CFDA Meeting

Meeting Minutes  7-11-06

 

In attendance: Chris Brandel, Lisa Elkins, Bill First, Rob Frazier, John Kriegshauser, Helen-Maria Nugent, Michael Obrecht, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Dolly Spragins, Matt Speer, Jan Sopoci

 

Business Meeting

1.   Dan Kowalik is having trouble with the CFDA website and recommends that we find a website professional to work on it.  Can anyone recommend someone with suitable expertise?

      a.   Helen Maria has a former student who is doing professional website work.  She will talk                               to him.

2.   Jan Sopoci has located a show opportunity at the Aesthetic Eye Gallery at 1510 W.   Chicago.  We can have a CFDA show there beginning Nov. 10 through the end of the year.          This time period overlaps with SOFA.  Also, the Collectors of Wood Art, an organization of    collectors, has placed this gallery on their Chicago area tour.  The cost of this show should be         rock bottom, and the exposure should be better than average.  Jan will be coming forth with        further details.

3.   Two new members were present:

      Lisa Elkins         elkinslisa@gmail.com

      Gonzalo Rodriguez     gonzalo69us@yahoo.com

4.   Matt Speer still has shop space available in his building.  There’s 800 square feet for a metalworker and 1600 square feet for a woodworker.  Spread the word and contact Matt if          you’re interested.

Program—Michael Obrecht

Michael’s parents were disinclined to allow him to study sculpture in school, in spite of the fact (or maybe because of the fact) that his grandfathers were craftsmen.  But in school he gravitated towards sculpture and stayed there, ultimately graduating from the University of Illinois.  Michael showed us images of wood carvings that he did during this period, made from found logs.

 

After graduation, to make a living Michael turned to doing reproduction furniture and antique restoration.  He quickly developed expertise in these fields.  Images he showed of reproduction period furniture were very impressive.  His wife assisted him as a finisher.

 

Ever since college though, Michael has stayed with carved work.  It was all very organic in form and frequently exploited happenchance features like defects in the wood, or areas of rot.  Many pieces seem very primitive and striking.  Many of us will remember Michael’s Vortex Table from the Sustainable Show, made from a twisted hollow log.  The carved bowls he showed, instead of being smooth, feature the gouge marked surfaces.

 

Whether he is carving organic shapes or doing orthodox joinery on his reproduction pieces, Michael is determined that the pieces be functional.  His finishes, for example, are varnish, with sufficient build to provide robust moisture and wear resistance.

 

Now that he’s established in a day job at Berger Boats in Manitowoc working on yacht interiors, he’s hoping to throw in with a few other woodworkers in a cooperative shop for after hours work.  That should get him back in the creative furniture business.  

 

Minutes of the CFDA Executive Board     7-12-06

 

In attendance: Chris Brandel, Lloyd Natof, Jan Sopoci, Pradeep Shimpi, John Kriegshauser

 

1.   Treasury Matters

     

      a.   Lloyd wanted to add an 8^th item to the list of treasurer’s duties, but JK has lost the text                               Lloyd sent him.  Lloyd will locate that text and forward it to JK.

 

      b.   Lloyd said he could not compile an accurate treasurer’s report nor an up to date                                         membership list because the Quick Books file that contained the CFDA records would not                     open.  He said that he would meet with Pete and John Sirovatka to try to open the file.

     

      c.   Lloyd said that the treasury has about $2000 in it right now with no outstanding bills.

 

      d.   JK questioned whether we should continue with Quick Books, because, given the small                              number of transactions CFDA has, had the records been on Excel or even on paper and                                 pencil, we would now have the information we need and less time would have been                             expended.  Lloyd said that once he got the Quick Books up and running and better                                     understood how the software worked, he would make a recommendation.

 

2.   Website

 

      a.   Chris reported that Dan Kowalik was frustrated with the glitchy quality of our website and                             Dan thought we should find someone with greater expertise to manage it.

 

      b.   Helen Maria has said that she has a former student who could do websites cheaply.

 

      c.   JK thought that we really need someone with experience and who will be able to work                                 with us over time, so we should choose a website person carefully.

 

d.   Lloyd volunteered to put together a Request for Proposal (RFP) which could then                            be sent to several candidates.  We could then compare prices and expertise.

 

      e.   JK suggested that we better define the role of the Yahoo Group relative to the Website,                               because information that is intended for intra-group communication will be easier to alter                               and       post on the CFDA’s Yahoo group than on our Website.

 

      f.    We agreed to identify possible web designers to whom we could send Lloyd’s RFP’s.

 

 

3.   New Member Process

 

      a.   The new member process* proposed at the last meeting was reviewed and approved.         

 

      b.   Since the official CFDA membership list cannot be updated due to the Quick Books                                    problem, JK and Lloyd agreed to compare their most recent CFDA e-mail lists and                                consolidate them.  In that way newer members will be included in our mailings.  We will                                    then distribute this updated e-mail list among the officers and to Dan for the Newsletter.

     

     

4.   Form Follows Form Show

 

      a.   JK presented Jamie Stevens’ minutes of the show committee.

     

      b.   Lloyd thought that the checks received by Julie Thompson needed to be deposited in the                             CFDA bank account, and the expenses would have to be receipted and paid from that                           same account.

 

      c.   However, Lloyd thought that Jamie should manage the spending on the show to insure                                that it did not run over budget.

           

 

5.   Future Shows

 

      a.   Helen Maria learned that the Graham Foundation needed proposals for funding one year                              in advance.  Clearly we need to extend the CFDA’s time horizon in order to participate in                                   today’s grant and gallery culture.

 

      b.   Pradeep said that we could have a show in the Design Within Reach store front.  It would                be of short duration, but the space is premium.  He will learn more.

 

      c.   Jan explained the offer for a show at the Aesthetic Eye Gallery, which is on Chicago                                   Avenue.  This would be from Nov. 10 through the end of the year; it would run parallel                                    with SOFA, and would be on the tour route for the Collectors of Wood Art.  Jan will                                promote this show among the members and recruit pieces.

 

 

6.   Elections

 

      a.   Elections for the Board will be at the September General Meeting.  JK will poll the board                              members to learn who is willing to stand for election again.

 

      b.   Jan Sopoci agreed (finally) to stand for election to the board.

 

      c.   We discussed the future officer elections.

            --Lloyd reminded us that he only agreed to fill out Sirovatka’s term as treasurer.

            --Jamie Stevens and Dolly Spragins were named as possible officer candidates.

 

      d.   JK will compose a newsletter article announcing the elections to the membership.

 

 

7.   Next Board Meeting Tuesday, Sept. 19.  The meeting will be a Chris’s Condo or a Corosh     depending on anticipated attendance.

 

 

 

*       New Member Process

 

1.   An interested party learns about the CFDA by attending one of our shows, locating our website, speaking with current members or learning about the CFDA in the press.

 

2.   They obtain a membership application from the website and then send it with a check for dues to the Treasurer via the Post Office.

 

3.   The Treasurer puts the new member’s name on the official roster and e-mails a copy of the updated roster to the Membership Chairman, the Yahoo Group Chairman, the Newsletter Chairman and the Officers and Board Chairman.

 

•   The Membership Chairman mails a membership packet to the new member and makes a point of greeting the new member at the meeting and introducing him or her to everyone.

 

            •   The Yahoo Group Chairman invites the new member to enroll in the Yahoo Group.

 

            •   The Newsletter Chairman includes the new member’s e-mail address on the                             Newsletter circulation list.

 

            •   The officers update their CFDA mailing lists to include the new member.

 

4.   Following the instructions included on the website, the new member assembles text and photos for his or her designer page on the website and in the group portfolio.  He or she then sends this material to the Webmaster for inclusion on the website.