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Annual Report for 2005-2007

The Friends has supported The Contemporary Museum in many ways over the last two years – including adding more events to appeal to Friends and Museum members.

ArtSpree 2005, sponsored by the Ron and Sanne Higgins Family Foundation, was a slightly rainy day and saw fewer participants than in years past. However, those familiar with ArtSpree preferred lower numbers because too many participants lengthened the wait time for activities and made the grounds too busy. Over the day about 1,220 people visited. Planners had wondered if ArtSpree could be a victim of its own success as the previous year there were 2,500 people, and that was too many people. The ArtSpree co-chairs, Christine Feldmann and Suze Salm and the ArtSpree committee worked hard to try and provide variety to the dance, music and activities scheduled. Janet Weyenberg’s great idea of having an old fashioned bake sale at the Friends’ tent not only raised money for Friends, but the extra traffic at the tent increased our membership, too.

ArtSpree 2006 was again sponsored by the Ron and Sanne Higgins Family Foundation and over 1,800 people of all ages visited. Due to the CUP (Conditional Use Permit) ruling, live music was not allowed outside and therefore was shifted into the galleries. Christine Feldmann and Carole Arnote and their committee organized a wonderful day for all visitors. Cookie sales raised $401 for the Friends, and Christine’s idea to give old stock T shirts as free gifts to new members encouraged more memberships. It’s certainly more fun for the Friends’ table volunteers to have items to sell, providing good reasons for ArtSpree attendees to visit the booth.

Sheryl Kramer, Special Projects and Volunteer Coordinator at the Museum, is the backbone of ArtSpree, and ensured that the events were celebrated without a hitch.

Museum openings continued at Makiki Heights and First Hawaiian Center. Former Friends Board member, Nina Mullally, now Membership coordinator at the Museum, worked with Sandy Johnson, the previews chair in 2005-6, to make the job very clear for the chair and volunteers. However a stable crop of volunteers who like to meet and greet would be very welcome as it was often difficult for Sandy and Donna Schultz (Previews Chair in 2006-7) to find volunteers. In Spring 2007, Friends volunteers were no longer needed as the Makiki openings changed to day events as a result of the CUP.

Six art tours were held over the last two years – wonderfully lead by Judie Malmgren and Sandy Moneymaker. The tours took place at collectors Michael Groholski and Dean Geleynse’s home, Allyn Bromley’s studio, Vicki Chock’s studio, Alan and Birgitta Leitner’s home and studio and Neiman Marcus for the ConTempoRARITIES tours. We have found that trying different times and days of the week draw more people. In addition, sending e-mails as a follow- up to the first announcement of a tour in our newsletter, Friends Flash, can help increase attendee numbers dramatically. Perhaps members don’t have time to read the Flash, or they forget to respond. Whatever the reason, sending e-mail reminders is a definite plus to the success of a tour. It would be worth planning them well enough in advance that the tours could be advertised in the Museum Newsletter. This would be worth a discussion at a Friends Board Meeting as the tours could be a good membership recruiting tool from Museum membership. The tours earn money for our coffers as long as there are plenty of people and food isn’t too extravagant.

In January 2006 The Friends sponsored the musical group Terra Nova. It was a free concert held in the Hockney Pavillion and the music and acoustics were fabulous. Georgianna Lagoria proposed the concert to us, and we were pleased to have enough funds in our coffers to be able to say “yes”. Unfortunately there were many no-shows, which was particularly frustrating because of a long waiting list. We learned that there should always be at least a nominal fee to try to reduce the number of people who sign up and then don’t attend. It was really a lovely afternoon concert.

In 2005/6 Georgianna Lagoria asked our membership to write to the Department of Planning and Permitting in support of the Museum’s major enhancement plans. We were also asked to attend the public hearing. Copies of letters were sent to DPP as well as to Georgi and evidently there was a good response by Friends’ members.

Each October and April for the last two years, volunteers from the Friends have helped out at Hawaii Public Radio’s phone-a-thon fundraisers. HPR generously advertises TCM’s events and exhibits and we like to thank them by answering phones and taking pledges on their behalf. TCM and the Friends are acknowledged on air many times during our shifts, which are welcome plugs. Friends ‘volunteers can be difficult to find, but HPR appreciates any folks we are able to pull in to help.

Art Lovers’ Workshops were initiated in January 2006 following requests for adult Expression Sessions. Each workshop attracted people who were delighted to have the opportunity to be creative and learn new skills. Christine Feldmann organized the workshops and ensured that we had good teachers (who provided all materials) to attract Friends and Museum members. In January 2006 Roy Venters taught participants how to make his wonderful glass hearts on a Saturday morning and George Woollard focused on monoprints that afternoon. Participants could sign up for one or both workshops and lunch was provided by those taking both classes.

In 2007, Maile Yawata taught participants how to make mosaic tabletops. The two hour time allotted was not enough for most people to finish so the class ran overtime, and many people still needed to take home extra tile and mastic to finish the project. The merry mosaic makers had a great time.

In 2006 a postcard was sent to all Museum members publicizing the first ArtLovers’ Workshop, but the cost of printing and mailing was prohibitively expensive. It makes sense to plan them well enough in advance so they can be advertised in the Museum’s Newsletter as well as the Flash. Word also goes out on the Education Postcard. Reminder E-mail blasts area good idea as well.

In March/April, the first of the Friendraiser garden and historical tours, arranged by Membership Chair Margery Ziffrin and Susan Soong, took place. The focus was to gather more members for the Friends. Members were invited to come and bring a friend for a tour and lunch. Duane Choy, a man of many garden talents and interests, lead the garden tours, and museum docents took over the historical tours. Everyone who attended enjoyed these events and new members were added to our roles. A committee helped Susan and Margery pull the tours together.

Since we began to offer multiple years of Friends membership, we have had a number of people take advantage of this. Hence, the Board needs to remember that the income from membership will vary according to how many people have already paid their dues for that year. We won’t have as much coming in. Pat Ching has reminded us of this as she very ably oversees the Treasury.

The Friends’ Flash, smartly edited by Cathy Watson, is our main source of Friends news. Currently it is mailed out on an as needed basis which translates to about 4 times a year. If we have an event we want to promote, a Flash goes out roughly 3 weeks before the event. Information gathering begins 3-4 weeks before the Flash goes in the mail. It is read by Sheryl Kramer and Georgi Lagoria before being printed.

In concert with the Flash, news is obtainable on our new Website, www.friendsoftcm.org. Marsha Eaton, a former Board member, gently prodded us into the 21st century by designing and pushing for it and now oversees the site. Marsha obtains her news and photos mainly from the Flash itself, but other information can be posted by contacting her. Our e-mail address is Friends@tcmhi.org

Gail Hazlehurst , who worked with the Education Department on Expression Sessions, had to resign from the Board in March when other commitments over came her time. Gail may win the prize for the person who has served on the Board the longest. We were lucky to have her for so long.

Our Corresponding Secretary, Kathy Ingoglia, sleuthed around to figure out how to handle our stationery issues, and found that it was cheaper to photocopy color letterhead at the Museum rather than to order 500-1000 sheets. The real issue of termites getting to the paper before we did, as well as the cost, directed us to this stationery making method… on an as needed basis. Therefore, the color stationery that we have left should be used as “originals” ONLY because the master Friends logo has gone missing.

ConTempo 2006, co-chaired by Kitty Wo, Susan Ing and Leila Diamond was an enormous fund-raising success as well as a great party. The Pucci theme pervaded, Neiman Marcus was the venue and the décor and music were wonderful. ConTempo 2007, chaired by JoAnne Vieira and Holly Bloom, was arranged differently this year, in that only a few items were auctioned while the bulk of art was offered at set prices. Great time and effort was spent making this clear to event attendees, as this was a big change. Almost half of what was available was sold at the Preview Party. Jo Anne and Holly oversaw a stunning “Animal Instinct” themed event and the party at Nieman Marcus and art sales were very successful. ConTempo remains the major fundraising event for the Museum.

The Friends Board could not function very well without reliable recording secretaries. In 2005-6 Tori Keegan handled this for us and in 2006-7, Loke Simon recorded our meetings. Richard Gerage, our Friend Emeritus, added immeasurably to our meetings with his ideas, comments and his knowledge of Robert’s Rules. The Nominating Chairs for the past two years took their jobs very seriously in gathering together great Boards, and our thanks go to Susan Soong and Cherye Pierce.

Suze Salm

President June 2005 – June 2007