News

3/1/05

To: Doug Haynes, Editor, Art In Wisconsin Newsletter

Fm: Pat Holt

Re: Japan Exchange

New Members: During the first week of October 2005, 29 Japanese artists and their families will come to Wisconsin to be hosted by members of all three WP&S chapters and to exhibit with their Wisconsin hosts at four venues.

Your Exchange Committees continue to impress with their can-do attitudes, attention to detail and professionalism. It is an honor to work with them. This report will name each Chair and update you on our doings.

Hosts and Guests - please look at our website to get the latest pairings. Shelley Grund is keeping it current at shelleygrund.com/WPS_Japanese/ Chris Style has scanned the photo/resumes of our guests for our website, along with a list of their names, addresses, and phone numbers. I have forwarded to the Japan Coordinator the names, addresses, phone numbers and emails of our Wisconsin participants.

Fundraising - Pattie Moen. Requests made to corporate donors thus far have been rejected as not fitting in with marketing plans, etc. Please do everything you can to assist us by circulating donor letters and obtaining donations from both inside and outside your chapters for this exciting event. The Committee created and mailed donor letters and cards to all members of WP&S/WAAM. To all who have made donations, a heartfelt thank you.

Interpreters - Steve Ballard. Several qualified interpreters are willing to work at the receptions, but we still need volunteers for other events.

Museum Contacts - Katherine Rosing has been very busy meeting with UW Porter Butts and 1925 Galleries staff. Tori Tasch keeps West Bend abreast of all news. Lee Mothes and I work with the Neville Museum and St. Norbert College. All is going very well thanks to the prompt responses given to the venues by our Contacts.

Please Note: West Bend and the Neville can substitute work of a new host if an exhibiting artist drops from the program. But they cannot add more artists.

Field Trips - Virginia Huber. Packets of materials will be created for use by each chapter to entertain and educate our guests during any free time.
Japan Exchange - page 2

Overnight Event - Ben Barwick has returned from China and is checking on a location to best suit all our needs.

Publicity - Pacia Sallomi. Our first feature article will appear in the first issue of Asianzine, a magazine directed to Wisconsin's Asian community, scheduled for mailing this month. Press kits for area publications are being prepared, and poster/brochure design is underway by our own Kathy Armstrong, an in-kind donation very gratefully received.

Shipping - Gary Gresl. It will be by container from Japan to Seattle, where it will be picked up by truck, brought thru customs and transferred to a U.S. subsidiary who will deliver it to each site. We are working now on the size of storage spaces to accommodate the shipments and delivery date requirements.

What do we need from all of you members of WP&S/WAAM? Look at the names above. Email or call them with suggestions for publications in your area that may want to report on the Exchange, contacts for possible donations whether cash or in-kind, ask how you can help with a mailing or what you might do to assist in making this incredible opportunity unforgettable.

Deepest thanks to every one of you for your support and hard work.

Warmly,

Pat Holt
Exchange Coordinator