Visual Art Society Bryan-College Station

VAS Meeting with Joana Rocha 1-13-25
2025-01-13 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
To kick off our first meeting of the new year, our member and secretary/newsletter guru, Joana Rocha, will present: “How I leveraged my passion to stay afloat, to stay sane, and to achieve success.” She is an amazing pastel artist, a wife and and working scientist at Texas A&M. She will be talking about her art journey and discuss her style, techniques and give time-lapse examples of her art.

“My name is Joana Rocha. I have the intellect of a scientist and the heart of an artist. Couple that with my love for animals, and you’ve got *me* in a nutshell. These 3 guiding lights of mine have helped me through forks in the road; they’ve given me resilience, joy, and connection. Ever since I can remember, I doodled. I always doodled animals. Animals fascinate me. Life fascinates me. Science fascinates me. But when life gets hard, when science gets hard, I find solace knowing there will always be art. Through my art, I forget the complexities of life and focus on the simple things that bring me joy. Like, painting a dog’s expressive eyes, or painting the warmth of a bright cheery sunlit morning.
My medium of choice is pastels. I find them to be very forgiving and intuitive. This therapeutic hobby of mine once helped me through a time when I had no other financial options. I know now it is something I can fall back on, and I am very grateful for it. But it takes more than good art. It takes a community you share common ground with; people who resonate with you. If you find your people, you’ll find your support. I paint for me, and I paint for those who see the world like me.”
You can find out more and see her work HERE.
Doors open at DEGALLERY at 5:30pm. There will be light refreshments. Our Social Chair, Renee Richards, always does a great job providing us with tasty treats! Come by a bit early, chat and catch up.

VAS Board Meeting 1-9-25
2025-01-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtual
The VAS Board will meet at 7pm, Thursday January 9 on Zoom. Our board meetings are open to members, so if you would like to attend and if you are a member good standing, please email Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt at president@visualartsociety.org at least the day before for meeting id information.

EXTENDED Deadline for VAS Winter Show: Dec 30, 2024
2024-12-30 23:58 - 23:59 | Virtual
The submission deadline has been extended to Dec 30th!
The Visual Art Society of B-CS invites submissions to “Art Feeds the Soul”. This winter exhibition will be on display in the gallery at The Arts Council of Brazos Valley January 7-March 6, 2025, and is open to all artists. We accept works from emerging, mid-career, and/or professional artists.
“Art Feeds the Soul” invites submissions that evoke a sense of wonder and connection. Does your art resonate with the human spirit? Do your pieces spark hope or encourage reflection? Does your art transform the commonplace into something extraordinary? Share your work and connect with viewers seeking artistic nourishment. This prompt is very open and subject to many different interpretations. Each artist can submit up to 6 pieces.
Acceptable mediums include Acrylic, Charcoal, Collage, Color Pencil, Computer Art, Digital Art, Digital Photography, Drawings, Fiber Arts, Glass Art, Graphite, Gouache, Illustration, Mixed Media, New Media, Oil, Pastel, Pen and Ink, Printmaking, Sculpture, Studio Fine Crafts, Traditional Photography, or Watercolor and others.
All submissions must be family-friendly and meet the general theme of the show. Entries cannot have been exhibited in a previous Visual Art Society or Brazos Valley Art League show.
For more information, visit the Call for Entry.

December Meeting: Annual Holiday Social 2024
2024-12-09 18:00 - 19:00 | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
Let’s enjoy this festive season together at our annual end-of-year celebration on Monday, December 9, 6-7pm – doors open at 5:30pm! Bring your favorite plate of holiday cookies for a cookie exchange. We will provide the beverages. Families are welcome! Members can take part in our white elephant gift exchange, which is totally optional but loads of fun!
If you’d like to participate, bring a small artsy gift (in size and cost) to contribute to the pool. Those of us who are artists typically bring a small something that we have created. Some have even brought note cards, artist supplies or custom calendars as gifts.

VAS Board Meeting 12-5-24
2024-12-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtual
The VAS Board will meet at 7pm, Thursday December 5 on Zoom. Our board meetings are open to members, so if you would like to attend and if you are a member good standing, please email Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt at president@visualartsociety.org at least the day before for meeting id information.

VAS "Lunch Together", Wednesday, 11-20-24
2024-11-20 12:00 - 13:00 | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
Come join us at Degallery, Wednesday 11/20/24 12-1pm for our November “Lunch Together.”
All members and future members are most welcome! If you want to be a member, you can join VAS HERE. We would love to have you!
Bring your lunch. We’ll chat, share feedback on our current projects and everything else. If you want to bring art to work on, please do!

Artist Pathways - Panel Discussion 11-11-24
2024-11-11 18:00 - 19:00 | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
Our November 11th meeting will be a bit different and exciting! We will start with a mini-lesson from Dary, our show chair, on how to wire art work for a gallery. Check out this YouTube video for a similar lesson). VAS will create a handout for future shows. Then our main event – we will have a group of members who have volunteered discuss their pathways and their stories that began their journey to creating art. What was it that started your artwork journey? Did you always draw/paint/sculpt/photograph? Bess Brunton, Garrett Hines, Lori Pfeffer, and Tim (Pops) Vanya have all volunteered to talk. We still have room for more! If you would like to be involved contact Jaimie Ladysh at dwc@visualartsociety.org.
As always doors open at 5:30pm for social time and the meeting will start at 6:00pm.
Everyone is welcome! There will be light refreshments. Our Social Chair, Renee Richards, always does a great job providing us with tasty treats! Come by a bit early, chat and catch up.

VAS Board Meeting 11-7-24
2024-11-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtual
The VAS Board will meet at 7pm, Thursday November 7 on Zoom. Our board meetings are open to members, so if you would like to attend and if you are a member good standing, please email Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt at president@visualartsociety.org at least the day before for meeting id information.

VAS "Lunch Together", Wednesday, 10/30/24
2024-10-30 12:00 - 13:00 | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
Come join us at Degallery, Wednesday 10/30/24, 12-1pm for our October “Lunch Together.”
All members and future members are most welcome! If you want to be a member, you can join VAS HERE. We would love to have you!
Bring your lunch. We’ll chat, share feedback on our current projects and everything else. Right now, we are working on a wreath project with the Arts Council to raise funds for us. The Arts Council says “Deck your walls with affiliate wreaths! Support local arts organizations and adorn your front door in style by placing a bid at our wreath auction. Each wreath is created by local arts, .culture, and heritage organizations. Place a bid in person or by calling (979) 696-2787. After December 5, the highest bidder gets to take the wreath home and all funds will be donated to that organization!” Bring fun items including gift cards for art supplies to the lunch.

Brazos Valley Gives - Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024
2024-10-15 05:00 - 23:00 | Virtual
The Visual Art Society of B-CS has been involved with Brazos Valley Gives for the last 5 years. You can visit our page at www.brazosvalleygives.org/organization/Visual_Art_Society All proceeds go toward all our community projects, including scholarships for art students and the Aggieland Art Trail. All donors giving at least $20 will be listed on our Sponsor webpage and on our Aggieland Art Trail brochure. Early giving has started! It is a wonderful event for the community.
Brazos Valley Gives, an initiative of the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley, is a month-long community giving effort that culminates in 18 hours of online giving on the 3rd Tuesday of October. Giving together as one community to raise money and awareness for local nonprofits in 7 Brazos Valley counties can do a great deal.

Brazos Valley Gives is a community day of giving that strengthens nonprofits, empowers donors, and builds community. During 2023, donors rallied to raise $1,454,920 and donated 8,754 volunteer hours to support the good works of 168 nonprofits. Over the past 5 years, the Community Foundation’s Annual Brazos Valley Gives Day has raised $4,723,708 for participating Brazos Valley nonprofits, including over $213k in sponsorship prizes.

This annual day of “giving where you live” is powered by the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley, and all donations pass-thru directly to the donor’s charity or charities of choice.

Meet with Charles Wallis - Concepts in Abstract Painting 10-14-24
2024-10-14 18:00 - 19:00 | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
Attend our October meeting and hear esteemed artist Charles Wallis discuss Concepts in Abstract Painting. This talk is free and open to all! Doors open at DEGALLERY at 5:30pm. Everyone is welcome! There will be light refreshments. Our Social Chair, Renee Richards, always does a great job providing us with tasty treats! Come by a bit early, chat and catch up.
Charles says, “There are too many approaches to abstract art to get a firm number. So often times getting started is the most challenging part of the process. I will show some guidelines you can use to get going produce a piece of art of which you can be proud. I will do a 16″x20″ piece during the demo.”
To try abstract art yourself, sign up for his next workshop on Oct 20, 2024! Go HERE to learn more.
Charles Wallis is a master painter who currently is creating modern impressionist art. He is a graduate of the Baylor University fine art program. After college he opened a graphic design studio beginning his career as a professional artist. His paintings reflect mastery of his craft and versatility in a variety of styles and media. He paints in a variety of styles including traditional realistic, as well as impressionistic, abstract and non objective. His works have shown in the TVAA Gallery, Dallas; Cultivate 7Twelve, Waco; Adobe Western Art, Ft. Worth; Kissing Tree Vineyards Tasting Room, Eddy; and The Frame Gallery, Bryan TX. He recently won Best In Show Irving Art Association 66th Annual Member Show. In 2021, the Texas House of Representatives in the 87th session passed a resolution recognizing his art in HR000743.
ARTIST STATEMENT: The essence of all art is to have pleasure in giving pleasure to others. My art is the expression of my spirit to the spirit of others that connect with it. I seek to create a memory, a wish, a fantasy or moment of joy or peace in the soul of the viewer. I pursue ideas, color combinations or images that attract my attention in the abstract; or as an impression; and some paintings are just for the fun of presenting something in an unusual style.

You can find out more at his website: charleswallis.com

VAS Board Meeting 10-10-24
2024-10-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtual
The VAS Board will meet at 7pm, Thursday October 10 on Zoom. Our board meetings are open to members, so if you would like to attend and if you are a member good standing, please email Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt at president@visualartsociety.org at least the day before for meeting id information.

VAS "Lunch Together", Wednesday, 9/18/24
2024-09-18 12:00 - 13:00 | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
Come join us at Degallery, Wednesday 9/18/24, 12-1pm for our September “Lunch Together.” You will have time to enjoy our fall member show, “Our Stories.” Go HERE for more info.
All members and future members are most welcome! If you want to be a member, you can join VAS HERE. We would love to have you!
Bring your lunch. Coffee, tea and some snacks are complimentary, thanks to Degallery. We’ll chat, share feedback on our current projects and everything else. If you want to bring art to work on, please do!

September 9, 2024 VAS Meeting with Joe Natowitz
2024-09-09 18:00 - 19:00 | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
We are in for a real treat! Joe Natowitz, retired TAMU prof, will be sharing his passion for working with glass at our September meeting. His topic? “Glass Matters!” He says, “Glass, born of earth and fire, is a uniquely versatile artistic material. Simultaneously demanding and forgiving, it lends itself to a myriad of artistic techniques. Exploring those techniques can become an obsession.”

“I have followed this obsession down a number of different pathways. In some of these efforts I lead. In others the glass leads. Either way the result of this collaboration is a unique item not exactly duplicated anywhere in our universe. I like that and it gives me great satisfaction when the work resonates with another individual.
My formal training and career was as an academic scientist. Only after retirement have I pursued my interest in art. I have been fortunate that this has occurred in an age in which there is a vibrant and talented world wide community of glass artists from whom I could learn how to work with glass, both in person and via the internet. I am grateful to all of them.”
You can find out more at his website: JoeNatowitzglass.com
Doors open at DEGALLERY at 5:30pm. You can visit our latest show, “Our Stories.” There will be light refreshments. Our Social Chair, Renee Richards, always does a great job providing us with tasty treats! Come by a bit early, chat and catch up.

First Saturday Art Market at Degallery
2024-09-07 11:00 - 16:00 | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
As a VAS member, you may show/sell your art for free at the First Saturday Art Market 11am-4pm on the Degallery grounds. You also have the use of a free tent (there are 7 available). Contact Dary, the owner of Degallery, a week ahead by emailing her HERE. It would be great to promote the Visual Art Society at your booth. As a note, items under $100 sell better. Of course you need to ready to sell by 11am and be charging sales tax. If you have questions, contact Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt at webmaster@visualartsociety.org.

Reception: VAS Members Show "Our Stories"
2024-09-06 18:00 - 20:00 | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
Everyone is invited to attend our 2024 annual member show Opening Reception at DEGALLERY, Friday September 6, 2024 6-8pm. The artists unleashed their storytelling power in “Our Stories: The Power to Connect.”
Come see the wide range of incredible art from our members! Great refreshments! Free and open to the public! The show runs through Tuesday, Oct 1.

VAS Board Meeting 9-5-24
2024-09-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtual
The VAS Board will meet at 7pm, Thursday September 5 on Zoom. Our board meetings are open to members, so if you would like to attend and if you are a member good standing, please email Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt at president@visualartsociety.org at least the day before for meeting id information.

"Our Stories" Member Show Entry Deadline: Extended to August 28, 2024
2024-08-28 23:58 - 23:59 | Virtual
CALL FOR ENTRY DEADLINE – Extended to August 28, 2024
The Visual Art Society of B-CS is calling all storytellers to enter our annual member show! “Our Stories: The Power to Connect” is your chance to showcase the unique perspective in your art. We’re looking for paintings, sculptures, photographs – any medium that captures a part of your story. The show runs September 6 – October 1, 2024, and is open to members only. It is easy to become a member – join HERE. There are lots of benefits!
Click HERE to find details and enter.

VAS "Coffee Together" at Polite Coffee Roasters
2024-08-27 10:00 - 11:00 | Kyle House/Polite Coffee, 800 S Bryan Ave, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
Join us on Tuesday, August 27 10am at Polite Coffee Roasters in the Kyle House, a stop on the Aggieland Art Trail for coffee (or your favorite beverage and good conversation with like-minded artists and art lovers! Wander through the rooms looking at VAS artists’ work by Iva Banik and Garrett Hines shown HERE. In September, our “Lunch Togethers” at Degallery will start up again.

Closing Reception "Art in Bloom" July 26, 2024
2024-07-26 18:00 - 20:00 | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
Closing Reception and People’s Choice Award Party – July 26, 2024
The Visual Art Society of B-CS invites everyone to come by Degallery on Friday, July 26, 2024, 6-8pm to celebrate the closing of a successful VAS art show, “Art in Bloom.” There will be refreshments, wine and lots of fun.
We will be tallying up the votes for the People’s Choice Awards: $150 to the #1 most popular artist, $100 to #2 and $50 to #3. Everyone who visited the show since April has been able to vote once for their top 3 favorites during the show. All the artists will receive the complete tally of the voting results.
Our scholarship winners, Norah Robinson, Melanie Sweet and Margaret Whitten have been invited to attend, so hopefully we can meet them.

VAS "Coffee Together" at Polite Coffee Roasters
2024-07-23 10:00 - 11:00 | Kyle House/Polite Coffee, 800 S Bryan Ave, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
Join us on Tuesday, July 23 10am at Polite Coffee Roasters in the Kyle House, a stop on the Aggieland Art Trail for coffee (or your favorite beverage and good conversation with like-minded artists and art lovers!

VAS "Coffee Together" at Polite Coffee Roasters
2024-06-18 10:00 - 11:00 | Kyle House/Polite Coffee, 800 S Bryan Ave, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
Join us on Tuesday, June 18 10am at Polite Coffee Roasters in the Kyle House, a stop on the Aggieland Art Trail for coffee (or your favorite beverage and good conversation with like-minded artists and art lovers! See works by members, Jaimie Ladysh and Lupita Drumgoole, which you can see and buy HERE.

June 10, 2024 VAS Meeting: Conversation with Tim "Pops" Vanya
2024-06-10 18:00 - 19:00 | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
Conversation with
Tim “Pops” Vanya
Our June meeting is a conversation with VAS member, T.W. “Pops” Vanya. Links and contact info are in our Our Artists section.

Biography: T.W. ‘Pops‘ Vanya was born in Durban, South Africa and spent 1972-8 at the University of Houston in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts.
He has been painting since 2000 but that’s just recently. His career has not always followed the way of the artist; a Houston Police Officer, as delivery boat crew in the yachting industry, a cabinet maker, an iron worker, a life guard and a few other pursuits along the way lead interestingly enough, to the world of western art. He and his wife Kathy now make their home in the rural community of Somerville in central Texas. Their home is 117 years old and they live close to the cattle, horses, ranches and cowboys he loves to portray.
He makes the statement that “God granted me the ability to put onto paper and canvas that which I can see. The fact that my avocation and vocation are the same is God’s grace provision; therefore, let the work begin.”
“Pops” has had 3 principle one man expositions:
2019 Arts Council of the Brazos Valley Gallery, “Cowboys and Pretty Women” (New Works) – College Station, Texas
2016 ARTS Gallery, “A Life Spent Coloring” – 30 Year Retrospective of the Works of T.W. Vanya – Fayetteville, Texas
2014 The Gallery at Round Top, “The Pretty Ladies Show” – Round Top, Texas

Today we are fortunate to hear him discuss his process: what to paint, reference material and painting/drawing/art principles:

Concept…. what the hell are you watint to say?!?
Design/Layout
Color/Value/Chroma… what do they mean?
Value/Contrast – the unwanted stepchild of the art world
Craftsmanship – mastering your media
Framing for success or failure

He will be bringing several works that illustrate & reenforce these principles. There will be a couple of handouts as well.
We will also be inducting our newly elected Board of Directors for 2024-2025.
Doors open at DEGALLERY at 5:30pm. You can visit our latest show, “Art in Bloom.” There will be light refreshments. Come by a bit early, chat and catch up!

VAS Board Meeting 6-6-24
2024-06-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtual
The VAS Board will meet at 7pm, Thursday June 6 on Zoom. Our board meetings are open to members, so if you would like to attend and if you are a member good standing, please email Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt at president@visualartsociety.org at least the day before for meeting id information.

VAS "Lunch Together", Wednesday, 5-15-24
2024-05-15 12:00 - 13:00 | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
Come join us at Degallery, Wednesday 5/15/24, 12-1pm for our May “Lunch Together.”
All members and future members are most welcome! If you want to be a member, you can join VAS HERE. We would love to have you!
Bring your lunch. Coffee, tea and some snacks are complimentary, thanks to Degallery. We’ll chat, share feedback on our current projects and everything else.
If members want images of their art, contact Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt at webmaster@visualartsociety.org The pricing (plus sales tax) is $10 for 1 painting, $16 for 2 paintings, $21 for 3 paintings, $24 for 4 paintings and $5 each for 5 paintings and up. You would pay on the day by card, check or cash. All funds go to support VAS. Private access to the online images would be emailed to you. The photos would be taken at her art studio.
Note: The above photo was created by gemini.google.com. I tried to include people having a brown bag luncheon in an art gallery, but when the photos were enlarged, I saw a hand with 12 fingers, ghastly faces, so I quit. The free AI image generators have some growing to do!

May 13, 2024 VAS Meeting: What's on Your Easel?
2024-05-13 18:00 - 19:00 | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
What’s On Your Easel?
Our May meeting will be focused on you! Let’s share a piece or 2 we are working on or have just finished! Bring your artwork to the meeting (no frames required). Tell us what you are doing; don’t be shy. Maybe it’s a photograph, a sketch or drawing, a painting (finished or not), a sculpture – let’s share and give/get some positive feedback!
Doors open at DEGALLERY at 5:30pm for our May meeting. There will be light refreshments. Come by a bit early, chat and catch up!

VAS Board Meeting 5-9-24
2024-05-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtual
The VAS Board will meet at 7pm, Thursday May 9 on Zoom. Our board meetings are open to members, so if you would like to attend and if you are a member good standing, please email Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt at president@visualartsociety.org at least the day before for meeting id information.

Workshop: Using Color & Design in the Landscape
2024-05-01 09:00 - 2024-05-03 16:00 | DEGALLERY, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan, TX, 77802, United States
We are so pleased to bring nationally known local artist, June Dudley, back for a 3-day workshop in acrylics, which she calls Using Color & Design in the Landscape. Oil painters are also welcome. You can see her beautiful work on her website: www.junedudley.com The painting above, Canyon Colors, is just one.
Cost: $350.00 ($325.00 for VAS members).
It is easy to become a member, just go HERE! We would love to have you!
Learn More!

High School Scholarship Deadline - April 26, 2024
2024-04-26 16:59 - 17:00
Our Visual Art Society scholarship application deadline is 5 pm, Friday April 26, 2024. We have two $500 scholarships for high school seniors graduating (by August 2024) from a high school located in Bryan/College Station and who plan a course of study and a career in the visual arts. You can find the application HERE.

"Art in Bloom" Entry Deadline: April 20, 2024
2024-04-20 23:58 - 23:59 | Virtual
CALL FOR ENTRY DEADLINE – April 20, 2024 (extended)
The Visual Art Society of B-CS invites submissions to our 2024 annual spring judged show, “Art in Bloom – A Feast for the Senses,” celebrates the relationship between art and nature in all its forms. How have you been inspired by the natural world to create works of art that reflect the beauty of nature? The show runs April 26 – June 28, 2024, and is open to all artists. We accept works from emerging, mid-career, and/or professional artists.
Acceptable mediums include Acrylic, Charcoal, Collage, Color Pencil, Computer Art, Digital Art, Digital Photography, Drawings, Fiber Arts, Glass Art, Graphite, Gouache, Illustration, Mixed Media, New Media, Oil, Pastel, Pen and Ink, Printmaking, Sculpture, Studio Fine Crafts, Traditional Photography, or Watercolor and others.
All submissions must be family-friendly. Entries cannot have been exhibited in a previous Visual Art Society or Brazos Valley Art League show.
All artists are welcome to submit, but if you are a member, you will have a reduced entry fee.
More information: https://www.visualartsociety.org/2024-judged-show-art-in-bloom/
