A Note from Deb Newman, CWS President
September 2026 President’s Message
Thank you to everyone who worked hard to organize our Founder’s Day celebration and to those who joined us to celebrate our 45th anniversary. It was wonderful to share the occasion together. Our Founder’s Day awards were presented to these talented artists: 1st place CJ Westrick, 2nd place Polly Boston, and 3rd place Gingi Martin.
We were delighted to welcome our special guest, Tom Jones, who has a 25-plus year history with CWS. Tom spoke to the group and brought along some lovely gifts for the raffle. We took time to recognize our past presidents, and we also heard from representatives from FWS and the City of Inverness, who shared the need for volunteers for the upcoming convention in Bradenton, and the fall fine arts show downtown.
Darla and Jeanne Conrad did a wonderful job managing the giveaway table, which was overflowing with amazing supplies. Jeanne will be completing her move soon, and we want to thank her for all she has contributed over the years. We wish her every happiness in her new home.
This week, I will be reaching out to invite volunteers to help with our October classes: the one-day workshop on October 10th and the two-hour sessions from October 14–November 18, 1:30–3:30. Because these classes are larger, a few extra helping hands would be appreciated. For October 10th, we will need four volunteers in the morning and four in the afternoon, along with support for the two-hour classes. If you can share your time, it would be a wonderful help.
We have a great workshop lineup with Darla Goldberg in November, Kim Shields in December, Lionel Sanchez in January, Curt Bond in February, and Jerome Chesley in March. Many thanks to everyone who has signed up to be a workshop sponsor. Your support is so important and helps these programs run smoothly.
Monday from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., intake for the new exhibit at the Art Center takes place. $15 for two pieces (AC Members) and $30 for non-members. I hope to see some participation from our talented group. As always, it’s the members who keep our organization going strong, and I thank you for your efforts.
Deb Newman
President, Citrus Watercolor Society (2025–2027)