Calendar
VAST Monthly Guest Artist Presentations
Everyone is welcome to attend the monthly meetings, which include a guest artist presentation featuring an art demonstration and lecture. Presentations are held at 6:45 pm on the first Wednesday of each month (September through May) at the Patterson-Appleton Center for the Visual Arts, located at 400 E. Hickory, Denton, Texas. The presentations are free for VAST Members and $5 for guests. A student attending with a VAST member (Educator Level) may also attend at no charge.
VAST Meetings Fall 2023 – Spring 2024
September 6 – General Meeting / Lecture – Acrylic Flow Painting – Robin Butt
October 4 – General Meeting / Lecture – Watercolor Demo – Randy Meador
November 1 – General Meeting / lecture – Coldwater Glass Art – Diane Allison
December 6 – General Meeting / TBA
January 3 – General Meeting / Lecture – Terry Browder
February 7 – General Meeting / Lecture – Mixed Media -Darla Bostick
March 6 – General Meeting / Lecture – Gail Delgar
April 3 – General Meeting / Lecture – Sketchbook Art – Dalynn Montgomery
May 1 – General Meeting / Lecture -TBA
**Second VAST workshop dates are currently pending**
2023 Winners Member’s Exhibition
Photos by Elsa Vasquez
Photos by Elsa Vasquez
VAST COFFEE KLATCH
Monthly guest artist presentationsMonthly guest artist presentations 125-Mile Exhibition175-Mile ExhibitionMerging Visions ExhibitionMerging Visions ExhibitionVAST Members ExhibitionVAST Members ExhibitionVAST artist workshopsArtist workshopsVAST mini showsMini shows during
Thanks for our Outstanding Community Support!
Not only do our members benefit from the opportunities in VAST, but the community is hopping on the art wagon to support us in so
VAST Creative Stretch September 2023 Winner
Congratulations to Martha Schinzel who won the September CREATIVE STRETCH with the Glass/Wire/Steel piece “Garden Chaos”.
VAST September 2023 Mini-Show Winners
Congratulations to Patrick Fairchild who won 1st place in VAST’s September Mini-Show for Oil “Rocks ‘N Water” Congratulations to Tonya Littmann who won second place in the VAST September
Details for the Mini-Show:
All VAST member artists are invited to participate in the monthly Mini -Show exhibition and competition, held during regular monthly meetings from September through March. First and second place winners are determined by member votes which occurs during a break in the evening meeting. All monthly first-place winners are automatically entered in the competition for Artist of the Year, which is held and voted on by the membership during the May meeting (no regular mini-shows in April or May). There is no advance sign up or fee required to enter the mini-show; simply bring artwork to the meeting and register at that time. Cash awards, sponsored in 2023-24 by The Stafford Group, are given for both first and second place winners.
First Place – Pat Fairchild for “Rocks ‘N Water” Oil
Second Place-Tonya Littmann for “Penelope” Fiber:
VAST Creative Stretch.
Use your creativity and stretch your imagination. This competition is held during the 2023-24 monthly meetings, voted on by membership during the break, and will feature a monthly theme. There is no advance registration or fee, and a cash award is presented to the first place winner, sponsored by Jerry’s Artarama. A member artist may enter (and win) as many of these shows as desired.
September 2023 Winner Martha Schinzel for Glass/Wire/Steel “Garden Chaos”
Sept: Photography
Oct: Fall Themed Artwork
Nov: Box Challenge*
Dec: Tiny Pieces (6″x6″ pieces or smaller)
Jan: Trash to Treasure – reused products only
Feb: Mardi Gras Themed Artwork
Mar: Spring Fling Florals Theme
Apr: (high school student show only)
May: 3D Art (ceramics, textiles, sculpture)
Additional VAST Offerings
VAST also offers bi-annual artist workshops throughout the year, a monthly critique group, September through May (excluding December), and invitational exhibitions of members’ artworks in the area (libraries and businesses)! VAST also sponsors an annual art competition for Denton County high school art students with awards.
Memberships are valid from June 1 – May 31st, and there are various levels of memberships available.
Benefits of Membership
- Public listing in the online VAST Member Directory
- Juried exhibition discounts (175-Mile)
- Workshop discounts and workshop priority
- 20% discount on full-price purchases at Voertman's in Denton
- Free participation as available in our December Festival, VASTFest
- Invitations to exhibit your work in local area buildings
- Fun and Fellowship with fellow artists, and those who appreciate art!
- Monthly VISION newsletter sent by email
Student and Educator discounts available!!
All of this for only $37 a year!!!
Memberships are valid from June 1 – May 31st, and there are various levels of memberships available.
President's Message
September 2023
From the President’s Paintbrush,
I am wondering if any of you took the time to breathe and follow the challenge I made last month. My hope is that you took some time out of your busy schedule to follow your heart. Can you answer positively or have you fallen into the same lifelong excuses that, “I’ve just been so busy with everyday life; I just couldn’t spare the time”? It is my hope that in September I will see a new sparkle in your eye that says, “I’ve done it”! I’ve taken a bit of time to create or explore something meaningful to me.
I miss you all! I miss your creativity, your enthusiasm, your suggestions, your questions and most of all, your friendship. I can hardly wait for September 6! And how exciting is it that we are able to have our Member’s Exhibit Awards Ceremony at 6pm right before the General Meeting!!!
Our Board of Directors has been busy at work. They spent a Saturday in July looking over every aspect of VAST. The group came up with amazing ideas of things we want to continue, things that we would like to improve and things that definitely need to stay the same. Some of those ideas came from our suggestion box that is located on the meeting check-in table and some from your suggestions directly to board members! It’s going to be an exciting year.
Our first change is that in September, our Artist of the Year from last year will do a presentation on works they have created and information on their road to success. Another pressing topic is the importance of outstanding communication. Thus far VAST has not been the best, but we are determined to improve. Membership, Fund Raising, Community Exhibits, Program, Celebrations, and Exhibitions were all topics of scrutiny and brainstorming. The final analysis is that we can’t do everything all at once, but we can plan and implement a little at a time to achieve our overall MISSION:
ARTISTS AND COMMUNITY CONNECTING TO CREATE AND CELEBRATE VISUAL ARTS!
Bylaw statement: VAST is dedicated to increasing community appreciation for the visual arts, continued improvement of individual artistic expression, and offering fellowship with people of similar interest.
These two statements are why we exist and we need to keep these in the forefront of our minds. If you have a suggestion on how to better fulfill these statements, please share your ideas with us. If you to want to help us expand these, bring a friend, who is, was or wants to be involved in the arts! We have the Best of the Best opportunities right here in the VAST organization.
Take care of you and keep creating! See you September 6th
VAST News
VAST COFFEE KLATCH
Join other VAST members or potential members to have coffee or your beverage of choice, catch up from our summer activities and share ideas and
Thanks for our Outstanding Community Support!
Not only do our members benefit from the opportunities in VAST, but the community is hopping on the art wagon to support us in so
