By Donna Van Fleet, WAS-H Co-Vice President

IWE -- ABUNDANCE OF ART, ABUNDANCE OF VOLUNTEERS 

Eighty-four paintings came from around the world to be mounted in a breath-taking exhibition in our Gallery. WAS-H is enormously grateful to their artists for their sharing their artistry with us. 

And the artists are grateful to WAS-H . . .

"I’d like to thank all the volunteers who made the 46th IWE possible." ~ John Salminen, "Promenade"

"Thank you for the amazing show and your hard work!" ~ Lyudmila Tomova, "Rehearsal Break"

"Thanks to WAS-H. It was an honor just to be selected into your show." ~ Sid Bingham, "Barking Dogs"

What does it take to go from this...

To this?

It takes a cheerful uncreating crew under the seasoned guidance of Mike Doan.

 And a tireless hanging crew led by Paula Fowler with the incomparable curation of Carla Gauthier.

WAS-H is very blessed to have 5 generous donors who fund awards in the names of loved ones: Art Supply on Almeda, Estate of Odette Rubin, Friends of E. Thomas Kraycirik, the Hebert family, the Jack and Annis Bowen Foundation and past and current members of the WAS-H Board of Directors. Thank you to Laura McMahon for creating loving tributes to those for whom the awards are fondly named, and gratitude also for the devoted labors of Laura and Louise Bateman and their team in managing this year's judging and award process, including the slideshow for the Grand Opening Meeting. 

For the website slideshow, thanks to Laura Mossman, fount of knowledge, smoother of feathers, solution-magician, and tireless toiler who carried out a myriad tasks to bring IWE to fruition. For assembling a lasting record as well as a lovely panorama in the form of the Exhibition Catalog, we owe a big debt of gratitude to Beth Graham. 

Thanks to Maureen Lewis and her welcoming crew for managing a standing-room-only Members Meeting, and to Kathleen Church, Darlene Dittoe, Beth Graham and Karen Stopnicki for making our beloved building "company-ready".

Special gratitude to Brenda Swenson not only for serving as juror and judge for the Exhibition, as demonstration artist for the Members Meeting and as Workshop instructor, but also for her relentless dedication to overcoming multiple flight delays to get here in time for the proceedings to go on as scheduled. 

"Cheers!" to Kathleen Church, Patty Armstrong and their Reception crew for a Grand Opening reception bubbling with camaraderie, cuisine, and libations. And to Rick Wells Photography, Drury Inn and H-E-B for enhancing the festivities with gratis services.

The Exhibition hangs through the month of March, and WAS-H eagerly welcomes throngs of art lovers to come visit, with thanks to Kelly Medrano, Nancy Moody, Veronica Koenig, and their Communications cohort for spreading the word and to Cheryl Evans for making the communications colorful with her artwork.

To the many more who are not named or pictured here, please be assured your efforts were seen and cherished.  Your spirit of community is what makes IWE possible.