Winter 2017 Message from Vicki Bartholow

Dear Friends,

It was wonderful to see so many of you at this year’s fall meeting in October. Thank you to everyone who attended. We on the council support the College of Fine Arts with our time, talent, and treasure, so I appreciate those of you who were able to give us your day. If you were unable to come this year, see below for a full recap. I hope you all will save the date for our fall 2018 meeting on Friday, October 12.

As you know, we also used the fall meeting to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Fine Arts Advisory Council. It was so fun to see photos of our cohorts from 10 to 30 years ago and reminds me how we are part of an ongoing tradition of arts advocacy. The council has a great track record of recruiting outstanding members, so as we honor the past, I can’t help but be excited about where we are heading.

That includes the important work our Nominating Committee did last year to reexamine the process by which we bring on new members. As committee member Susanna Showers Moldawer of Houston shared with you at the meeting, we want to broaden our membership to include more arts professionals, business and industry leaders, and COFA alumni and parents. We are looking for members from outside the major metropolitan areas in Texas and from all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds. What unites us will be our passion for the arts and arts education.

We want members who are dedicated to the college and eager to work on our behalf, including helping with fundraising by giving generously themselves and cultivating prospective and new donors. So, don’t forget to please submit your nominations by December 15. Also, please be sure to explain to your nominee that a nomination does not mean automatic membership; all of our nominees will be fully vetted by the Nominating Committee this spring.

Finally, as we approach the end of the tax year, I want to remind you to pay your annual membership dues if you have not done so already. Please give by December 31 so you can count your tax-deductible gift to The Doty Society in 2017.

Have a terrific holiday season!

Respectfully submitted,

Vicki Bartholow
Chair