President's Art Forum

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September 9, 2025

Members and friends in Art Please have a seat!

Have you seen our new installation ‘Art is Life” in front of the gallery?
Thanks to our revered volunteer Veronica and her husband Scott who acquired, sanded and painted the art chairs. Thank you both!
Come see the installation this Saturday! Take a fun selfie sitting in the chair and send it to us at [email protected] we’ll post them and give a prize for the most fun “Art is Life” selfie photo!

There’s a lot to cover here today so I will try to be brief. First a couple of interesting data points. This newsletter goes out to about 800 people about a quarter are EAA Members. What surprises me is a that many of you are opening and reading our Art Forum and our EAA Happenings! As your serving volunteer president, I want to say your engagement is exciting, encouraging and fills me with hope. Thank you. Please don’t stop. I am always open to your feedback, just email me back.

Coming up This Thursday! I want to remind you our award winner from this past month, and well-known local photographer Katie Cowan will be presenting in our live Art session her creative and compositional artistic process as well as how soul and spirit come into her art and creativity on Thursday September 11, 2025, at 2 – 4 pm in our Grand Ave Gallery. This promises to be some wonderful insight. Don’t miss it.

Call for EAA Artists! Our Gallery at North Island Credit Union will go through a new rotation in October and we are calling for new 2D and 3D art submissions with the deadline being October 4, 2025. You may submit up to three artworks of any media with no piece having any framed dimension over 48”. Subject is “Life in California”. Show will be curated by Jinx Lennon who has kindly taken on the role of NICU gallery director. Please email a separate JPG image of each piece with your name, size, media, price and title to [email protected] no later than 10/4/25.

Selected works will be notified by 10/11/25 and Take-in at NICU will be 10/18/25 from 10 am to 1 pm. Opening reception will be Friday November 7 from 2 pm – 5 pm. Mark your calendars!

Pick up of work in the current show is Saturday 10/26 between 10 am and 1 pm from NICU Gallery. We have shortened the NICU how and it will last through the end of February 2026.

Help! I am putting out a call for your help. At EAA we are all volunteers, including your serving president! Each exhibition we rely on our wonderful docents to attend the Grand Avenue gallery to welcome and engage with our visitors. Each docent session is three hours and we need about 37 +/- volunteer docents to cover an average month. We need your participation in our docent program even if you are not in the exhibition.

Please volunteer to cover an upcoming session by emailing our lead Meg Decker at [email protected] or Wendy Nelson at [email protected]. You’ll meet new people and talk about the art of EAA!

Change is coming! Next month we are changing the way we ask you to submit your entries for the Grand Avenue gallery exhibitions. We will be going online, and the forms will be on our website, and you will pay online and schedule your docent session in a simple online calendar. You will then simply bring artwork and drop it off at the gallery on the usual take in day of the first Saturday of the month from 11 am to 4 pm. We are doing this to make it easier to submit and have much more efficient organization on our records side. Something we very much need to better serve you.

Ok now for the fun stuff! We are launching a new initiative called Grow with us! It is to bring in new artists in our community as members of EAA. These are people you know as friends, acquaintances or even family members. We want to grow our member artist family and grow together in our art! So, we are offering a one-time $10 discount on the first year of a new membership through November 30, 2025, AND offering you the referring member an exclusive new EAA coffee cup with the work of our artists, young and older, on it. Every artist in Escondido will want one! We all have artists as friends or colleagues. You know the benefits and value of being a member of EAA. Each month as we add more programs and opportunities to grow as artists. Please have a friend join and Grow with us!

We’ve moved!! We have a great new location for two of our favorite artist teachers at the North Island Credit Union Gallery! I’m thrilled to share with you that Kene Lohmann who teaches our Monday Watercolor class from 10-12 pm and Craig Resor who teaches our Open Studio Wednesdays 9.30 am – 12.30 pm are now at our North Island Credit Union Gallery 1230 Auto Parkway (Next to Ross). Thank you, NICU, for being such a welcoming host and a wonderful partner to EAA. We have some exciting plans for the participants in these classes coming next moth – stay tuned!

And a word of encouragement. A friend of mine recently told me about a New York Best Sellers list book called “Your Brain on Art” by Ivy Ross & Susan Magsamen. All I can say is Wow! Did you know just 45 minutes a week of creating art, any art, reduces cortisol and stress levels? Attendance at one artistic gallery event a month can add ten years to your longevity not to mention you improve your happiness and health. Well of course you did you belong to EAA! (If you’re not a member how about becoming a member now? Save you $10?)

Now to our Juror, New Moon Quis Quis and his feedback and awards for our new show “People Who Need people”. His comments:

“My process is based on how I see myself right now and the art that is talking to me. I didn’t base it on technical details because there’s so many beautiful paintings, photos and pieces in this show.

The Gold Medal I award to Jacquie Wade Skay for her piece “Like Father Like Son” Because it’s generational. It could say many things to different people. I love the simple color composition. But they are not talking. I would say that’s what’s wrong with the world today, people don’t talk anymore. There’s so much story in the painting. I love sitting down, talking with older people, “elders” in our tribe that have been through many things and there’s so much history right there and sadly people don’t know how to just stop and talk anymore. It’s a poignant relevant work.

The Silver Medal I award to Ken James for his work “Bless you”. The different light levels and exposure is powerful. There is a real sense of the inside and outside and the gate or opening between them. You can’t get the detail outside but can still see the building. It reminds me of the Biblical story of the paralyzed man sitting outside the temple gates begging for alms. The artist has created that same tension and the outcome we know from the story of empowerment “get up and walk” and he walked so it’s that moment that this work speaks to me in my brokenness.

The Bronze Medal I award to Ken James and his photograph “Alley Faith”. I like the sense of chaos the photograph conveys. I didn’t see the word faith at first, I thought it was just a giant wall graffiti and then I saw the word faith and, in the chaos, you still have faith, that’s why the composition spoke to me. I like the fact it is on metal, a technique I use a lot. I like the composition seeing the details of the sky and the clouds in the picture and not blurred out as background. There’s always chaos around me in the world and I have my own faith.

I also commend two paintings by Kat Furrow. The first “A letter of Hope”. The first line says I wrote this letter to myself, but it takes me back to my first days at Harvard Business School when my professor asked me to write a letter to my future self. It would be mailed to me in the future. When I did receive it years later it was in that moment, I realized I’ll never let anybody tell me I can’t do anything ever again, I believe in myself. This work conveys that emotion. The second commendation is for her painting “Awakening”. I love the thickness of the paint, it’s energy. The work conveys a sense of a magical and mystical world where you can escape.

This is why I love Art is because Art is expression of the chapter that you’re in. We’re all in the book of life. We’re just in different chapters and before judging somebody and where their chapters are you gotta read their chapter, so that’s why I like art because it kind of expresses the chapter that they’re in.”

Thank you New Moon. It’s a pleasure to have you as our Juror.

Your serving president
Adrian Stewart

PS Don’t forget to sign up as a docent to keep our Grand Avenue Gallery open and send in your submissions for the new NICU show “Life in California” by October 4. It’s going to be a great show and we have an active history of selling work in that gallery!
Send Jinx your jpegs at [email protected]!

August 30, 2025

Artists, Members and Fellow Journeyers.

First a share about art. I am currently revisiting the work of Willem de Kooning, the abstract expressionist and his influence on some of today’s most famous contemporary artists in particular the British born artist Cecily Brown who is now collected by every major art collector and modern art museum in the world. De Kooning was an enigma. The catalogue from the Kunst Museum in Basel writes “his voracious eye reveled in the messiness of the everyday – his goddesses more Hollywood than Greek, his brush more willing to incline to the blurred view from a speeding car than the blurred view of dream travel to the unconscious.” He was deeply knowledgeable of art history and resisted any label of “avant garde” and readily acknowledged the influence of Rubens and Chaim Soutine on his work. Take another look at his core work in the late 1960s beginning with “Woman Accabonac” or “Red Man with Moustache”. Now jump forward over 55 years to Cecily Brown. Now living and painting in New York. Look at “The girl who had everything” which sold at Christie’s for 4.3 million pounds sterling. Well? Whether or not you like the abstract expressionist genre, what about de Kooning 55 years on in Cecily Brown? Tell me what you think.

But to EAA! Lots going on! I ask for your patience and your grace as we try to reconfigure and build an operational infrastructure strong enough to continue existing programs and open new activities and build it in a way that will be sustainable and reliable into the future. It’s a big challenge! I have reflected a lot on our organization these past weeks. To thrive into the future as in art we must keep our gaze open, looking outwards and not be preoccupied with looking inward. We must seek out new partnerships with organizations and new people outside of our own inner circle. You can help. More on that later.

First we have an exciting announcement! Take-in for our next show People Who Need People is coming up Saturday, September 6, 11 am - 4 pm. I am excited to share with you that the gold medal awardee of our current show and friend of many at EAA Kati Cowan will be doing the live presentation on Thursday September 11 from 2 pm - 4 pm at the gallery. Our Juror New Moon Quis Quis will still adjudicate the work.

Kati Cowan is an award winning published photographic artist focused on mastering the art of seeing. She searches for that Zen moment bringing about that WOW factor in her choice of all images. There is a meditative process in photography. She looks for the sacred link between the essence of the subject and the image itself. Along with her natural creative instincts, her love of the outdoors and travel, she uses the concepts of composition, color, light, design, and post processing skills in portrait, landscape, architectural and macro photography. Kati will share her creative process including composition and light balance that will be insightful for all artists and she will share the hidden secrets of what happens in the dark room to bring her creations to light. Please join her on Thursday 9/11.

Speaking of reaching outwards we need your help. In September we will be launching a new membership campaign called “Grow with us!”. We are asking you, our members, past and present, (yes this newsletter goes to past members, you know who you are! Time to come back!) to help us recruit new members or ‘re-newed’ members and we will give you an elegant, exclusive EAA coffee mug as a bonus featuring the work of our artists young and old. We will also offer the new members an incentive of $10 off for their first-year membership dues but only if they join now through November 30, 2025. But the real reason you should share this offer with your artist friends is that they can “grow with us” in art, in creativity, in skills, in friendship, in events and classes and in our gallery. Come on Grow with us! 

In talking recently with a member she reminded me how important our docents and volunteers are and how we need to make sure we thank you and acknowledge your important support in helping us achieve all our goals. So a BIG Thank you to all our docents and volunteers, we wouldn’t be EAA without you. 

As your serving President I have one other favor to ask of you. We are doing something very new and very special at our opening receptions. At 5 pm we ask each of the medal awardees to talk about their art, their creative process. It’s been an amazing, moving, insightful moment in our openings. So even if you didn't submit please come and join us at our opening receptions on the second Saturday of each month, meet your colleagues, learn about their art and their creative process. It's an enriching experience and we want you to be a part of it. When we meet together and talk about art we all learn something.

Thank you for all that you are.
Adrian Stewart
Your serving President

PS We will have three positions open on our Board and we are working hard to recruit new governance and leadership for EAA.

If you are interested in guiding our organization into the future or know someone who would be, please contact myself or our Board Development leader Gail Eason at [email protected]. thanks AWS  

August 6, 2025

Dear Valued EAA Members Past, Present and Future!

The past cannot be changed, the present is now – oops too late, the future is all we have!

Our newest show Past, Present and Future opens this Saturday August 9, from 4 pm - 6 pm. But I am encouraging you to be there at 5 pm. Why? Because at 5 pm this Saturday the Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal Awardees (listed below with Juror comments) will share a short conversation on their stories of their art creation, it’s challenges and successes, how, why, what, where? Our members have asked for more conversations about theirs and their fellow colleague’s artistic process. They won’t be long speeches just some short insights from the three medal awardees for a few minutes. I think you will find it illuminating as your fellow artists share with you.

We’ll even have name tags so you can find other artists at the reception whose work you like and engage with them about theirs and your art!

One other new item. When you vote for the People’s Choice Art Award this opening, we also want you to share why you voted on a particular artwork for the People’s Choice Award. So that artist has feedback and insight from members why their art was chosen.

We all want to grow as artists. Staying still we begin to settle and stultify and become less creative. So we are fostering a culture at EAA that there is opportunity to learn and grow from multiple sources and colleagues. It’s ok to disagree, dispute even dismiss any feedback. But if you listen to these stories and others you might hear something interesting, provocative, new or perhaps even weird. But as you know I say all the time when we have a respectful conversation about art, everyone in the conversation takes something away.

So even if you did not submit and some of you did not (maybe holidays, traveling or too hot to paint?) regardless please come to the opening on Saturday. Your fellow colleagues want you to see and explore their artwork just as you want them to see yours when you do submit. It’s really part of the fabric of EAA. We explore each other’s art. So come on EAA Members, Past, Present and Future this is your Association, your Gallery and I serve as your President. Come join me for a conversation about Art, your Art.

Our Kids Art Summer Camp has been a huge success this summer thanks to all the dedicated work of the volunteers, especially Kat and Veronica and many others! Thank you.

We’ve been getting some great PR on EAA all year thanks to our friends at The Times Advocate but check out the article on the Kids Art Camp that ran last week. Here’s the link to the great article. This is your EAA making artists for the future!

See you at the opening.

PS Our friends The North County Society of Fine Arts, Janet Keto is the former President, is having it’s member show at EAP in the back gallery so you can wander down Grand and take in both shows!

As promised here are the Juror Janet Keto awards and commendations for this show and her feedback on those artworks selected. Read on. Janet Keto, Former President of North County Society of Fine Arts is an accomplished artist herself.

“I found all the work in this EAA show engaging and diverse and the quality of the work was exciting. My opinion is one person’s subjective perspective but as a Juror for this show EAA President Adrian Stewart asked me to share my observations and feedback as a new feature in the EAA Awards Program to give the artists feedback. So here goes!

Kati Cowan’s photograph “Forgotten” is awarded The Gold Medal. I am attracted by the contrast of values with light in the dark filtering to the background, I love the composition. It has a nice diagonal look to it and the sunlight is captured with a glow that illuminates the bottles and vessels that have been forgotten somewhere.

Randell Sims’ “Interstellar Coalescence” is awarded The Silver Medal. I am attracted by the rich color in the textures created with brushstrokes. The geometric shapes are interrupted by intense splashes of color, all done in an analogous type of color scheme and the definite focal point brings me in closer to look at the brush strokes, and colors underneath.

Karin Zibert’s “Heart of the Garden” takes The Bronze Medal. I really enjoy seeing the energy in this painting. Karen has created a feeling of looking at an enlarged piece of garden. Her composition is showing growth above and below the ground in the way that the painting continues around all the sides. This symbolizes how a garden will just take over space and continue growing, portraying the idea of unending growth.

These paintings are highly commended, each for a unique individual reason: Kenne Lohmann’s “Rancho Carillo” in his masterful use of the watercolor medium, it’s fresh, loose and there’s interesting contrast in it.

Jo Ann Bray’s “Sunday Morning” in the composition of the stream of light that’s coming in that falls on this young woman in her in bed reading. There is a suggestion that the light coming in could symbolize that she’s being enlightened by what she’s reading. The artist successfully conveys her peaceful enjoyment.

Natalie Slaven’s “Daydreams” really conveys the idea that the subject, a woman can see situations differently or under changing circumstances. The work really captures the tension of being in the middle of a situation with differing perspectives.

K. Brooks Reid’s “Chromatic Cascade” is a marvel of the patience and creativity to put this together. I could not find two of the cylinders that were the same so for me this looks like a very fun piece to hang and just enjoy the patterns that the artist chose to use.

Byron Marler’s “Rooster” demonstrates lots of buried brush marks in colors and textures, and those are all things that I enjoy looking at and what draws me into this painting.

Aneesa Baker’s “Pacific Reverie” draws you in with the contrast and repetition to create a lively composition. The addition of mixed media adds to the variety of elements that were used by this artist and her use of color is engaging.”
Thank you Janet. AWS  

July 23, 2025

Escondido Art Association
The President’s Art Forum 

Attitude is Everything – Ask Velazquez

I confess I have had some interesting conversations with some of you in the past couple of weeks. But before I reveal more, I will again share the insight of my creative guru, whom you know well, the writer and artist Robert Henri. He writes “Everything depends on the attitude of the artist towards his or her subject. It is the one great essential. It is on this attitude of the artist toward his or her subject that the real quality of the picture, it’s significance, and the nature and distinction of its technique depends…Nature does not reveal herself to the negligent. It was the attitude of Velazquez toward his model that got for him the look that so distinguishes his portraits.” This is certainly another gem of The Creative Spirit insight from Robert. I’d love to hear what you think.

First a couple of updates to note: Unfortunately, Keiko Tanabe, the scheduled artist Juror for August had to cancel. The good news is we have two wonderful local artists who have stepped forward to take her place. Our good friend, accomplished artist and former President of the North County Society for the Fine Arts, Janet Keto will serve as our Juror for the Past, Present and Future show with Take in this Saturday August 2, from 11 am to 4 pm. As we did for last month’s Juror we will be sharing Janet’s feedback, observations and commendations with all our members in the next President’s Art Forum letter and on our web site. Another favorite artist and member Karin Zibert will be conducting the Live Demo on Thursday August 7 at 2-4 pm in the gallery. Karin is an awarded local artist with an extraordinary sense of the power of color and composition. She will be sharing some of her approaches to creating her art.

I have received a lot of positive comments from you on the sharing of the Juror’s observations and feedback; it gives all of us food for thought as we seek to grow in our own creative expression and art. In fact, some members have been asking for more feedback and observations on their work as well. We are exploring how we might do this. Stay tuned.

I know change is often unsettling. A friend shared with me that some horses prefer to stay in the stables rather than run free in the fields. In your own personal art journey, I’m inviting and encouraging you to venture into the fields and meadows. I’m asking you to consider the real reason we have a reception every second Saturday, it’s about meeting and getting to know our fellow artists in this community. It’s about the entire exhibition of work that month from our community, rather than two or three paintings that have award labels on them. You don’t even have to like all the work. Agree or disagree, politely, invite other’s perspectives. When we have a conversation about art with another artist everyone comes away richer, deeper, more informed.

I give you a President’s Challenge for you to select a piece of art in the next show opening reception on August 9 and try to find and meet the artist who is at the reception and learn about what they were trying to achieve in the work…what “attitude” did they have about the subject to quote Robert? (We will be adding name badges to help you). So please come to see the show whether you exhibit or not, to meet other artists, to learn and grow as an artist. It’s what EAA is all about – it’s our value proposition to you. On the People’s Choice Award we will add a space for your observations, why you selected that work and will share them with the awardee. Remember my three bullets from last Art Forum. It’s about you, our artists!

Thank you for the privilege of serving as your President. As always please let me know your thoughts. My new email for The Art Forum dialogue is [email protected]

Yours in art,

Adrian
President

PS next week we are sending out a short questionnaire to learn about our members special skills, hidden talents, expertise, “good ats” and even your secret superpowers as we build a new broader EAA volunteer alliance league to help us achieve all we want to be…look for it in the email and please respond.

July 10, 2025

A Quick Correction to Our July President’s Art Forum

Ooops! A few Corrections to our EAA happenings Newsletter and President’s Art Forum.

In my Art Forum letter PS, I mistakenly listed the incorrect date for Opening Reception of our next Gallery Show, The Summer Show. It is this Saturday, July 12, 2025, from 4 pm – 6 pm.

It’s a wonderful show with some very nice work and I hope to meet you there! Coming to our second Saturday receptions is a big part of who we are in supporting our friends, colleagues and our community of artists.

On Our EAA Happenings we have the following corrections:

Kenne Lohman’s Watercolor Class at CCAE on Mondays has moved to the old marketing Department office at CCAE across from the Museum.

The Same for Craig Reesor’s Open Studio on Wednesdays is also moved to the old marketing department office at CCAE across from the Museum.

Both these classes get rave reviews; you should definitely check them out. We mistakenly referred to the Kids Summer Camp as Kaleidoscope. Kaleidoscope is actually a separate EAA program that exhibits student’s work in the Gallery each March.

The Kid’s Summer Art Camp runs each Tuesday through August 12, 2025, with classes being taught by some of EAA’s best known artists. The kids love it but be sure to secure your place on-line. It does sell out!

We also omitted the Wonderful Ms. Kara’s Kids Free Drawing Class every third Saturday in the Gallery from 11.30 am – 12.30 pm. All materials are provided, and the class is free! The Next Session is Saturday July 19, 2025. This is a very popular drawing class!

Also we omitted Quarterly Workshops with Kat. These are Mixed Media Workshops led and taught by our very own Kat Furrow, this month’s Gold Medal awardee, and All Materials & Refreshments are included. They are quarterly and the next session is Saturday August 23, 2025 at 10.15 am. They take place at The North Island Credit Union Gallery 1230 Auto Park Way, Escondido, CA 92029. Participation is $30 per session and can be purchased on our website www.escondidoartassociation.org.

Our apologies for these mistakes, we are continuing to improve our communications to keep you updated and informed about all that is going on at your EAA.

Thank you for your patience!

Adrian Stewart Your serving President


July 9, 2025

President’s Letter
July 2025

Dear Artist, Member, Friend,


A moment on Art. Robert Henri wrote:

“No line or form or color must change until you are compelled by the necessity of the structure you are making to change it. The need for change must be great. You only make the change because you must respond to an absolute demand.”
            
His words resonate deeply with me as we begin to implement changes for the future growth of EAA. In my last Forum news, I touched on some of these changes. The most important is our renewed focus on our mission and essence:

1. Nurture, engage, and support our community of Member Artists.       
2. Provide opportunities for our members to display and exhibit their art.
3. Educate, enrich, and enlighten artists of all ages, wherever they are on their artistic journey.

This is our touchstone in the months and years ahead. So if someone asks, “Oh! You belong to EAA, what do they do?” — now you have an answer! Go ahead, practice it!
 
I also want to remind you that starting this month of July, we are changing the juror process so that we can all benefit more from their feedback and critique. It’s a vital learning opportunity for us. You will now know more about the juror awards. We’re asking our jurors to select a Gold, Silver, and Bronze award for the overall exhibition, as well as works they feel deserve commendations. We’ll be interviewing the judges and sharing their feedback as part of this new process.

This month’s Juror is Tom Tiedeman, and here is a selection of his comments:

Tom Tiedeman, Juror of the Summer Show, shares:

“I’ve learned from experience that you shouldn’t get too excited if you win an award, and you shouldn’t get too depressed if you don’t. That’s how it is in art — and in life.

I awarded ‘Sunshine II’ by Kat Furrow the Gold Medal because I like the way the flowers feel as if they’re drooping, with the one in the foreground light and bright and the ones in the background subdued. It creates a contrast, a tension. It’s not totally perfect — no one paints perfectly — but it’s very compelling.

The Silver Medal goes to ‘Alive’ by Suzanne Nicolaisen. I like the colors within the abstract, the balance, the way it has depth with light up front and then receding into that red shape.
Actually, it reminds me of Venice, where I’ve painted. (By the way, I’ll be painting the Rialto Bridge in Venice this Thursday at the Live Demo.)

The Bronze Medal goes to ‘Eternal Grace’ by Peggy Stokes. It’s another abstract, with flowing shapes and colors. The artist has really conveyed the feeling of water. I’m not sure what the medium is — maybe acrylic or ink — but the technique gives it real fluidity. There are some quite specific areas in the composition I really enjoy.

For commendations, I recognize:

‘Birdie’ by Parva Zarei — the use of color is very nice, and the composition of shapes is striking, almost like a bird. It reminds me of Native American or African art.

‘Woman Waterfall Dragonflies’ by Christine Damien — the use of complementary colors, blues against oranges, is powerful.

‘117 Degrees’ by Tim Cline — it creatively borrows from Van Gogh’s style for the sun, but it works beautifully within the composition.

‘Wind Storm’ by Joanne Sullivan — I love the contrast: pure white, deep darks, and all the in-between shades. It’s surprisingly strong and really works.*

I like this Summer Show. It has a diversity of styles and genres, and all the work comes together for a single, cohesive exhibition. Well done to everyone who submitted. Keep going, EAA Members!

For those interested, I’ll be teaching a class at Rancho Bernardo…”

Thank you, Tom!

        _________________________________

I also want to introduce you to the Docent’s Art Sketchbook. In a conversation with Meg, one of our wonderful Volunteer Coordinators, we talked about how we could engage both our Member Docents and visitors to the Gallery. After all, we are all artists!

So we came up with the idea of keeping a Docent’s Art Sketchbook at the desk in the Gallery, inviting you to sketch, paint, or even just doodle in it when you’re serving as a docent. It will stay in the Gallery.

We also hope it becomes a great way to engage visitors. As people walk in, feel free to show them what you’re doing. It’s a wonderful way to start a conversation about art — and to show them you’re an artist too. So please, sketch away! Let’s share our art.
         _________________________________ 

P.S. As always, I close with a personal request:

Please join us at the Opening Reception for the Summer Show on Saturday, July 14, from 4pm to 6pm at the Gallery on Grand, whether or not you have a piece in the show. Your presence in support of your fellow artists is very important. I know for certain that when you yourself are an awarded artist in the Gallery, you’ll want your artistic colleagues and fellow members there to see your work.

Let’s all support each other. “This is the way.”     (A dollar for anyone who gets the reference!)

 May 6, 2025

President’s Letter
May 2025

Our future your future Wow! Is it just me or does it seem like this year is accelerating! Time sure seems to be flying by fast. In this letter I hope to share with you not only some of the upcoming activities of EAA you won’t want to miss also I want to begin to share some of the future vision we are forming for our organization and our plans to continue to nurture and grow our community programs. I also want to begin a conversation about Art…I hope you will read on.

A Sparkling Night Under the Stars First things first.

Our Board members Christine and Annette together with very special community leaders Adina Onda of Simply Adina Floral and Kristie Rocco owner of The Hidden Chateau are all working hard to make Saturday June 21st, our Summer Solstice Soiree – “Under the Stars” a wondrous, elegant, fabulous, magical sparkling Gala Event. But you will need to reserve your tickets now as seating is limited and we expect a sell-out crowd.
Tickets are $100 for members and $125 for non-members, these funds support are monthly exhibitions on Grand Ave and all our outreach and educational programming to introduce young people to art. You can reserve your tickets on our web site www.escondidoartassociation.org.
Hurry we don’t want you to miss the best party of the year!

Our Future Your Future

We have already begun to discuss our dreams, aspirations and objectives for the future of EAA. We recently had a Vision Summit of our leadership and closest advisors and legacy members to share thoughts and ideas on our future. We are unwavering in our mission to support the Escondido artist community; people like you and to reach out and introduce young people to art and support them on their journey. As I meet more of you, I constantly hear your personal stories of what art means to you, sometimes solace, sometimes self-empowerment, sometimes companionship and always creative expression. Our future is your future as we serve you and the community. I welcome your thoughts, ideas, needs, goals, dreams as we continue the process of mapping out the future for EAA. More to follow….

Conversations about Art

 I recently had the opportunity to return to my home city of Edinburgh in Scotland. Amazingly at the Scottish National Galleries I happened into an exhibition of “The Glasgow Boys”. These were a group of Scottish artists who painted mostly in the period 1880 to 1940. There was also “The Glasgow Girls” group! These artists were highly acclaimed for their exciting new interpretations of portraiture and landscape and the bold new colors and styles they used. One of them happens to be my great uncle, Sir James Guthrie. But the exhibition reminded me that art and artists do not stand still. They are constantly evolving, changing, growing and pushing forward into new ideas. At EAA we want to do the same. I want to encourage, promote and nurture conversations between us about art and artists. We all learn and grow from this exploration. I share this with you because I came away from this show energized and inspired to press forward, try harder, try new. I hope you will join us in this dialogue.

New NICU Gallery Show Open

Our partnership with North Island Credit Union has delivered a wonderful new show of EAA member’s work at their gallery at 1230 Auto Parkway. Thank you for all the submissions and please visit the gallery. It’s an exciting collection of our member’s work. We are also delighted that The Writers Group led by Nancy Pace-Skinner has been using the show for inspiration of their Haiku poems. The poems are printed in a handout at the gallery and are quite wonderful. We love this sort of collaboration across art disciplines! Look for more! And when you are there be sure to thank North Island Credit Union for the show, they are great partners to EAA.

I welcome your thoughts and ideas for our future together. You can email me at [email protected]. As we say in Scotland “Haste ye back”!

Adrian Stewart
Incoming President
Incoming EAA President

PS I have learned that some people read the PS first! Here is the link for a video on our upcoming Summer Solstice Soiree gala where you can see the wonderful walled garden, we will be having the event in: It’s going to be magical!
Here’s the link: Gala Video

 April 15, 2025

President’s Letter
April 2025

Dear Friend of EAA,

There is already so much news to share with you! Please read on!

This is one of my first correspondences with you since I joined EAA to serve as your incoming President and I have important news for you on upcoming events.

Firstly, a big thank you and congratulations!
What a delight it was to see so many of you at the opening of the first ever Mayor’s Art Contest, this past Saturday. The energy in the gallery was wonderful and again congratulations on all the submissions and to those awarded with honors and prizes, it is all such wonderful artwork. It is a shining example of our togetherness and mutual support of artists in our community. Wow! I hope you are proud to be a member, a supporter, a patron and a friend of EAA. I know I am honored and privileged to serve you as your President.

Open House this Friday! I hope you will join us at the Open House of our new NICU Gallery show on this coming Friday, April 25 from 3.00 pm – 6.00 pm at the North Island Credit Union Community Gallery, 1230 Auto Park Way Escondido, CA 92029. This new Exhibition features latest works by our member artists, and we thank North Island Credit Union for their on-going support of EAA and all our programs in the community. I know you will enjoy the show, it’s spectacular and please bring your friends and come to the open house this Friday. Thank you, Byron Marler, for all your work in putting this show together.

So many great community programs! As I try to step in and fill the shoes of our incredible leader Tokeli Baker I am so surprised by all the programs EAA has in this community. Our kid’s programs bringing art education and encouraging art in young people and students of all ages, our high school scholarship program, our Art Camps and our Workshops Lecture Demonstrations helping people grow their art skills and most importantly our monthly exhibitions that give access to you, all our community artists to display your work in a professional gallery in the Center of Escondido. It’s a tremendous accomplishment. EAA is the beating heart of the artistic community in Escondido.

It's a party and a Gala! One of the most important aspects of being a community based non-profit organization is our ability to raise important funds for us to continue all this work. That is why I am personally asking you to buy your tickets now, today, to our Fund-Raising Gala Event on Saturday June 21, The Summer Solstice Soiree at the wonderful and magical Hidden Chateau in Escondido. Tickets are $100 for EAA Members and $125 for Non EAA Members and you can purchase them right now on our 
www.escondidoartassociation.org website or by clicking on this link:

Get your Tickets Here!

This will be a fabulous, elegant magical party! It will take place in a gorgeous private walled Garden just a few blocks from our Gallery and you will want to bring your friends, partners, clients and neighbors. We will have food from your favorite local restaurants, local wineries with tasting and serving wine, entertainment and more. It’s a perfect way to spend the Summer Solstice evening and all proceeds go to support our much-needed programs in this, our Escondido community. Please get your tickets early we anticipate selling out! A very special thank you to Christine and Annette for all their hard work and for our lead Volunteers and Angels Adina and Kristy and many others for their support. Go Team EAA!

Next Take In! Finally, this is just a reminder our next take in for our next exhibition “Abstract Adventures” is Saturday May 3, 11 am - 4 pm at the gallery. We have a free live art demo on Thursday May 8, 2 pm - 4 pm and the opening is Saturday May 10, 4 pm – 6 pm.

Yikes! Well, I have run out of space for this letter, and there’s still more to share with you like our new Young Adults program “Ignite” and much more so please look for my next email and update. And in the meantime, if you see this tall American Scotsman in the Gallery, please say hello and introduce yourself. I’d love to get to know you and get your input. I’m honored to serve you as your new President.

In service, best regards.
Adrian Stewart
Your Incoming President of The Escondido Art Association.

 Escondido Times-Advocate. By News Desk on March 27, 2025

Escondido Art Association welcomes Adrian Stewart as new president

The Escondido Art Association (EAA) has nominated acclaimed local artist and sculptor Adrian Stewart as its incoming president. Stewart will serve alongside Tokeli Baker as co-President until June 2025, at which time he will fully assume the role upon official election by the EAA membership at the annual meeting. 

Stewart brings a distinguished background in both the fine arts and arts leadership. As an artist, he is widely recognized for his evocative paintings and masterfully crafted wood sculptures, which have been featured in numerous exhibitions. His solo exhibitions include the From the Garden to the Sea at Expressions Gallery in Escondido and a showcase at Sophie’s Gallery in Kensington.

Stewart has played a pivotal role in managing some of the nation’s most esteemed arts organizations. His leadership experience includes executive positions with The Pittsburgh Ballet, The American Conservatory Theater, The Dallas Theater Center, and most notably, his tenure as managing director of the San Diego Repertory Theater.

“We are thrilled to welcome Adrian to this leadership role at EAA,” said Tokeli Baker, current co-president. “His extraordinary blend of experience—as both a talented artist and a proven leader in arts management—makes him the perfect person to help propel our organization into an exciting new era.”

Originally from Rhu, on the west coast of Scotland, Stewart studied painting under John Brown RSW (Royal Society of Watercolourists).

“I am deeply honored to be part of the next chapter for the Escondido Art Association,” said Stewart. “This organization has a remarkable legacy of supporting local artists and fostering community engagement with the arts. EAA’s dedication to Escondido’s creative community is truly inspiring, and I look forward to working with Tokeli and the board to further strengthen and expand our impact.”

Stewart also holds business and engineering degrees with distinctions from Edinburgh University and a joint MBA/MFA from Indiana University. At Indiana University, he served on the board for the inauguration of the I.M. Pei-designed Museum of Art in Bloomington. His professional career spans three decades as a healthcare consultant, and he currently serves as chairman of the IndUSa Alliance, an initiative dedicated to advancing cancer research and immuno-engineering collaboration between the United States and India. With Adrian Stewart at the helm, the Escondido Art Association looks forward to a dynamic future, continuing its mission to nurture creativity and provide meaningful opportunities for artists in Escondido and beyond.

For more information, visit www.escondidoartassociation.org.

Original article: https://www.times-advocate.com/articles/escondido-art-association-welcomes-adrian-stewart-as-new-president/