From John Sharum, President, MLAA
Hi to all Members and Friends of the Mother Lode Art Association,
May 27, 2020. Our last notes found us in the full strictures of our State Shelter-in-place order, necessitating the
cancellation of March, April and May events and meetings. We are now entering Phase 2 and some additional
activities will be allowed, although we are still prohibited from holding large meetings. As Maureen
notified you in her newsletter, we cancelled our May 18 th General Meeting and Demonstration by the
Sonora Photo Club. The latter will be rescheduled when we can meet again. The June 15 General
Meeting and Andrea Morris’s Demonstration may be possible, but it is too early to tell—it all depends
on the “data” of how loosening up works. We have been very fortunate in Tuolumne and Calaveras
Counties with few cases and no deaths attributed to Covid -19. Let us hope it stays that way!
We do have some good news. The Aloft Gallery in its new Baer Building location at 105 S. Washington Street is now open. The “virtual” store opened on May 7th and the physical Gallery may be visited!! Best practices will dictate the use of masks
and sanitizers and limits on the number of patrons who can enter at one time, but at least you can now see this beautiful new gallery up front and personal. Check out both the new artists’ and returning artists’ work. Thanks to all the hard work of the Aloft Board and volunteers for making this happen in these trying times.
A few of our members have individually enjoyed our Spring weather plein air painting. We are not yet
in a position to recommend an organized event. If you have done any recent studio or outdoor work during the pandemic,
send it to Maureen to display on our website.
In this time of work-arounds, the Board is trying to enter the Twenty-First Century and hold a Zoom
Meeting. Once we figure out how to pull it off, we will post the minutes on the website. We still have
much up in the air, including our Annual Art Show. Many other art shows have been cancelled for the
year, but we are crossing our fingers that we can still pull it off. Only time will tell.
So, in conclusion, I hope all of you are safe and healthy and that you are finding creative ways to connect
with your families and friends. I hope you are also staying engaged with Art, for therapy if nothing else.
To steal from Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I wish you all “Love in the Time of Corona”.
John Sharum, President
May 27, 2020. Our last notes found us in the full strictures of our State Shelter-in-place order, necessitating the
cancellation of March, April and May events and meetings. We are now entering Phase 2 and some additional
activities will be allowed, although we are still prohibited from holding large meetings. As Maureen
notified you in her newsletter, we cancelled our May 18 th General Meeting and Demonstration by the
Sonora Photo Club. The latter will be rescheduled when we can meet again. The June 15 General
Meeting and Andrea Morris’s Demonstration may be possible, but it is too early to tell—it all depends
on the “data” of how loosening up works. We have been very fortunate in Tuolumne and Calaveras
Counties with few cases and no deaths attributed to Covid -19. Let us hope it stays that way!
We do have some good news. The Aloft Gallery in its new Baer Building location at 105 S. Washington Street is now open. The “virtual” store opened on May 7th and the physical Gallery may be visited!! Best practices will dictate the use of masks
and sanitizers and limits on the number of patrons who can enter at one time, but at least you can now see this beautiful new gallery up front and personal. Check out both the new artists’ and returning artists’ work. Thanks to all the hard work of the Aloft Board and volunteers for making this happen in these trying times.
A few of our members have individually enjoyed our Spring weather plein air painting. We are not yet
in a position to recommend an organized event. If you have done any recent studio or outdoor work during the pandemic,
send it to Maureen to display on our website.
In this time of work-arounds, the Board is trying to enter the Twenty-First Century and hold a Zoom
Meeting. Once we figure out how to pull it off, we will post the minutes on the website. We still have
much up in the air, including our Annual Art Show. Many other art shows have been cancelled for the
year, but we are crossing our fingers that we can still pull it off. Only time will tell.
So, in conclusion, I hope all of you are safe and healthy and that you are finding creative ways to connect
with your families and friends. I hope you are also staying engaged with Art, for therapy if nothing else.
To steal from Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I wish you all “Love in the Time of Corona”.
John Sharum, President