Minutes of the 2025 Annual General Meeting of the Pastel Society of Ireland

The Pavillion, Stormont, Saturday 15 March 2025

Attendees:

Sorrel Wills, Patricia Mooney, Pat Burgess, Julie Wilson , Catherine McKeever, Anthony Haughey, Kay Cullen, Catherine Flood

Chair’s Welcome:

The Chair Sorrel Wills welcomed all those who attended the AGM and apologies were read out by Patricia Mooney. They were from the following members: Annabel Potterton, Rosaleen Sanderson, Rosalinda Connolly, Lorna Pedlow, Rosie McClelland, Barry Dawkes, Betty Christie, Larry Steen, Millie Moore.

2024 Minutes

The 2024 Minutes were ratified.

Chair’s Report:

Sorrel Wills (Chair) welcomed and thanked all who attended the AGM. She continued with an account of the PSI events during 2024. During this period the other committee members were as follows: Patricia Mooney (secretary), Pat Burgess (treasurer), Julie Wilson {directed social media), Catherine McKeever and Anthony Haughey. Sorrel was responsible for redesigning the PSI Website. It will be a hub for ‘promoting the pastel medium’. It helps promote the Society, showcases members’ works, contains feature pages, informs members of up and coming exhibitions (where online exhibitions will run concurrently with the gallery exhibitions) and also advertises workshops and details the payment of fees. The website included the new use of Jotform, making it easier for new applicants to apply and members to upload images and access information regarding exhibitions. Sorrel believes this will cut down on any confusion.

Two exhibitions are to be held in 2025; the Spring Exhibition (for members only) at The Oriel Gallery in April and the Annual Exhibition in September at The Millennium Court Gallery. N.B. Catherine McKeever noted that she would be looking further into venues for exhibitions in the South of Ireland.

Following the Committee meeting held on 23/11/24, Sorrel met with Patricia several times to discuss the use of Google Docs which has made communication between Committee members more efficient whereby approved amendments to documents for members can be made with greater speed and accuracy.

Sorrel also thanked Julie and Catherine who organised this year’s workshop and undertook all communication with the tutor Mark Ivan Cole. Sorrel was delighted with the uptake for this workshop which will be held on 26th and 27th April 2025.

This year all current members were awarded with Full Membership. The process for new members was to be discussed further. New members would graduate after 3 years to Full membership.

Sorrel also announced that she would be stepping down as Chair but would remain website manager until another person could be appointed to this position.

Secretary’s Report:

There was no secretary’s Report this year as Sorrel had undertaken the announcement of all events for this year.

Treasurer’s Report:

Members continue to pay throughout the year and most members pay by Direct Debit. Twenty one members have paid their subscription fees from last March. Subscription fees total £630 to date. The new website fee was £1220.32. Insurance for PSI is £177. Rosie McClelland in the 2024 workshop was £300 and the room hire at the Island Arts Centre was £210. The current balance for the PSI is £9872.47. Pat will email a treasurer’s report.

Society Business:

Pat raised the issue of how the workshop was advertised. Four members and eight members will be attending this year’s workshop. This year members and non-members were allowed to apply for places on a first come first serve basis and the workshop was being subsidised. Pat felt that members should have been given first preference as she considered it inappropriate that non-members were being essentially subsidised by the Society. Her point was duly noted and would be further discussed with the possibility of members being given first preference with a cut-off date with a reserve list for non-members being drawn up. Essentially the workshop should be open exclusively to members for a certain length of time.

Other Committee members commented that overall membership has fallen and growth of the society could be gained by non-members attending the workshop; ‘speculate to accumulate.’

There then followed a discussion regarding a change to 3.2 section of the constitution regarding admittance and intake of new members. Three paintings in dry medium are presented to a judging panel. A judging sheet is used whereby points are awarded to each painting: Y=2, M=1 and N=0. Observations are made on each painting. Obvious yes or no responses are clear but mixed responses are debated. Applicants that are successful become Associate members and will be emailed results. Unsuccessful artists are to receive feedback and will include positive aspects of their work.

Sorrel suggested that there should be no judging for entry into exhibitions as recognition for high standard was automatically a given by the artist’s acceptance into the society. Catherine concurred that judging should be at the time of application and work should be of a high standard and exhibition ready. It was decided that new members would remain Associate members for 3 years before transitioning to Full Members. AGM attendance should not be a prerequisite for becoming a Full Member but apologies should be noted. Changes to the 3.2 section were voted upon, proposed by Anthony Hughey and seconded by Catherine McKeever.

Catherine noted that exhibiting in the South of Ireland was difficult as venues were often too small or too expensive but agreed to look into this further.

Following this, Anthony Haughey had to leave the meeting but agreed before he left that he would continue as a Committee member.

Other points to be discussed further were:

(a) Whether there should be other membership levels e.g. diploma or master levels.

(b) Whether oil pastels should be permitted.

(c) The acquisition of sponsors.

(d) Looking at the constitution again.

(e) The introduction of a debit card for the society.

(f) The issue of awarding prizes which was brought to the floor by Kay Cullen. Catherine McKeever noted that for example there could be a prize for Associate Members.

It was noted that work by our recently deceased member Mary Clark, was to be exhibited by an art society in England. Julie was waiting for images of her work which will be uploaded to the website and Catherine McKeever and Kay Cullen agreed to write something about her and her work for the website.

Election of Committee Members:

Sorrel Wills was thanked by everyone for all the hard work given during her tenure as Chair as she stepped down today.

Julie Wilson was duly elected as the new Chair, proposed by Catherine McKeever and seconded by Pat Burgess.

Pat Burgess will also continue as treasurer.

Catherine McKeever will remain as Deputy Chair.

Patricia Mooney will remain as Secretary.

Anthony Haughey will also remain members of the Committee.

Sorrell also has kindly agreed to remain a member and to continue helping with the website and jotform until this position is filled.

Intake of new members

Following the AGM, new applicants’ works were juried. Two new members were accepted as Associate members:

Claire Buckley and Ursula Meehan