P. Buckley Moss e-newsletter

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Dear Friends:

What fun we had in Williamsburg, Virginia, this past weekend! We danced until midnight Saturday and laughed at ourselves trying to play the hand bells. P. Buckley Moss Society members and collectors in general, alike, have a great time together at our Collectors' Conventions. I'm looking forward to our next one (place and date to be announced) and all the fun things we'll do.

A group of us kicked off the Convention Friday morning with a walk from The Williamsburg Hospitality House, where the Convention was being held, to the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum. Our tour included their special exhibit, "Material Witnesses: Quilts and Their Makers". Wow! I highly recommend that everyone visit this museum. It's super, and you'll want to go back quite a few times. It also has a wonderful gift shop.

After our museum tour, we walked over to the King's Arms Tavern for a Colonial-style lunch. Their chicken pot pie is divine, and their salad is really great!

Our Convention was also a fundraising event for the P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children's Education. A total of $8,404 was raised from several fundraising activities throughout the Convention, and I want to give a BIG THANKS to everyone who helped make it possible.

Each person attending the Convention was given a complimentary print of Bruton Parish Church; but, for a donation to the Foundation of $10, they could receive a matted copy of the print. The matting was donated by Collector's Showcase of Dublin, Virginia, and the Moss in the New River Valley Chapter of the Society. I am so excited to announce that the matted prints brought in an amazing $2,240 for the Foundation. Thank you, Eddy and Jeanette Stephens and Mildred Wall!

Bill and Toni Jernigan and Peggy Powell of the Mossaphile Chapter of the Society came all the way up from Doraville, Georgia, to sell raffle tickets on a beautiful quilt made by chapter member Ladye Buckner of Lawrenceville, Georgia. Ladye has made several quilts for the Foundation-I think this may be the fourth one-and her quilts are exquisite. The quilt featured one of my hand-painted fabric centerpieces, and the raffle drawing was held during our Dinner Dance and Auction Saturday night. Can you believe that I drew my own winning ticket-I swear it wasn't rigged! I was so thrilled, I danced around the floor showing everyone my ticket! The only person I knew who took more chances than I on the quilt was Mossaphile member Scarlett Justice. Sorry, Scarlett!

The Mossaphile Chapter's raffle had been ongoing for several months and included not only this quilt but also a framed Cape Hatteras Lighthouse print, which was donated from the Society's charity print collection. The drawing for the print was held during my show with The Framery in Marietta, Georgia, this past March, and the lucky winner was Shirley Childs. The total amount raised for the Foundation by the Mossaphile Chapter was $2,075. Thank you so much, my Georgia friends!

Shirley Childs was the winner of the Mossaphile Chapter's raffle of a framed Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The winning ticket was pulled during my show with The Framery in Marietta, GA, this past March.

Toni Jernigan, seated, and Peggy Powell, standing, along with Toni's husband Bill, came all the way from Doraville, GA, to sell raffle tickets at our Williamsburg Convention for the exquisite quilt in the background. The quilt was made by chapter member Ladye Buckner and features one of my hand-painted fabric centerpieces.

And the winner is...Me! Can you believe I pulled my own winning ticket?

The glorious quilt done in red tones and featuring one of my hand-painted fabric centerpieces of a horse was auctioned during the Dinner Dance and Auction for $1,000. The high bidders were my friends Bob and May Johnson of Yardley, Pennsylvania. My special thanks to Don Bunce of Hardy, Virginia, who pieced and stitched the quilt. Don is a member of the Moss in the Valley Chapter of the Society. Don was on the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum tour with us Friday morning, and he was enthralled by the quilt exhibit.

Mary Ann Warren, owner of Graphics, Etc., in Roanoke, Virginia, and Laura DeRamus of Canada Goose Gallery in Waynesville, Ohio, both entered framed prints in our Framing Competition. Both entries tied for first place in the judging, but Mary Ann's won the popular choice vote among the collectors. Mary Ann chose three of my prints to frame together as one unit: Perfect Perch, As Light as a Thistle, and Nesting Time. The framed piece was auctioned during the Dinner Dance and Auction for $525, and the winning bidder made an additional donation of $125. Laura's choice was Graced by Spring, which was auctioned for $510.

Laura DeRamus of Canada Goose Gallery and I with her Framing Competition entry of Graced by Spring, which brought the Foundation $510 during our Saturday night Dinner Dance and Auction.

Other donated auction items, the goodie bags, and our Chinese Auction earned the Foundation an additional $1,929 to reach our total of $8,404. Thank you so much for coming out and supporting the Foundation! There are so many hands involved in raising funds for the Foundation and, through it, children and teachers. I am grateful to each and every one. By the way, third and fourth grade art students at Maybeury Elementary School in Henrico, Virginia, decorated the goodie bags with patriotic themes. Didn't they do a great job!

I also would like to give a special thanks to Diane Grant of Roanoke, Virginia, who entertained us twice on Saturday with her wonderful hand bells.

Hand bell performer Diane Grant of Roanoke, VA, (seated, with the dark blue, floral print blouse) insisted on having audience participation during our Dinner Dance. We were all petrified, but I think we did very well in spite of our stage fright. L. to R.: May Johnson (Society member), Gay Bowman (Society member), Corrado Gabellieri (Director of the P. Buckley Moss Museum in Waynesboro, VA), Lance Allen (past Executive Director of the Society), Rachel Nichols (Apple Barn Gallery, Buchanan, VA), me, and Art Smith (Foundation Board of Directors). Seated on the very far left is my business partner Jake Henderson.

More Convention Fun

Anne Thornton of Williamsburg, VA, was our Counted Cross Stitch Competition winner, with her entry of Grandpa's House.

Dot Hiter, left, and Shirley Collins, right, participated in our Costume Parade. Dot dressed up like the girl in Best in Show, a special events black and white print from several years ago. Shirley was every Moss collector's favorite cat Cinders. Dot and Shirley were such good sports, helping to set up the Convention displays and helping to take them all down when it was over. We love our volunteers! It's a tough job.

Past members of the P. Buckley Moss Society Board of Directors were recognized during the Convention Saturday afternoon by Jake Henderson, far left, President of P. Buckley Moss Galleries, Ltd. L. to R.: Mary Lou McMillin; Sally Ann Gobrecht; Thom Smith; me; Peggy Goodwin (behind Marlyn De Waard); Marlyn De Waard; Hannes Meyers, Jr.; and Lance Allen. With a restructuring of the Society, Sally Gobrecht, Art Smith (not pictured), Thom Smith, and Peggy Goodwin are now serving on the Foundation's Board of Directors. Mary Lou McMillin, Marlyn De Waard, Lance Allen, Rev. Harold Henning (not pictured), and Ginger Cloonan (not pictured) will serve on a newly formed Advisory Council to the P. Buckley Moss Society. What great friends!

This is an Artist's Proof of one of my new etchings from my recent trip to Italy. I had it framed in time for the Convention.

Jake and Corrado with the girls on the dance floor Saturday night.

I hope you'll be able to join us at our next Convention!

Love,
Pat

On Friday, June 18, Harrisonburg, Virginia's, public television station WVPT will host an evening of art and humor at the Plecker Building located at Blue Ridge Community College. Each year for the past thirty years, I've donated a special painting and print edition to WVPT for them to sell and raise money with. The funds raised (over $1 million) help support WVPT's excellent family programming, which is much appreciated throughout the Valley. Area school systems show some of the programs in their classrooms. My special print for WVPT this year is titled Summer Daze, and it will make its debut during the June 18 event, which starts at 7:30 p.m. In addition to being able to purchase Summer Daze, attendees will enjoy a performance by the popular comedy team of Glick and Phillips. For more information, please contact WVPT at 540-434-5391.

Summer Daze is my special fundraising print for WVPT this year.

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