50 Years ~ 50 More

Gualala Arts 50th Anniversary Shirt and Baseball Cap

Order at the Gualala Arts Office

Support your local Arts Center by wearing one of Gualala Arts' long sleeve, cotton twill shirts. You not only add to this 50 Year Anniversary fundraiser but you advertise the Gualala Arts Center and the beautiful redwood coast. You can pick your own shirt color, size, and the thread color of the Gualala Arts' anniversary logo.

Please call Karen at the Gualala Arts Front Desk, 884-1138 with your size, shirt color, and thread color for the logo. The price is $45 plus tax.

(Shirt Color Choices: Khaki, Stone, White, Burgundy, Faded Blue, Navy, Black, Faded Blue, and Ink Blue)

Don't forget the Gualala Arts 50th Anniversary baseball cap with the logo on the front of the cap and "Art in the Redwoods 50th Anniversary" on the back.

The special black cap with metallic gold thread is $50 for this special fundraiser. The cap with the same logo, front and back, is also available at $25 in a variety of colors.

September, 2011

The Top Hat dinner audience rose for a round of applause as Elaine Jacob cut the red ribbon (at right), launching the opening of the new elevator at Gualala Arts Center. All the permits had been attained and many Art in the Redwoods visitors enjoyed taking trips on the elevator's inaugural voyages. People were lining up for the opportunity to try it out. One visitor, Sue Halderman said, "Yes, the elevator is grand. Many thanks to all who donated both time and money for its installation. I loved being upstairs and seeing ALL of the art work at Art in the Redwoods... no longer limited to just viewing the pieces downstairs."

Less than one year ago, President Michele Marshall (below left) made the pledge at the "50 Years, 50 More" workshop that Gualala Arts was going to install an elevator and an emergency generator. And the community responded! Along with major donors of $5,000 or more (Elaine Jacob, Pacific Piecemakers Quilt Guild, Andrea A. Lunsford, Shepherd by the Sea, an Anonymous family donation, Sharon Nickodem via Intel Foundation matching funds), around 100 people gave financial donations to help meet the fundraising objective of $140,000.

Although that goal was not met, huge donations of time and skills from Howard Curtis, structural engineer(below right, with Executive Director David 'Sus' Susalla), the Gualala Arts "Tuesday Boys" Building Committee led by Ben Klagenberg and newly named Gualala Arts Volunteer of the Year Len Hiles, and many more volunteers and community members who gave their time or helped with in-kind donations, combined to make the elevator happen. And, to top it off, when our funds would not permit, the elevator supplier, J.T. Lawrence Co., donated a generator as well as a free, long term, maintenance and inspection service to make sure the new equipment keeps functioning for future users.

The generator will guarantee that no one ends up being stranded in the elevator and will provide for safe use and egress from the building in the event of one of our all too frequent power failures. Volunteers have installed the elevator on a new concrete pad, and improved the drainage in the area to insure a long service life for the new equipment. In addition to providing access to all parts of the building, an operating elevator will make it possible for Gualala Arts to compete for grants from foundations.

A job well done by all... the major project for the year was accomplished... on time, and using most but not all of the funds which had been raised.

One need which has been thoroughly investigated by a newly formed Maintenance Committee is to address all systemic issues with Gualala Arts Center's physical plant which threaten to limit its viability or otherwise pose long term financial liabilities. Efforts have focused on identifying and addressing leaks, both from rain and surface water, addressing mold and dry rot problems inside and outside the facility, eliminating dangerous trees, repairing gutters, improving under-floor ventilation etc. The "Tuesday Boys," along with outside vendors, have played a major role in this effort which will be continuing for the next year or two as funds are made available and volunteer skills permit.

In addition to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (which the elevator helped address), applying for most grants requires a nonprofit to supply audited financial statements. This issue was addressed by a newly formed Audit Committee, who located, hired and supervised the work of a professional auditor who has now signed off on Gualala Art's 2010 statements and will perform another audit on the 2011 numbers. The lead role on the Audit Committee was played by Marty Linker, former Gualala Arts Board member.

Thanks to the large number of supporters who contributed in one or more ways to these successful efforts, 2011 has already been a significant year of accomplishment for Gualala Arts, with more to come this year and in 2012.

May, 2011

The Gualala Arts Board of Directors is using a process called "Managing by Objectives" to manage the action items that emerged during the "50 Years ~ 50 More" community input and planning sessions. These objectives are being prioritized by the Board and then reviewed and statused by quarter. Each section has a legend to explain the acronyms.

1. The Role of the Board
2. Planning and Design
3. Artists
4. Widening the Circle
5. Expanding the Venue
6. Expanding the Ecosystem
7. Role of Money

Contact Sharon Nickodem at sharonnickodem@aol.com if you have questions about this activity. Watch this page for future updates.

April, 2011

Dave Bower, President of the Board of Directors, announces the new Membership Committee joint chairpersons, Morrie Veys and Gail Taylor.

To help improve communications between the Board and the various Gualala Arts Interest Groups and affiliates, individual Board members have volunteered to act as liaisons to these groups. The liaison list will be posted on the Gualala Arts website by the end of May.

The Board liaison to the North Coast Artist's Guild (NCAG), Sharon Nickodem, worked with an NCAG committee to write and submit two exhibit proposals for 2012, one of which has been selected.

March, 2011

The Board of Directors met face-to-face in an all day retreat on March 21 to review the "50 Years ~ 50 More" recommendations, and using a new planning process, the Board established objectives for the coming quarter (Q2). These objectives will have owners and measurable results to enable monitoring the progress.

Michele Marshall became the new chair of the Fund Development Committee, whose charter is to examine and leverage both existing and new revenue producing opportunities to help fund Gualala Arts programs and sustain the facility. The committee's scope has expanded to include over-sight of all revenue streams. In addition, a major new effort was initiated to find capital and building maintenance grant dollars.

Also, the external audit review project is well underway.

February, 2011

50 Years ~ 50 More: Final Report

At the Annual Membership meeting, a summary and consolidation of the recommendations from the "50 Years ~ 50 More" meeting was presented to the members.

October, 2010

A workshop entitled "50 Years ~ 50 More" was held in October, 2010, to celebrate Gualala Arts' first 50 years and to facilitate a vision for the next 50 years. The Final Report from that event is now available for your review (shown at right →).

The Gualala Arts Center, located at 46501 Gualala Road in Gualala, CA,
is open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and weekends from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Please call (707) 884-1138 for more information, or email info@gualalaarts.org.

Serving the coastal communities of northern Sonoma & southern Mendocino Counties.