Reporting on the year just completed, current president Cheryl Beillard welcomed the some 20-strong contingent in attendance and made note of the challenges and accomplishments while summarizing that “We had a very successful year.”

Art is a passionate affair and this was clearly indicated by the fact that no less than four past-presidents of the association were on hand for the AGM.

Joining Beillard in reporting upon the health of the organization were current board members Claire Taillefer and Marcel Renaud. Beillard and Taillefer balanced the review of the annual report in both languages while Renaud took care of the financial update. Renaud took pains to emphasize that “over $15,000 in sales was generated by the new Stone School Shop and that money went straight to the artists.”

On the challenge front, Beillard indicated that personnel was perhaps the most significant hiccup and that they hope to have turned the bend on that score. With only three board members able to fulfil their obligations on the year, it left for large workloads and a heavy reliance upon additional volunteers to fill the gaps.

To that point, artPontiac bid a sincere thank you to founding member and lifelong volunteer Dale Shutt, as she has decided to hang up her volunteer hat and focus more on activities in her studio. Taillefer read a fitting and well-received tribute penned for Shutt by local Lynne Lavery before offering Shutt a token of appreciation as gathered from other members over recent months in a lead up to this very moment.

The long and the short? The organization has weathered the covid storm so far and looks to have a stellar 2023 standing on the formidable shoulders of 2022.

The last agenda item on the meeting was the nomination and election of board members for the year ahead. Shutt emceed this portion and with exactly five accepted nominees, there was no need for a vote. The next board for artPontiac will have continuance in Beillard, Taillefer and Renaud. These three welcome hardworking association volunteer member and board newcomer Linda Roy and previous board member from 2016, Glen Hartle.

In ending, Beillard made a call for volunteers, indicating “we absolutely need more people to help out.” If you are looking to volunteer for artPontiac, please contact them via their website at https://artpontiac.com.

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