From the President
I never imagined what 2020 would become when I was elected board president this January. We have done our best during this downtime to work on making significant changes to the NPAA. As you can see from our banner, we have a beautiful new NPAA brand, designed by our talented graphic design team of Shelle Barron, Jodi Staniunas-Hopper and Jack Stone. This redesign is part of the new direction that the NPAA is taking—we are working to make the NPAA an inclusive, diverse, and representative professional organization that is a vital part of the arts community. We will be presenting new membership guidelines at the virtual general meeting on October 13 at 7PM. Jodi Staniunas-Hopper, along with Edinboro University professor Dr. Leslie Sotomayor, is leading our diversification efforts via a new Artist Liaison subcommittee. We are also working on behalf of our existing membership, forming beneficial relationships with service providers (commercial photography and framing); utilizing NPAA’s social media channels to promote our artists; and developing the website to allow for online purchases of member work. Most excitingly, we secured a gallery space for the NPAA for the remainder of the calendar year at 1020 Holland St, now known as 10/20 Collective. Thanks are due to Tom Ferraro for brokering this deal with the building’s current owners. In order to make the most of this space, Sarah Moody is leading a new curatorial committee that will work in conjunction with our existing exhibition committee and chair Greg Zbach to formulate our upcoming show, Sense of Place, and the annual Christmas event. As part of our commitment to the greater arts community, this exhibition is in conjunction with the Neighborhood Art House. NAH students photographed their neighborhood and surrounding environment, and their excellent work will hang amongst our own. I recognize that the changes, both new and proposed, seem to be heady ones. But they are necessary for the continued survival of the NPAA. The Erie arts landscape has changed dramatically since the NPAA’s inception, and we must evolve and adapt to remain relevant to the community we represent.
— Alexa D. Potter
— Alexa D. Potter