January 2025 Newsletter

Find a PDF version of this newsletter here:

Hello 2025!

Renewals

It’s time to renew your ACF membership! Deadline for membership renewal is February 28, 2025.

Find the form here https://airtable.com/app95O5Jc7SIM8rHr/pagx5EJlD7EIxEa4I/form

Show Applications

This year it is possible to submit your Summer show and Christmas show applications with your membership renewal. You can pay for everything all at once or you can pay for each show by it’s deadline.

Use this Show Form alongside your membership renewal form - https://airtable.com/app95O5Jc7SIM8rHr/pag5ReWPrbgICvWaV/form

We are trying to be as paperless as possible so you can submit your applications with the online form and pay with a card on the site or you can mail your check to

P.O. Box 1684, Kalispell MT 59903

 or save a stamp and bring it to the January meeting.

Meeting Reminder!

General Membership Meeting

January 15, 2025, at 7 pm
Country Kitchen Building
Flathead County Fairgrounds

Doors open at 6pm for snacks and time to chat with fellow members.

Upcoming Events

  • Spring Cleaning Market 3/29
  • Summer Show 5/16-5/18
  • Christmas 11/28-11/30

2025 Meetings

  • January 15
  • March 19
  • April 30
  • September 17
  • November 19

Summary of November 2024 Elections

A total of 82 votes were received - Therefore a quorum was met
(a minimum of 53 votes - 1/4 of total members - need to be received to fill the quorum)

Re-Elections all approved - none opposed

Welcome Back!
Lindsay Mena - President
Jenny Reed - Publicity
Shannon Longfield - Recording Secretary
Marcie Irwin - Membership Secretary

Welcome!
Jay Beranek - as Web Admin & Social Media Admin

Election of Vice President

Christie Williams - received 30 votes
Gayle Emberstone - received 53 votes

Congrats to NEW VP - Gayle!!

MOTIONS

Motion 1 - Adding “Diamond Tier” to
our list of available tiers - need 31 credits
to achieve
MOTION PASSED
70 - in favor - 85.4%
12 - opposed


Motion 2 - Increasing max donations
counts from 6 up to 10
MOTION PASSED
77 - in favor - 95.1%
4 - opposed


Motion 3 - Modifying membership tier
credit ranges
MOTION PASSED
71 - in favor - 87.7%
10 - opposed

What does this mean for you? - check out the 2025 ACF Handbook for new details on the membership tiers program. Donation credits counts have already been updated to reflect donations made in 2024. If you reached 31+ credits in 2024 you are a Diamond Tier Member for 2025 - Congrats!! All other benefits of being an ACF Member are still in effect and have not changed.

SHOW APPLICATION AFFECTS JURYING, BOOTH PLACEMENT

As ACF has grown, we have found that jurying based on a few pictures is not efficient or accurate. Commercial products and purchased items with minimal changes have slipped into the shows. In addition many vendors are making as many as 10 different types of products which makes it hard to assign booths away from others doing similar products. We are asking vendors to make some changes to the way they fill out the Show Application to help us with jurying and booth assignments. Pay special attention to the box on each side of the application.

DO:

  • Make sure that all contact info is complete and up-to-date.
  • Be specific – provide details throughout the application.
  • Be thorough – answer every question or section (use N/A or none if needed)
  • Choose only 1 or 2 categories that the majority of your products fit into. These are what we will use to assign your booth away from others selling products in the same categories. You can still sell products from other categories as long as they meet the jurying criteria.
    • If you mark “OTHER,” make sure to describe in detail.
  • Provide information in the “Additional Details” box about the PROCESS to make items in each of the 1or 2 categories.
    • Materials / Mediums used (i.e., acrylic, oil, or watercolor for painting; canvas or wood)
    • Where were materials obtained from
    • Tools, equipment, computer, etc.
    • Skills needed, Steps of making item, Time involved.
    • Send a picture of your items and a picture of you producing items.
  • Provide info about what you want or need in the box on page 2 called “Other Requests.” Be detailed and include reason(s).
    • Time and/or day for drop off / set up (i.e., work schedule, when help is available)
    • Location desired (part of building) (i.e., close to bathrooms – due to difficulty walking, medical needs, allergies to x, drive-in is needed)
    • Who you want or need to be next to or nearby (relative or friend, shared use of square, etc.)
    • Drive-in or walk-in for unloading and/or set-up
    • Medical needs we should be aware of

DON’T

  • DON’T Assume we know something.
  • Don’t write “Same as last year” or “Where I was before”
  • DON’T Forget to up-date all Contact Info with ACF if it changes after you’ve submitted your application.
  • DON’T Mark more than 2 categories.
  • DON’T Give us just a list of everything you make in the “Additional Details” box.
  • DON’T Forget to contact Show Committee at showcommittee@artistsandcraftsmen.org if you have any questions.

Thank you so much for helping us refine our procedures to make jurying better and to help us place your booth in an optimum space. We will contact you if we have any questions or concerns.

Show Committee:
Sheryl Soderstrom
Beth Anderson
Kristin Sandson
Michelle McLaughlin
Gail Erickson

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