A Message from the President

I have recently completed the first 6 months of my presidency of the PAFA Fellowship and look forward to the year ahead that we have been planning.

First, I welcome our new Board Members: Rachel Citrino, Pat Nugent and Moe Brooker. Our additions to our advisory committee are Lisa Trempor Hanover, John Formicola and Sharon Ewing all join Maureen Drydak to be available for questions and advice from our board.

Our next task was to update the 1954 bylaws! With the help of Lisa Hanover, David Brigham and our Board the task was completed and entered into the PAFA Archives.

The Fellowship Collection is growing every year with wonderful works that we purchase by our Alumni. We now have formed a collection committee under the direction of our Collection Curator, Hilarie Hawley. They are working on the arduous task of compiling the identity and provenance of all the works for an electronic checklist that I will be designing when their research is completed. Follow our 2019-20 purchases on our website NEWS page.

Rachel Citrino is heading up our membership committee that is checking the emails of all our contacts and will be compiling a free online Fellowship Members Directory. We will be sending all current members a note to make sure they wish to be on this list. (We will list past members as well for free but when a member applies to our annual exhibition they must be current on dues.)

We sponsor other free events and talks during the year that are open to all members. One of which is a new event on this coming April 19, 2020 which is the Birthday of the first Fellowship meeting in 1897. Yes, we will be 123 years in the making. We continue to strive to help our fellow alumni and exhibit their work in juried professional annuals. All recent or soon to be grads of PAFA will be invited to join our members in this celebration at the Hot•Bed Gallery through the generous contribution of their gallery space for this event. Thank you James Oliver and Bryan Hoffman co-owners of Hot•Bed. They are interested in meeting PAFA’s young talent that graduated or is about to graduate to begin their professional careers as artist. We like to think of our organization as a mentoring group that is open to interact with all our alumni.

Our next FAME 2020 is scheduled for early November at the Hot•Bed Gallery. Our Juror is Rebecca O’Leary, Art Advisor. A very active dealer in the contemporary art market. Our prospectus will go out to all contacts and posted on social media in early September.

Thank you for your interest in our amazing organization and join our Fellowship Directory by emailing us at: fellowshippafa@gmail.com

Barbara Sosson, Fellowship President