The Struggle for Survival Part II (1990-1999)

     During 1992 several Guild members held studio visits for the membership. These are the artists who graciously opened their studios: Madelyn Engle, Michael Wheelden, Joe Nyiri, and JoAnn Tanzer

     The following was recorded in the minutes of the February 16, 1993 meeting:
     "Beverly Pearson reported that we have 118 paid members."

     Beverly Pearson, Membership Chairmen, wrote this note to Robert Perine on February 26, 1993:

     "Members of the Artists Guild are still talking about the smashing party at your home and gallery on February 6. It was a rare treat to see your unique architectural creation and collections, not the least of which is your own work. I particularly enjoyed the exceptionally fine African sculpture, since I once lived in Africa for two years. The occasion gave everyone a welcome chance to visit with old and new artist friends, we are all most grateful to you and Blaze.
     In appreciation, at its February meeting the Board voted to make you an honorary member of the Guild. We note that the Museum no longer carries your name as a Guild or Museum member, and my records indicate that you have not paid dues to the Guild since 1990. We know you are now turning your many talents primarily to literature, but we want to acknowledge that you are still making a vital contribution to the Guild and the visual arts community…."

     On April 20, 1993 Steve Beck Von Peccoz prepared and delivered detailed Job Descriptions for officers and other members of the Board of Directors.

     On April 20, 1993 the following was in the minutes:
     "Membership. It was moved by Earl, Seconded by Ginger that Beverly be authorized to notify lapsed members of a one time only chance to rejoin without penalty or rejurying to be in effect until September 30, 1993. Motion passed….
     All California Exhibition. Louise suggested that a popular award be chosen by viewers during the show. Several people expressed concern that this was inappropriate or that it might intrude upon the juror's prerogatives. Earl Saunders moved that we accept the suggestion with the mechanics to be worked out and subject to the approval of Steve Brezzo. Earl then amended the motion make it subject to the approval of the juror as well. The motion as amended was seconded and passed."

     This was recorded in the July 20, 1973 minutes:
     "All California Show: The juror vetoed the peoples choice award at the show."

     The All California show opened July 10, 1993. Steve Brezzo wrote this statement in the show catalog:
     "We are delighted to once again present a juried exhibition reflecting the diversity and range of artists working throughout the state. This presentation is a cooperative effort between the Artists Guild, working professional artists who are members of the San Diego Museum of Art and serve on a committee dedicated to support the museum's mission, and artists throughout the state who submitted their works for review….
     Special thanks should go to David Kencik, Curatorial Secretary, who on behalf of the museum demonstrated a keen commitment to the project and boundless energy and attention to its many details. The Artists Guild Chairperson, Louise Merrim, was a constant source of support and goodwill and it was a pleasure working with her and her committee.
     We are pleased to offer this juried survey and hope you find it both challenging and rewarding."

     Louise Merrim wrote this statement in the 1993 show catalog:
     "The Artists Guild of the San Diego Museum of Art proudly presents its Annual Juried Exhibition, representing the current work of California artists in an exhibition rich in diversity of creative expression and points of view.
     The Artists Guild has been an active arm of the Museum since its inception, celebrating seventy-eight years of a mutually beneficial relationship, encompassing artists, museum, and the public. The Artists Guild membership includes many of the professional working artists of San Diego, who are dedicated to furthering the production and dissemination of fine art through the auspices of our growing and innovative Museum.
     This year we have broadened our scope to include the works of artists throughout the State of California. Our juror, Jo Farb Hernandez, has culled seventy-one works from 839 entries - a monumental task, performed skillfully and thoughtfully, and we extend out thanks for her efforts in assembling this varied and exciting group of works.
     We wish to congratulate the award winners and all the artists represented. We also wish to thank David L. Kencik of the SDMA staff for his invaluable assistance, and express appreciation to all the Guild members and Museum specialists involved in this exhibition.
     We are especially grateful to Steven L. Brezzo, Director of the San Diego Museum of Art, and to the Board of Trustees, without whose support and enthusiasm this exhibition would not have been possible."

     The San Diego Union-Tribune July 26, 1993 published this article by Preston Turegano

Artist's exhibition entry makes the cut, then gets the ax
     "When Tiffany O'Farrell received a letter last spring from the San Diego Museum of Art congratulating her for being among the 60-plus artists whose works would be shown in the museum's Artists Guild All-California juried Exhibition commencing July 10, she joyously contacted friends and relatives and invited them to the exhibition….
     But O'Farrell's elation was short-lived. On June 29, museum curatorial secretary David Kencik wrote O'Farrell again, this time saying O'Farrell's untitled oil on Masonite board 'has been excluded from the show' because of a review of a slide of the work and of the piece itself by juror Jo Farb Hernandez….
     In a letter to San Diego Artists Guild chair Sue Hiatt, O'Farrell said she was angry over the exclusion. 'There was no indication that there would be a second selection process before the (exhibition) opening,' O'Farell wrote. 'I think it is completely unprofessional and incomprehensible to be treated in this inhumane way,' she added. Last week, Hernandez, who is director of the Monterey Peninsula Museum of Art and a former president of the California Association of Museums, confirmed she excluded O'Farrell's painting, as well as the entries of three other artists, upon physical examination of the works.
     'I was looking for passion and things that make a statement. The work should convey a good command of the medium, ' Hernandez said. 'I felt her (O'Farrell's) work was not strong enough to be in the show.' Hernandez said she has been judging art shows for 20 years. Exhibition jurors generally have the right to exclude previously approved entry or work. The All-California exhibition prospectus said '(the) juror will have the right to accept or reject any or all entries' and 'slides are assumed to be accurate representations of actual works; the juror will exercise the right of rejecting any work not accurately represented by the slide.'
     Rejection of an already accepted work, however, is rare, according to art observers.
     Museum of Art director Steven Brezzo said Kencik's May 14 letter perhaps should have informed O'Farrell that acceptance of her work was 'provisional' pending Hernandez's physical examination of the abstract painting.
     Brezzo said he did not consider O'Farrell's complaint worthy of public note.
     'Artists should be aware of the (All-California) art show in the future,' said O'Farrell, a graphic artist who has been painting since she was a teenager. 'They should be aware of the process and what can happen after they tell you 'Congratulations.'" (Note: The author had a similar experience after entering the 1978 All-California-Hawaii Exhibition. He recalls specifically asking if after the slide was accepted, would that mean the work was accepted? He was told that unless the slide misrepresented the work, then he was assured it would be accepted. He asked, because the piece in question was a very large canvas that would require him to rent a truck for transport and such an expense would have been prohibitive at that time for only a rejection. Since the work actually was far more impressive than the slide, the artist entered his piece. It was accepted and he spent the money on transport only to find that the juror then rejected him. When he went to see the show the criteria he was originally told, was not the case. There was another seascape, this one a large super-realist tracing-in-paint of a photograph, on exhibit, which was the juror's choice over his more geometric modern seascape. This left the author with a bad taste for traditional juried shows. His piece had previously been shown at an invitational show at Northeastern University in Boston and was subsequently sent to Japan in the 1979 San Diego-Yokohama invitational exhibition.)

     In the August 1993 newsletter was M. Sue Hiatt's President's Message:
     "Our ALL-CALIFORNIA EXHIBITION was (and still is) a huge success! The Saturday night opening reception was indeed a gala affair. The food was just right, the tables looked lovely and everyone (all 700 guests) obviously had a wonderful time scrutinizing the art and enjoying the conviviality. Those of you unable to attend missed that 'party' we promised. We were so proud of our Guild members who were selected for the show and especially proud of Raul Trejo, who was presented with one of the two Gold Awards presented by SDMA. Again congratulations to all of you."

     The San Diego Union-Tribune ran this review by Robert L. Pincus in the August 5, 1993 issue:

A juried exhibition? More like a mistrial
     "After seeing the All-California Juried Exhibition at the San Diego Museum of Art, one can only have one reaction: They took down all of the modern and American works, even temporarily for this? Most years, this annual event organized by the San Diego Artists Guild is the only exhibition of contemporary art the museum hosts. It does emerging artists no good turn to mount a wildly uneven show like this, which contains enough sound art to fill on room, maybe two -- but not several….
     Some of the selections of juror Jo Farb Hernandez (director of the Monterey Peninsula Museum of Art) are sound. She seems to have greatest sensitivity to works of a sculptural nature….
     And turning the attention to paintings, things get truly dicey. There are terrible pictures every way you look, which detracts from the promising works distributed among them. Four artists provisionally accepted by Hernandez were ultimately excluded, generating controversy for the Artists Guild and the museum. And we have to wonder what standards Hernandez used to eliminate them, given what is on the walls.
     It is almost unfair to single out poor paintings, since there are so many. But it is no service to artists to include them in a show like this if they can't stand up to serious scrutiny….
     By the time you've suffered through several selections such as these, it's hard to put yourself in a frame of mind to enjoy the superior ones. Still, they are here, if you're willing to seek them out….
     Pared down, this could have been a decent exhibition, as juried efforts go. As it is, we have to fault the museum, even more than the local Artists Guild, for the presentation. An organization representing artists isn't often going to shrink a show, even if the move is warranted. But a museum must always be vigilant about what gets its imprimatur, and in this instance it shirked that responsibility."

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