant Sarah Kellner; art connoisseur, coach and trainer Linda Starr; interior designer Belinda Kaylani; artist Sophia von Wrangell; coach Colette Streicher -- and many others -- who generously shared and continue to share their time, energy, ideas and resources.
All the fabulous leaders, coaches, volunteers and participants who make the Wisdom Unlimited Course and the Self Expression and Leadership Program possible, and who encouraged me and cheered me on.
The talented and committed volunteers who have joined my Artists Alive and Well leadership team and who are taking this project into the future. (There are openings for more people -- contact me if you're one of them!)
Last, but definitely not least, my beloved husband, Lloyd Posey, an endless fountain of love, acceptance, encouragement and strength.

Artists Alive and Well, Inc. is -- alive and well. We're incorporated in the state of Texas, we've had 5 meetings and hosted several inspiring speakers. We've adopted a mission statement:

Mission Statement: Artists Alive and Well is a Houston-based educational organization that supports artists in shifting from “starving artist” mode to “abundant artist” mode by mastering ways to create, show and sell their work with passion and confidence.

AND -- our first exhibit starts this week. That's the frosting on the cake.

All in all, it's been a fantastic ride. I have grown in ways I couldn't have imagined as a person, as a leader and as an artist. I'm thrilled to say that this is only the beginning.

My community of artists is growing as well. From the beginning, thanks to the people who shared their networks, I had artists in other communities (from Austin to Israel) on my email list. My goals for next year include starting Artists Alive and Well groups beyond Houston.

The opportunity for Artists Alive and Well, Inc. to empower people to live their lives and share their work with passion and confidence should not -- and will not -- be limited to Houston -- or to artists. Every place and every person deserves that opportunity.

If you've read this far (I warned you this was the COMPLETE story!) and if you're inspired by any of the above, I invite you to get in touch.

If you or someone you know is an artist who would benefit from a shift in your thinking, that's what Artists Alive and Well is all about. Please visit our website (www.ArtistsAliveandWell.com) and join our Yahoo! Group (www.groups.yahoo.com/group/artistsaliveandwell).
If you have a resource that could support our members in making the shift to "abundant artist," please share it with me so I can pass it on to our members.
If you'd like to start or be part of starting an Artists Alive and Well group in your community -- or an Alive and Well group in another field -- I want to hear from you.
If you'd like to support the organization in any way, I'm open to it.

Peace, Blessings and Happy Creating!

Linda

Linda Summers Posey
Founder and President, Artists Alive and Well, Inc.
LSPosey@earthlink.net
www.ArtistsAliveandWell.com
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/artistsaliveandwell
www.ArtistsAliveandWell.blogspot.com

October Meeting -- Dissolve Your Top 10 Roadblocks to Success

2007-09-22T22:51:00.000-07:00

Artists Alive and Well Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 – 7:00 PM
Eastman Gallery, 1110 N. Post Oak Rd., Suite 310, Houston, TX 77055

Presentation: “How to Eliminate the Top 10 Roadblocks to Your Creative Success”

Featured Speaker: Linda Starr, well-known business coach, trainer and consultant, has successfully coached prominent Houston artists to enhance both their creativity and their marketing effectiveness. An expert at bringing out the possibility of "abundance" in anyone, Linda will share her insights for making your art career more creative and profitable. Don't miss this powerful presentation. Getting rid of these roadblocks is the first step in becoming an “abundant artist”! You'll leave psyched and ready to meet your prospective customers with confidence and share (and sell!) your art with passion during our October-November art exhibit.

RSVP: Linda Posey, LSPosey@earthlink.net

Please forward this invitation to your artist friends and colleagues.

(For those of you who heard me announce a different date, I apologize. The date had to be changed due to a conflict in the speaker’s schedule. We are meeting on 10/10/07.)

See you there!
Linda Posey

Linda Summers Posey
Founder and President, Artists Alive and Well, Inc.
713-781-1030 (home)
281-451-3808 (cell)
LSPosey@earthlink.net
www.ArtistsAliveandWell.com – watch for our website coming soon!
www.ArtistsAliveandWell.blogspot.com
© Copyright 2007 Linda Summers Posey

September Meeting -- Featured Speaker, Richard Eastman

2007-08-24T11:35:00.001-07:00

At our next meeting of Artists Alive and Well, we have a great opportunity -- gallery owner and artist Richard Eastman will be our featured speaker.

Artists Alive and Well

When: Tuesday, September 18, 2007, 7:00 PM

Where: Eastman Gallery, 1110 N. Post Oak Rd., Suite 310, Houston, TX 77055

RSVP: Linda, 713-781-1030, 281-451-3808, or LSPosey@earthlink.net

Description: Our speaker, Richard Eastman, will share his "Gallery Owner's Secrets for Selling Your Art Work." This informative presentation will get us all prepared for our inaugural show -- opening on October 18 at Eastman Gallery. (Details on the show coming soon.)

PLEASE RSVP so we can have plenty of chairs set up for the meeting. For more information about Artists Alive and Well or to reserve your seat for the September 18 meeting, contact Linda, 713-781-1030, 281-451-3808, or LSPosey@earthlink.net

The Show Will Go On!

2007-08-18T03:32:00.000-07:00

Everyone at our meeting tonight after our tour of Eastman Gallery committed to planning our first show at the gallery – preferably in October-November. Richard Eastman, the owner, took a lot of time out of his busy evening to talk to us. I think everyone was impressed with his commitment to supporting local artists and specifically to helping us increase our visibility and sell our work.

I’m really excited about this opportunity for all of us! The potential investment for each artist is small – probably no more than $50-$100 for the month-long exhibit, plus only 25% commission on works sold (see below for more on costs and benefits). But the possible payoff in terms of educating yourself in the art business, increasing your visibility and credibility as an artist, developing your confidence in your work, and of course learning how to sell your art, is huge.

IF YOU’RE COMMITTED TO BEING IN THE SHOW, PLEASE LET ME KNOW BY 5PM, MONDAY, AUGUST 20. PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO YOUR ARTIST FRIENDS SO WE CAN GENERATE A LOT OF PARTICIPATION IN THE SHOW. I’D LOVE TO FILL ALL THE UNBOOKED SPACE IN THE GALLERY WITH OUR ARTISTS ALIVE AND WELL GROUP! AND WE HAVE TO ACT FAST, BECAUSE THE SPACE MIGHT BE TAKEN SOON.

Richard juries all the art he shows, so participation is contingent on his acceptance of the work – no pornography or extremely dark or violent work will be shown. The work is insured while it’s in the gallery AND you’re wise to have your own insurance coverage as well.

I’ll meet with Richard next week to confirm the exact dates, costs, deadline for submitting our work and other details. I plan to show him some of our work to give him a sense of the diversity and talent represented by our group.

IF YOU’RE GOING FOR IT WITH US AND HAVE PHOTOS OF YOUR WORK, PLEASE POST SHOTS OF 2-5 YOUR BEST WORKS ON THE YAHOO GROUP SITE – http://groups.yahoo.com/group/artistsaliveandwell/. Please post your work by 5PM, MONDAY, AUGUST 20. Here’s how to post photos of your work on our Yahoo group:

Go to the site – http://groups.yahoo.com/group/artistsaliveandwell/ – and join the group, if you haven’t already.
Once you join, click on Photos in the menu on the left side of the Artists Alive and Well home page. This will take you to the Photos page.
Click on Create Album, and enter your album name and description. If your online name is not your real full name, please use your real first and last name in the name of your album. Also be sure to click Personal on this screen, so other people can’t accidentally add photos to your album.
Follow the prompts for adding photos of your work from your computer files. In the Name box, give each work a title. In the Description box, put the medium and the size – for example, acrylic on canvas, 16x20.
When you’ve added your photos, scroll to the bottom and click Add Photos Now.

If you can’t post your work to Yahoo, you can email the files to me. Be sure that the title of EVERY file contains your last name and the name of the art work. If you email me photos of your work and don’t want them posted on the Yahoo group site, please let me know.

POSTING PHOTOS OF YOUR WORK ON YAHOO IS NOT ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL AT THIS TIME. If you don’t have photos available, don’t go out and spend a fortune having them made. These pictures are just to give Richard a sense of “who we are” as artists, and to assure him that we can fill at least one room of the gallery with quality art. Once the arrangements for the show are worked out, we’ll set a date for you to officially submit your work either by email (if that’s acceptable to him) or in person.

HOW EASTMAN GALLERY WORKS WITH ARTISTS – Each show at the gallery lasts about 5 weeks. We’re targeting a show that will start about mid-October and run into November (exact dates to come after my meeting with Richard).

As mentioned above, Richard juries the shows himself. He also takes care of hanging the shows professionally. You must provide your work ready to hang – and Richard has a wholesale framer he will refer us to if needed. Richard is an interior designer as well as an artist, so I believe he’ll do his best to make our work look good. (I’ll ask him if we have any say-so in how our work is displayed.)

COSTS – The artists pay a fee to have their works hung for the 5-week period of the show. The fee depends on the amount of wall space occupied. The good news is that the commission charged for works sold is only 25%, substantially less than that charged by most other galleries.

We’re discussing taking one of the larger rooms in the gallery. If every artist submits 2-3 works (moderate size pieces – nothing huge – I’ll get specific dimensions from Richard), this room would accommodate the 2-D works of about 15 artists. We’d also have floor space for pedestals and tables to accommodate ceramics, jewelry and other 3-D works. With these added works, the room might accommodate a total of 18-20 artists. The cost for the room for the 5-week exhibit is $1060. Split among 15-20 artists, that’s only about $50-$70 per artist. (This price could vary with the size of the works submitted and the way Richard decides to hang them for best effect.)

Any artist who wants more space could pay for more of the space in this room – for example, instead of taking one slot for about $50-$70, you could take 2 slots for about $100-$140. We could also take some of the space available outside the room in other parts of the gallery. The more total space we take, the better price we get – another good reason to invite all your artist friends to participate.

People in Artists Alive and Well who are already exhibiting at the gallery would keep their current spaces. With Artists Alive and Well members throughout the gallery, we can all easily refer patrons to each other – for instance: “Oh, you’re interested in landscapes – have you seen Mary’s work in the next room?”

WHAT WE GET FOR OUR MONEY
RECEPTIONS – Richard hosts an opening reception at the beginning of the show and an evening with the artists a week or two later. These receptions include an open bar and a nice little cocktail buffet and usually some live music – at no extra cost to the artists.

PR – He sends out 3 email invitations for each show – one invitation announcing the events, one reminder announcing the opening reception and one reminder announcing the evening with the artists. His email list is about 5000, and he’s willing to include all our email lists in his email invitation list. He also prints 5000 oversize postcards and mails out several thousand of those. (I’ll ask him if we can have some of the postcards for our own use.) He’s done a good job of promoting his shows – a couple of months ago he had a nice piece in the Chronicle featuring his exhibit honoring Frida Kahlo. Each artist can also display photos of their work on the Eastman Gallery website.

USE OF THE SPACE – Except for the receptions, the gallery is open by appointment. We’re free to bring people in anytime to see our work – as long as we make arrangements with Richard or his staff for the gallery to be open. If all of us want to get together and have a party for our friends, we can do that. (The refreshments would be on us, but no extra cost for using the space.) If you have prospective customers who can’t make the receptions, you can set up your own time to show your work – and you can bring in additional work to display on easels to showcase more of your own pieces. We can hold Artists Alive and Well meetings at the gallery if we want to, or hold workshops on topics of interest to us, to other artists or the public to give our group additional visibility in the community.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO MAKE THE ARTISTS ALIVE AND WELL SHOW A SUCCESS?

Commit to being in the show. Email me ASAP to let me know you’re on board.
If you have photos of your work, submit them to the Artists Alive and Well Yahoo group as outlined above.
Get your email list in shape for us to use in promoting the show – invite ALL your friends, coworkers, neighbors, relatives, and everyone you know – and of course your previous customers!
Send me any useful contacts you already have with any members of the media – their name, publication/station where they work, phone number and email.
Check out my wish list (emailed to everyone on the list), and volunteer to play an active part in launching this event and this organization. Several people have already stepped forward, and I’m sure they’d each welcome help with their tasks – plus there are plenty of jobs to go around.
Come to the next meeting and be prepared to get REALLY pumped about the possibility of being an ABUNDANT ARTIST!

THANKS to all of you who’ve attended the meetings, expressed interest in Artists Alive and Well, or agreed to forward this information to your artist friends. Thanks especially to those who have already stepped forward (and those who will) to help make the show a roaring success. I appreciate you all, I honor your creativity and I welcome your partnership in this fantastic adventure.

Happy creating –
Linda

Linda Summers Posey
Founder, Artists Alive and Well
713-781-1030 (home)
281-451-3808 (cell)
LSPosey@earthlink.net
http://www.artistsaliveandwell.blogspot.com/

Join Us for an Evening with the Artists at Eastman Gallery

2007-08-15T15:26:00.001-07:00

Friday, August 17, 2007, 7:00PM
Evening with the Artists at Eastman Gallery
1100 North Post Oak Road, Suite 310 (in an office park just north of I-10)
Houston, TX 77055

Please RSVP to Linda -- 713-781-1030, 281-451-3808, LSPosey@earthlink.net

After we visit the gallery -- we'll adjourn to Cafe Express, 1101 Uptown Park, Houston, TX 77056 (from Eastman Gallery, go south on Post Oak Rd., continue south on the access road to Loop 610, go past Memorial Drive and Woodway, and watch for the Uptown Park signs on your right -- turn in to find Cafe Express). We'll continue our discussion of possibilities for holding our first show at Eastman Gallery.

Several of our Artists Alive and Well artists are already showing at Eastman Gallery. After more of us see the gallery in person and meet the owner, Richard Eastman, we should be prepared to decide what will work best for our group or if we should pursue another venue.

PLEASE JOIN US AT EASTMAN GALLERY OR, IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE GALLERY, COME TO CAFE EXPRESS. SINCE I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG WE'LL STAY AT THE GALLERY, PLEASE PHONE ME (281-451-3808) ABOUT 8PM TO FIND OUT WHEN TO ARRIVE AT THE CAFE.

In the meantime, if you have any other ideas or inspirations about where to exhibit our work, please email me, LSPosey@earthlink.net.

Results of 8/14 Artists Alive and Well Meeting

2007-08-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came to last night's Artists Alive and Well meeting. The turnout was great (in spite of the miscommunication about getting into Archway Gallery). I apologize to anyone who came and missed us -- while the gallery was still closed, we improvised and met in the Epicure Cafe nearby, then toured Archway at 8PM.

We had a lively discussion about what we want to do procatively to forward our artist careers. We all agreed that the next step we want to pursue is creating our own show. I've investigated several galleries and talked to the owners. One gallery that has space available for a monthlong show (at least the last time we talked) is Eastman Gallery. I shared my impressions from visiting with Richard Eastman and touring the gallery. A couple of artists who attended already have art in Eastman Gallery, and they shared what it's like to have their work displayed there.

The group agreed that it'd be a good idea to attend the Artists' Night at Eastman Gallery this Friday, August 17. The open house starts at 6PM -- AND WE AGREED TO MEET AT 7PM. After we tour the gallery, get a sense of the space and the ambiance, and hopefully talk to the owner, Richard Eastman, we'll adjourn to Cafe Express in Uptown Park for more conversation.

PLEASE JOIN US AT EASTMAN GALLERY OR AT CAFE EXPRESS. SINCE I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG WE'LL STAY AT THE GALLERY, PLEASE PHONE ME (281-451-3808) ABOUT 8PM TO FIND OUT WHEN TO ARRIVE AT THE CAFE.

In the meantime, if you have any other ideas or inspirations about where to exhibit our work, please email me. I look forward to your partnership in creating an outstanding Artists Alive and Well show.

Linda
Linda Summers Posey
Founder, Artists Alive and Well
713-781-1030
281-451-3808
LSPosey@earthlink.net

Artists Alive and Well Meets August 14

2007-08-03T02:39:00.000-07:00

You're invited to our next meeting --

Artists Alive and Well
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
7:00PM - 8:30PM
Archway Gallery
2013C W Gray St
Houston, TX 77019
713-522-2409 -- gallery number -- please don't RSVP here!

RSVP -- Linda Posey -- 713-781-1030, 281-451-3808 or LSPosey@earthlink.net

Archway Gallery is in the River Oaks Shopping Center near Shepherd and West Gray -- just 2 doors from the River Oaks Theater.

Join us for a special preview of Madilyn Stein's "Boundaries Series" exhibit -- you'll also see works by Kay Sarver and other Houston artists. (Madilyn and Kay attended our organizational meeting last month.)

Madilyn and I will arrive about 6:30PM to set up -- come early if you can and enjoy browsing the gallery. Our meeting will start promptly at 7:00PM.

Artists Alive and Well Agenda:

Share your art -- Don't be shy! Bring a piece or two of your work that represents you as an artist. Tell us what inspired you to create it or how it helped you grow creatively.
Share your heart's desire -- What's next for Artists Alive and Well? -- Come prepared to voice your preferences for using this group to move OUT of "starving artist" mode and INTO your "ABUNDANT ARTIST" arena. (Watch the Yahoo group site -- artistsaliveandwell -- for notes on the possibilities we discussed last month.)
Share your snacks -- Bring finger food and drinks to share.

THANKS to Madilyn Stein for arranging for us to meet at Archway Gallery. THANKS to Bonnie Blue for suggesting that we share our art.

See you on August 14!

Happy creating -- Linda

Linda Summers Posey

Founder, Artists Alive and Well

713-781-1030

281-451-3808

LSPosey@earthlink.net

Artists Alive and Well Meets July 18!

2007-07-15T00:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Fellow Artists, Part-time Artists and Would-be Artists –

Artists Alive and Well is launching this week! Please join me for liftoff:

Artists Alive and Well – FREE Meeting
(Donations accepted to cover cost of meeting room.)
DATE AND TIME:
Wednesday, July 18, 2007, 7:00-8:30 P.M.
Doors open at 6:30 P.M. for those arriving early to help set up the room.*
LOCATION:
Houston Civic Arts Association (HCAA) Art Center
5202 Bissonnet St.
Bellaire, TX 77401-3910
RSVP – Reserve your space! Contact Linda Posey, LSPosey@earthlink.net, 713-781-1030, or 281-451-3808.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME! Share this invitation with all your artist friends in Houston. Refer people to this blog so they can see what we’re about. (If you’re part of an arts organization, feel free to invite the whole group – the more the merrier.) I apologize for the short notice – and I promise you a meeting that will be well worth working into your busy schedule. (See agenda below this post.)

MAP:
http://maps.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTExNmIycG51BF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwLWJ1dHRvbgRzbGsDbGluaw--#gid1=19133471&q1=5202%20Bissonnet%20St.%20Bellaire,%20TX%2077401-3910%20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;mvt=m&trf=0&lon=-95.471256&lat=29.706189&mag=3

DIRECTIONS:
Easy to find – 5202 Bissonnet is about 0.7 miles west of Loop 610 at the intersection of Bellaire Blvd. and Bissonnet. 5202 is in a small tan, one-story strip center on the north side of Bissonnet and just a hair east of the Bellaire-Bissonnet intersection. You’ll see HCAA Art Center on the sign over the door. Please park in back, on the Cedar Street side of the building (see map), and come in the back door – look for the artist’s palette on the back door.

*HOW YOU CAN HELP:
If you can arrive at 6:30 P.M., please do so. I’d like some help setting up the room. I also want to station someone at both doors to direct people in. I’ll bring bottled water – if anyone can bring snacks to share, I’m sure they’d be appreciated.

THANKS again for your interest in Artists Alive and Well. Before you know it, we’ll be creating exciting opportunities for artists in the Houston area. See you Wednesday night.

Linda Posey

Linda Summers Posey
Founder, Artists Alive and Well
713-781-1030
281-451-3808
LSPosey@earthlink.net
http://www.artistsaliveandwell.blogspot.com/
P.S. Thanks to HCAA for the use of their space.

MEETING AGENDA – ARTISTS ALIVE AND WELL – JULY 18, 2007

Introductions
Purpose of Artists Alive and Well – We’re not here to discuss art techniques or to teach you art. We’re here to support and educate you in new ways to express your creativity powerfully – free of the “poor starving artist” mindset and alive with fun and satisfaction! If you’re already there, I invite you to join us as a mentor to other artists.
YOUR WISHES – What do YOU want from Artists Alive and Well?
Brainstorming for art exhibit/sale/auction – or whatever we choose for our “big” event. I’m already talking to gallery owners and they’re excited about what we can create together.
Schedule the next meeting – date, time and location are open.

THANKS for attending and for sharing your passion for art! -- Linda

What Is "Artists Alive and Well"?

2007-06-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

Artists Alive and Well is –

An art exhibit and auction in Houston giving 20-100 artists the opportunity to experience the power of their creative self-expression. Attendance would include the general public, members of the participating artists’ communities, and the venue's community.
An artists’ support-network group and educational organization designed to create ways of easily releasing the “starving artist” mentality and achieving an “abundant artist” mentality, to share career opportunities and resources in a non-competitive environment, and to participate in creating the Artists Alive and Well exhibit and auction.
A mentoring program, pairing emerging artists with experienced artists who have mastered overcoming the “starving artist” mentality for mutual inspiration.

WHEN:

Artists Alive and Well Exhibit and Auction – October 18-November 26, 2007
Support Network Group, Educational Organization and Mentoring Program – ongoing starting July 2007 (reply to LSPosey@earthlink.net to receive meeting notices)

WHO:

Artists Alive and Well Exhibit and Auction open to all artists participating in the Artists Alive and Well program. All art lovers are invited to attend the exhibit and appreciate and invest in the works of these fine artists.
Support Network Group, Educational Organization and Mentoring Program are open to artists from beginners to professionals who are eager to expand their confidence and their market, to shed the “starving artist” label, move into “abundant artist” mode and accelerate into success.

WHERE:

Starting in Houston.
Going global. Ask about opportunities to create Artists Alive and Well in your area.

BENEFITS TO THE ARTISTS:

Experience the power and positive impact of their own creative self-expression.
Release the “starving artist” mentality that has limited their self-expression and success.
Learn to share and sell their work in a positive, supportive venue.
Create a vibrant, healthy, prosperous art community that makes a difference in the world.
Participate in a support-network group (1) to share career opportunities and resources in a non-competitive environment, (2) to develop and master ways of easily releasing the “starving artist” mentality and move into “abundant artist” mode, and (3) to participate in creating the Artists Alive and Well exhibit and auction.
Work with a mentor, an experienced artist who has mastered overcoming the “starving artist” mentality, during the period leading up to the exhibit-auction.
Benefit from citywide media promotion of Artists Alive and Well, supplementing artists’ current marketing efforts and broadening the audience for their works.
Enjoy enhanced exposure to people who otherwise might not know about their work.

OTHER POSSIBLE OUTCOMES:

Ongoing art exhibits and sales.
Ongoing educational programs.
Quarterly art shows leading up to an annual show and auction.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER OF ARTISTS ALIVE AND WELL:

Linda Summers Posey, owner of Communication Plus, is a Houston writer, artist and jewelry designer. She has more than 25 years of experience as a marketing communications consultant and freelance writer. In recent years, Linda has explored her creativity in new ways, developing her talents as a jewelry designer, sketch artist and painter. Using her past marketing and communications experience, Linda will be active in developing and leading the Artists Alive and Well programs. She is in the process of creating the media campaign to promote the artists’ network and the exhibit-auction as soon as the dates and venue are scheduled.

Linda Summers Posey
Communication Plus
Writer, Artist, Jewelry Designer

LSPosey@earthlink.net

Welcome to Artists Alive and Well

2007-06-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

If you're an amateur artist, emerging artist, professional artist, hobby artist, part-time artist, closet artist or wannabe artist...

If you've felt your creativity being drained out of you by the "poor starving artist" mindset...

If you're done with "suffering" for your art...

If you're ready for a place where artists can share mutual inspiration, moral support and just plain cheerleading in a non-competitive atmosphere...

THEN Artists Alive and Well is for you.

WELCOME! Watch this space for more information about our upcoming charter meeting for this new educational organization and support network for artists in Houston, Texas. Artists outside of Houston can participate online.

Happy creating!
Linda
Founder, Artists Alive and Well