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July 2023 Newsletter

We are building a webpage to house new and old newsletters – all we can find – back to 2014 and beyond. Read our colorful July 2023 newsletter by Lauren Foster on the Archived Newsletters page under the About tab HERE.

President’s Message – Summer 2023 (Updated)

Notes from Wendy —-

Thanks for stopping by the VAS website!  Our new board is so excited about the upcoming year. I’m Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt, the new president and webmaster and you can read my bio on our new “Our Artists” tab.  This is a perk for all our members to showcase themselves and their art. All members are invited to participate!

  • Our annual member show entry deadline has been extended – Friday, August 25th.  The name is “Aqua Vita” and the theme is all about water – its physical and its symbolic aspects.  Take a look at the Call for Art!
  • We are bringing back the popular “Wednesday Painters” for our members under a new name –  “Art Together.”  For the summer, we met on Tuesday: 7/11/23 and we have another “Art Together” on Tuesday 8/22/23, 1-4pm at Degallery, but this will move to Wednesdays in September.  Bring your art creating supplies, which includes cameras & computers, for an afternoon of making art and sharing ideas. We will be raising money for the organization by taking high quality digital photographs (~24 MB) of members’ art for a reasonable fee, suitable for making good prints and uploading to websites like Fine Art America. Our first session will be in conjunction with our August “Art Together.” on Tuesday, 8/22 1-4pm. We will play it by ear and see how it goes. This is a perk for members only, but this might be worth joining VAS for this benefit. Click HERE to joi
  • We do have two more shows scheduled, one in January 2024 at The Arts Council of the Brazos Valley, and our .show in April, 2024. We now have themes! The January show is entitled “Resolutions: New Beginnings,” We encourage artists to explore the theme of new beginnings by thinking about the challenges, rewards and images of starting over, as well as the power of art to help us visualize our hopes and dreams for the future. This prompt is very open and subject to many different interpretations. The spring judged art show has the title “Art in Bloom.” I see a cacophony of color! The details aren’t finalized so the Calls for Art are not posted.
  • We are working with Destination Bryan and their Downtown Bryan Street & Art Fair 2024 on April 13, 2024 10am-6pm.  We are organizing a Plein Air event.  We ran our first “Paint Out” in April with good success, so we are excited to continue.  More info will be forthcoming.
  • Our meetings in the fall and spring will be the 2nd Monday of the month.  Doors open at 5:30pm and meeting runs 6-7pm at Degallery.  Member Joel Kitchens will be sharing his unique photographic talents at September’s get-together.  Read more HERE.
  • I’m in the process of updating our website, Aggieland Art Trail. So, if you have a suggestion for an art stop, please email me at webmaster@visualartsociety.org   The Aggieland Art Trail also has a public Facebook group, so stop by and join!

Thanks for reading “Wendy’s Notes.”  Hope to hear from you soon.

Wendy  :)

June 2023 Newsletter

HERE is the pdf – a little easier to read and the links are clickable!

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Congratulations to our 2023 Scholarship Winners

2023 VAS Scholarship Winners
2023 Scholarship Winners with VAS President. From left to right: Marcella Deer, Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt, Cedric Gonzalez

VAS was pleased to present these certificates at the reception for our 50th Anniversary to our 2022-2023 scholarship winners, Marcella Deer and Cedric Gonzalez, both from College Station High School. You can learn more about our scholarship program HERE.

Autumn Bauder

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My love of the visual arts began late high school with my first self taught drawing course and my friend’s infatuation with photography. After graduating high school, I got my Associate’s degree in Fine Arts and in 2012 I married the love of my life. Shortly after, I started DCA Studio, sold some paintings, took a variety of photography gigs, and worked part-time while my husband worked full time and pursued a degree in Mechanical Engineering. During this time my husband and I had three beautiful children and grieved the loss of our firstborn son. God has been faithful to walk us through seasons of both sorrow and joy. Though it has often taken the back burner to the priorities in my life, art has always been a catalyst for healing and self-expression. I’m excited to continue pursing and developing the gifts that God has given me and hope that my art will also bring inspiration and joy to others as well.

  • Fun facts:
    • Before I discovered my affinity for fine art, I wanted to be an exotic animal trainer.
    • I enjoy ballroom dancing.
    • Music is a big inspiration to much of my art.
    • I have an extra rib.
    • I have recently discovered that I enjoy gardening and I don’t kill every plant that I care for.

Examples of my art:

  • “Whimsey”

Cynthia Castillo

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I am a Texas native, but as an Army Brat, I spend most of my youth growing up near Ft Rucker in Alabama. I attended grade school, high school, and college in Alabama with a short stint in Colorado.. Aside from being a practicing artist I am an art history subject matter expert with a focus in Asian Art, a high school visual arts and film educator, and a college art history professor for TAMIU and Trident Universities. I have been an educator for almost 15 yrs. My artwork is influenced by my love of the macabre, human anatomy, animals, the power of color, and Mexican Folk Art.

Fun Facts:

  • I am trying to visit a new tropical beach/island outside the US every summer. So far I have been to the British Virgin Islands, Curaçao, Mexico, Turks & Caicos, and Puerto Rico. So many, many, more to go! The ultimate goal is to make it to the Maldives and Bora Bora!
  • I love to collect skulls and bones. Day of the Dead is my favorite holiday along with Halloween.

Examples of my art:

Dary Dega

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For most children born in Russia, a country with deep, versatile history and tradition in the arts, art is an important part of their childhood. For Dary Dega, the owner of Aggieland’s newest destination for artists, DEGALLERY, it was no different. Like most Russian children, she was raised attending museums and concert halls, going to the ballet, and classical music concerts. But Dary may have fallen even deeper in love with the arts at an early age, thanks to traveling extensively all over Europe as a child with her father, who was a renowned scientist, and the rest of her family. Throughout her travels, she continuously learned more about the fine arts and their beginnings at every turn. That early passion remained fervent for Dary, who would go on to later graduate from art school and music school, while also pursuing a career in medicine. Dary moved with her husband halfway around the world a couple of years ago because he assumed the position of physics professor at Texas A&M University. Following the move to Texas, Dary’s lifelong love of art inspired her to launch a unique gallery in her new home in Aggieland, a dream of her’s, to build a space that would allow every artist of every age, at every talent level, to express themselves. That dream has finally opened.

  • Fun facts:
    • I opened my gallery and studio by starting life from scratch in the USA without speaking English, with no knowledge of American business and the market, and with a 5-month-old baby in my arms and another five-year-old child.
    • Having a Ph.D. and MD in Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, I returned to graduate school at the age of 45 and completed my new graduate school with Master Art in Art Program in a year and a half.
    • All my family members have different last names.

Examples of my art:

  • “Century 18th Self-portrait”
  • “Lotus Valley”
  • “My First Texas Gifts”
  • “Melody of Colors”
  • “Amelia”
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We need your input!

Our new board needs your input! Grab a cup of coffee, sit back and help us! We have created 3 forms for our members:

  • VAS Exhibit Questionnaire for Members Form , created by Ruth Scego, our VP and Exhibits Chair.. Fill this out if you are interested in exhibiting your art around our community.
  • Member Demo and Workshop Interests Form created by Jaimie Ladysh, our Demo and Workshop Chair, We want to know your interests as a member of VAS for future demos, workshops, field trips, etc. to make art, or view art.
  • Member Artist Info Form created by Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt, President and Technology Chair . We are looking for members who want their own webpage on our website. Take a look who we have now on the Our Artists tab!

New Perk for Members – Your own webpage!

All members in good standing can have their own page on our website to showcase themselves and their art! Visit https://www.visualartsociety.org/our-artists/ to learn more.

Helen Dewolf

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I am a tapestry weaver and fiber artist. My undergrad was in Fine Arts from the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario in 1977. After working as a fiber artist for a few years (as well as other occupations) I came to grad school at TAMU and graduated in 1995. During the intervening years, I have been weaving tapestries and producing fiber art pieces. I belong to the Brazos Spinners & Weavers Guild (BSWG) and INTERSECTIONS Textile Learning Center & Gallery (ITLC). As a member of both BSWG and ITLC, I have promoted the textile and fibers arts in this area for about 20 years.

  • Fun facts:
    • Grad school at TAMU– Anthropology – Nautical Archaeology in 1987, and graduated with a PhD in 1995.
    • I was employed in the Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation in the Conservation Research Lab illustrating archaeological artifacts for publications and conserving artifacts.
    • I retired as chief conservator from the CRL in April 2020.

Examples of my art:

  • Lake Huron Shore 2022
  • Prickly Pear #1
  • Gneiss Rock #1
  • Mesquite Momentum #1
  • Summer Garden