Page 14 - The Decorative Painter Fall 2014

annual report
Annual Report for 2013-14
This past year has been one
of success and disappointment.
At Conference in 2013, Sue Bowers spearheaded a fundraising project to raise money
so the artwork in our International Museum of
the Society of Decorative Painters in Wichita could be properly cataloged and photographed for a virtual online tour. An amazing
number of responses quickly allowed us to meet the goal of $10,000, and we hoped the virtual tour would be on the Internet in October. But, in the process of documenting our collection Miho Halsey, our museum coordinator, and Jay Staten, publications director, discovered we did not have proper documentation on some of the artwork. Research was needed and artists or their families had to be contacted before we could show photographs on the Internet. We now have a new process, so that each new acquisition is properly documented. We want the world to see our art. The online tour is now up.
Out of this project came the idea to create an eighteen- month calendar highlighting some of the art from the IMSDP collection. More than half of these limited edition calendars were sold at Conference this year. The rest of the calendars were purchased online or from pre-orders through the office. We are now out of stock.
In November of 2013, the SDP Board and senior staff members spent two days setting the budget for 2014.
In June, when our former executive director resigned,
the board decided to appoint the president as executive director. This is an unpaid, volunteer position. The Society realizes a reduction in expenses, but it also means that incoming president, Pat Marler, will take over as the unpaid executive director. It is crucial that the board continue to search for a better solution for the day-to-day management of the Society. At that same meeting, we also eliminated a staff position. We have reduced expenses in this area, but increased the staff ’s responsibilities and the burden on volunteers.
Some of the expense reduction measures required a huge amount of work. Rented warehouse space was
cleared out and the headquarters building was re- organized for more storage. Staff time spent on this meant less time was available for strategic planning.
Last year at this time we excitedly reviewed a
new software system to replace our old membership management software, which hasn’t been upgraded since 2006. Many of my hopes and promises were based on what we thought we were going to be able to get out of
a new system. I had visions of a chapter information exchange webinar, online discussion forums, and better event planning. But by December, the staff had learned enough about the software to tell the board it was never going to work for the Society. We lost a lot of valuable time on this project.
The Certification Committee worked many hours to film the judging process, hoping to take the mystery out of judging and to encourage more people to participate
as a way to improve their painting skills. Sadly, there are fewer submissions this year than in previous years, but it is hoped that the videos will encourage more people to submit in 2015. The committee also opened the door to new mediums in the CDA Still Life category this year. We were excited to see submissions in watercolor, pastels, and colored pencil.
I would like to thank staff and fellow board members for the support they have given me this year. It has been a privilege to be part of a great team. Thank you to all the volunteers who have done so much throughout the year. We couldn’t have done it without you. From cleaning classrooms to providing professional advice, it is all very much appreciated.
As the current board’s tenure ends, we leave the Society in the best possible situation given the current circumstances. That sounds pretty good, but in reality it isn’t. I want you to know that the board, staff, and I have worked very hard to maintain our beloved Society, but the best solution or solutions have escaped us. We did not reverse the yearly decline in membership. Solving that problem is going to take all of us working together. Not just staff. Not just board. Each of you has to do something to help NOW. Our primary goal should be education, but the time we have spent solving problems is taking time away from providing Society members with tools to be creative in their lives.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
—Helen Keller, 1880–1968
Donna M. Frost 2013–14 SDP President
12 The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 3, 2014
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