collaborative project between the GCNC and the NC Museum of Art

Yesterday at the President's meeting this was mentioned and this is a copy of an e-mail from the museum about their idea.  If you are interested please let Andrea, Ruth in main office or your
president know you would like further information.

Good morning, Ruth, and thank you so very much for taking the time to talk with me.

As I mentioned, the North Carolina Museum of Art  is preparing for a fabulous exhibition this fall, Visual Feast: Masterpieces of Still Life from the MFA Boston.  As you might imagine, many of the works are stunning floral still life paintings from some of art history’s greatest masters:  Renoir, Cezanne, O’Keeffe, Matisse, and so many more. 

In a recent meeting, the idea of working with our North Carolina garden clubs in a special program was discussed, and I volunteered to start the conversation.  We would like to propose that several garden clubs each  ‘adopt’ a work from the exhibit to interpret in a floral arrangement to be displayed in the Museum’s Great Hall adjacent to the exhibition.  The floral art work would have signage crediting the artist, her or his garden club, and an accompanying image of the painting that inspired the arrangement.   Acknowledgement would also be in the Museum’s PREVIEW publication and on our Web site.

We will provide a special  lecture to participating clubs about the exhibition that explores the works on view and features a special component by one of our conservators, who will talk about the joys and challenges of working with floral materials in a museum setting.  

I would love to set up a meeting  to discuss the project in full.  I worked for many years at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond on its Fine Arts and Flowers exhibition; through the VMFA’s program I enjoyed the privilege of working with garden clubs throughout Virginia.   I believe a similar collaboration between the North Carolina Museum of Art and the Garden Club of North Carolina would result in a wonderful program for our mutual constituencies.

Thank you so much for your help, Ruth, and I’ll hope to hear from you or another representative very soon.

With best regards,

Sandy Rusak

State Dates for your Garden Club Calender

Dates for your garden club calender

2012

June 3-9                 National Garden Week

August 5-7              Flower Show Symposium Charlotte

September 23-24   GCNC Fall Board Meeting Durham

October                   District meetings listed below

December 1            Award applications due to Category

                                 Chairmen

2013

January 14          Photo Deadline for the Calendar

January 25          Annual Club reports due to District 

                                 Directors

March 1               GCNC Youth Award applicatons due to

                                 Youth Chairman, Ginny Parker

March 25-27       SAR Meeting-Lexington, KY

March 31            Dues and membership list to GCNC office

April 14-16         GCNC Annual Meeting, Wilmington

May 23-27          National Garden Clubs meeting, Seattle, 

                                 Washington

June 2-8             National Garden Week

District Meetings 2012

District 1               Tryon                    October 4

District 2               Morganton           October 3

District 3               Charlotte              October 5

District 4               Winston-Salem    October 18

District 5               Greensboro        October 17

District 8               Lumberton          October 12

District 9               Henderson          October 16

District 10            Raleigh                October 9

District 11            Jacksonville         October 11

District 12            Wilson                  October 10

Volunteer Opportunities

Homestead Heights Garden Club and Maple Court Veterans Transitional Housing

Service  in the Army  by Hank Reinhart during World  War II was honored  this spring  by a donation from his wife, Cam, to the Homestead Heights Garden  Club to create a therapy  project in his name.  The club selected  the Maple Court Veterans Transitional Housing, 207 Commons

Blvd. as the site for the memorial.

The club and the veterans group decided  to create a potted herb garden consisting of rosemary, basil, mint, oregano, cilantro, parsley, and chives. Under the guidance of resident David Martin, the pots will become  a teaching project as well as a source  of fragrance and cooking  herbs for the residents in the Volunteers of America apartments. The project  provides secure, affordable housing  for up to two years to veterans transitioning from  being homeless to self-sufficiency.

Joy Hager, director of the apartment complex, presented a certificate of appreciation to Laurie Renard, garden club president, for Homestead Heights' service  and compassion.

With some of the potted  herbs at the Maple Court  Veterans Transitional Housing are, from the left, Homestead Heights Garden  Club President Laurie Renard, Transitional Housing Director Joy Hager and resident David Martin.