Minutes of the Print Circle Meeting
28 June 2006, at the Workshop Arts Centre, Willoughby

The meeting opened at 4.15 pm.

Apologies: Robyn Waghorn, Debbie Wilkinson, Karen Oom, Patti Somerset, Prue Crabbe, Patti Somerset.

Present:  Janette Hanrahan, Edith Cawlishaw, Tanya Crothers, Ann Bewah Wu, Ingrid Hawke, Jean Birrell, Joanne Gwatkin-Williams, Helen Best, Barbara Davidson, Christina Cordero, Laura Starke.

• Minutes of the previous meeting were accepted as read, proposed by Jan Hanrahan and seconded by Tanya Crothers.

Matters arising from minutes. There were no matters arising.

Correspondence. Sadly, Patti Somerset’s husband has recently died and the Print Circle sent her a card and flowers as a mark of sympathy. A thankyou card was received from Patti in response to these. We hope that Patti will feel able to return as an active member of the Print Circle soon.

General business:

• New Membership Applications
• Out of the six potential applicants only 5 were able to send their artwork to us in time for the meeting. They were: Jan Moore, Deborah Harris, Carol Shaw, (name withheld) and (name withheld). Unfortunately, (name withheld) was only able to send emailed images and these did not arrive in time. Members were given some time to look at the work before voting initially on whether each of the applicants were of sufficient standard to be considered for membership. Since this eliminated two of the applicants, leaving three remaining this meant no further voting was required there being 3 vacancies to be filled.
• The three new members are Jan Moore, Deborah Harris and Carol Shaw. Joanne will write to all applicants and will be inviting the three successful members to join the Print Circle.

Web Site

• Joanne presented information to the members regarding the reasons for having a web site; what the Print Circle does or does not require in a web site; the costs of setting up and running a website and so forth. (Please see attached for all of those who have not received this information by email). A vote was taken as to whether we would like to have a website or note and the vote was unanimously in favour. Joanne agreed to take on the task of setting this up with the help of her husband Ross. Joanne requested that everyone should send either by email or on a disc, four images of their work plus biographical details.

Regional Galleries

• Joanne had not written to any regional galleries as she had requested from members that they firstly, send her digital images on disc or by email and had only received images from Janette Hanrahan on disc and one image from Laura Stark on email. Joanne had tried several times to contact people at UTS regarding an exhibition but had not heard back from anyone. Anne Wu asked whether it was not too late to put together a submission for UTS and Joanne agreed that it was because submissions close at the end of July 2006. Joanne had been in touch with Red Door Gallery who had space available both in 2006 and 2007 but felt that though it was a commercially quite successful gallery space, it was also very small and probably too small for the Print Circle.
• Jean Birrell confirmed that had we wished to tour Mosman we should have looked in to that at the time of getting the Mosman exhibition. 
• Joanne suggested that we should again try to gather together images and resubmit to regional galleries with a view to getting grants that are available to arts groups for touring exhibition to regional galleries. Janette Hanrahan spoke of how another group that she belongs to approached Goulbourn Regional gallery with an idea “pushing boundaries”. The director, Jennifer Lamb then agreed on this and the group worked to this theme. Groups approaching regional galleries need to do so with a theme, motivation and so that their work is unified. 
• A number of members pointed out that the Regional Galleries pick up an exhibition and then they go to other galleries to see if anyone else is interested and they also then apply for government grants.
• Laura Stark proposed that as many members as possible get together at a central location – such as the AGNSW – on a weekend when more distantly located members are able to attend, to ‘brain storm’ and come up with a theme that could be developed for presenting to Regional Galleries. The members agreed to this and Janette Hanrahan agreed to approach the AGNSW to see if there was a suitable venue at their gallery for us to meet in.

Any other Business. 

Annual subscriptions are now due.

Joanne will send out new membership lists with the minutes.

The meeting closed at 5.15 pm.

Next meeting: TBA

Joanne Gwatkin-Williams
(Hon Sec)