Post 348: PWAS Group Something to Think About

PWAS Group - Something to Think About - Your Board Members

As in any art group, there comes a time when you will need to start thinking about the future. I mean the near future. At the end of this year, November - December 2023, we will be voting for the PWAS Executive Board, all officer positions. That's right, the PWAS President on down. And these Board members are all volunteer positions held for two years, as they are in many non-profit 501(c)(3) art groups. Who will step up to the plate for these important positions to help guide and direct our artistic journey? Who can be engaged, who has the necessary energy and enthusiasm as well as time to be a part of a functional Board?

What Does it Take to be on the Board?

Our last election for the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) was in December 2021, and since then, PWAS has grown. At that time, we had around 30-40 members, a different, smaller gallery, and a smattering of annual art shows. Since we began at Open Space Arts Gallery at Stonebridge, we have climbed to well over 100 members, but with the typical fluctuations and for various reasons in January 2023, our membership dropped. As of May 10, 2023, we are back to 93 members and climbing rapidly. We are not your mamma's art group anymore! 

The times have changed, some would say art is changing, but the Prince William Art Society is and can be a major part of being a huge art voice in Prince William County - across every corner of it. We need members with the vision, inspiration, energy, necessary skill sets, and courage to be effective leaders for the group. We need people that have an understanding of the PWAS mission and leadership skills toward growth, delegation of activities and optimization of the talent within the membership.

With a larger membership body, we need, well, MORE. More art opportunities. More member engagement. More county-wide impact. More thought outside and off canvas (or outside the box).

The group will need to look within ourselves and our members and start considering who will make great candidates for each of these Executive Board officers. Your day-time job (or a previous job) might just make you the resource needed!   

Executive Board Officers:

President: Chairs the Executive Board and presides at all meetings of the society. The President shall convene at least 6 Executive Board Meetings each year. Prepares agendas for all general membership meetings and Executive Board meetings: delegates responsibilities and assigns tasks to Executive Board members; monitors status and completion of those tasks, provides signature on legal documents; serves as liaison between public, other organizations, and the Society. Coordinates functions with other offices.

Vice President: Acts as the assistant to the President and fulfills the duties of the President in her/his absence. The Vice President acts as liaison with Committee Chairpersons, and with society members.  

Secretary: Records minutes and attendees of executive Board Meetings, and general membership meetings. In addition, the Secretary takes care of correspondence as requested by the Board. The Secretary should maintain a current copy of the by-laws with any amendments noted and any special rules adopted by the organization.

Treasurer: The Treasurer shall receive all Society funds, deposit them in a Virginia bank and pay all bills out of this account. The Treasurer shall present a brief report at each meeting of the Society Revenues and Expenses. The Treasurer should assist in preparing for the Annual Budget. Among other duties are renewal of the yearly Corporation license, the Liability Insurance and the renewal of dues to Prince William Art Council. Maintains an inventory list and location of all Society property.

Member-at-Large: The Member-at-Large should be elected by the members to represent their interest at the Executive Board level.

PWCAC Liason: Prince William County Arts Council Representative attends meetings and reports to the Board

Above from the blog post "Joining Your Local Art Group"

And there are other positions/committees that are unfilled that should be that are not voted on. You can be a part of the history of the PWAS organization by considering not only the part you can play but electing other members to fill these important positions.

True, some of our members have stepped in and filled some Board positions after others have stepped down, and/or are moving away, but the positions will still need to be voted on come November/December. January 1, 2024 is the start date for the 2024 - 2026 Executive Board.

Soon, we will also be voting on some updates to our By-Laws as well. So the time is here, my fellow PWAS members, to begin thinking about our future. Are you willing to step up?

For Further Reading - some of these articles are about other art forms, but that makes no difference: 

• 10 Reasons to Join an Arts Organization Board
  
• Creating a Five-Star Board in the Arts and Culture Sector
• Arts and Culture Leadership: Four Action Steps to Create a Stronger Board
• Conflict Between Arts Groups and Their Boards at the Heart of Recent Turmoil 
  
• Nonprofit Arts Organization Boards: An Epilogue
• A great board of directors can make or break a nonprofit. Here's how to build one

Reference Artistry Spin Blog Posts

PWAS: New Board of Directors for PWAS

Joining Your Local Art Group(s), Benefits of Volunteering

If you find other articles of interest, please drop a link in the comments below and let us know what makes it good reading too.

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Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA and Artistry Spin Blog Admin, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

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Local Art Group: The Prince William Art Society is a 52-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia.

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

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