The WAART annual business meeting was attended by only four members, the coordinator, Bonnie Reed, the representative of the Executive Board, Deborah Barlow Smedstad, Janice Ekdahl, and Susan Clarke. The group was visited by Mary Graham, incoming Vice President of ARLIS/NA, and later, Ray Anne Lockard.
The low turn-out may well have been a result of the timing of the meeting, 8:00 a.m. Sunday morning, complicated by the switch to daylight savings time the night before. Nevertheless, the question once again surfaced about the practicality of a special round table for Women and Art. However, because 36 names are listed as members in this round table, and because of the excellent programs, usually well attended, that are put on by the group, it was agreed that there is still interest in and justification for maintaining it.
Because so few were in attendance at this business meeting, we decided to forego the nominating procedure for a new coordinator. Bonnie Reed graciously offered to serve the group in that capacity for another year and we gladly accepted her offer. We all congratulated Reed on the fine job she did this past year preparing for and coordinating this year's conference program entitled "Women Artists of the Southwestern U.S." Reed said that through all the telephone and personal contacts she made, she has learned a great deal about women artists and the whole network of women connected with the arts both in personal contacts she made, she has learned a great deal about women artists and the whole network of women connected with the arts both in and out of her southwest region.
Reed handed out the Women and Art Roundtable Guideline which include the statement of purpose for the group, some notes on the history and past coordinators, and the details of appointments, procedures, and reports. Discussion of program proposals for the 1998 conference followed. A number of interesting ideas were put forth such as a history of the education of women artists and the subject of women architects. Potential speakers on these and other topics will be contacted.
Finally, Ray Anne Lockard told of a project to update the Dictionary of women artists, edited originally by Chris Pettys covering 21,000 women painters, sculptors, printmakers, and illustrators born before 1900. It was originally published in 1985 by G.K. Hall and received the 1986 George Wittenborn Award. The new edition will be co-edited by Petteys and Lockard, Lockard is looking for contributors willing to check references in more recent publications. As this seems to be a very worthwhile project perfectly suited to the interests of this group, several people volunteered on the spot to help.
Susan Clarke
Richardson Library
DePaul University, Chicago, IL
sclarke@wppost.depaul.edu