Spring 2008 President's Letter

From Angelo Iafrate...

It doesn’t seem possible that a year has gone by us! Yet here we are at the threshold of an AAW board meeting in Richmond to put the finishing touches on plans for the June 20–22 symposium. I am looking forward to this meeting with a bittersweet taste as it will be my last symposium as a member of one of the finest boards, I believe, to lead the organization.

There is a hardworking core of volunteer board members working diligently to make this year’s symposium the best ever. Armand LaMontagne, a world-famous Rhode Island sculptor, when asked which of his sculptures was his favorite, his response was, “The last one.” When asked which sculpture is his best, he responded, “The next one!” I think this is true for the upcoming Richmond symposium.

As you have heard, there have been a lot of changes in the AAW administrative offices in St. Paul. We have been making the change from a working board of directors to a board of governance in slow, deliberate steps. We completed that process at the end of 2007. We now have a new Director’s Handbook, which describes the responsibilities and expectations of a board member. Soon we expect to have a new Operations Manual in place, which will outline many of the day-to-day tasks performed in St. Paul.

(Letter continued)

The growth of the AAW continues to surprise me. We started out 2008 with 283 chapters and more than 13,000 members. In 2007 alone, a record 25 new chapters were chartered (see details on page 10 of the Spring AW). Congratulations to all of those who have the vision and drive to bring chapters closer to members’ homes.

Under the watchful eye of Larry Genender, you can expect to see new and innovative programs and services to involve chapters in furthering the mission of the AAW. Be sure to read about the AAW’s Star Chapter program at right, which recognizes chapters with 100 percent AAW membership.

In other AAW activities by board members, Malcolm Tibbetts is working hard to expand the Educational Opportunity Grants (EOG) programs. The AAW Youth Committee, under the stewardship of Al Hockenbery, is off to a brilliant year with many new programs.

As always you can expect the Professional Outreach Program (POP) Committee to continue to provide each symposium with a series of engaging programs for our collectors, galleries, and museums.

So to all new and current members, on behalf of myself and the board of directors, we wish you a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Finally, we would like to congratulate you for your continued support in making the AAW the most successful crafts organization of its kind anywhere in the world.

Angelo Iafrate
President AAW