Sept 10: From the Editor • 6 Month Recap

The start of the 2012-2013 club season is the perfect time to bring you up to date on our progress since launch and alert you to some recent tweaks. First, we’re proud to say that this six-month old fledgling internet publication has already been viewed more than 21,000 times by readers in 64 countries. Our photo essay on the June 2012 overnight Draw-a-Thon garnered over 1500 views in just the first 24 hours after it was published. We’re getting referrals from all the major search engines (Google, Yahoo & Bing), plus Facebook, Twitter and Salmagundi’s weekly Patron Mail sends and our readers have been clicking through to all the links in our posts. Most importantly, we’re able to get the news out as it happens … no interminable delays as was the case with the earlier print versions.

What this means to you: To share this extraordinary resource with all Salmagundi members, we’ve created Around TownOn the Trail and the Bulletin Board. The posts in these sections contain listings of upcoming gallery exhibitions, open shows, art fairs, workshops and other events involving members taking place outside the four walls of the club. Getting the word out to fellow Salmagundians and friends has never been easier and while this won’t replace your current publicity efforts, it will supplement them in a huge way.

Deadlines: There are no concrete deadlines in the conventional sense. A blog post never goes to the printer and can always be updated, however the time of publication becomes an ersatz deadline. Why? Upon publication the post, with all its content, is immediately emailed out to blog subscribers (sign up on any blog page), after which links are uploaded to the SCNY Facebook page and Twitter feed. Finally the post is referenced by another link in the weekly Patron Mail email from the club. Together with additional referrals from search engines and various other online sources, a post can have an ultimate reach approaching 2000 views. Additional (late) listings can be edited in later but they won’t achieve the same exposure as those in that initial publication blast.

So what’s the deadline? After chomping on the pencil for a bit we’ve come to the conclusion that the best date to publish a given month’s listings is the 25th of the previous month. This means October’s Around Town and On the Trail listings will be published on September 25th. November’s posts will be published on October 25th, etc. Get your listing to us by the 25th and it will be included in the blast. Miss the deadline? Send it to us anyway and we’ll edit it into the post. When it comes to publicity, every little bit helps. Items for the Bulletin Board are published individually as we receive them and therefore have no deadline.

A word about TAGGED: Our goal is to have photos of all 850 members published within 2 years. Impossible? perhaps …. but we’re going to give it our best try. Since we’re obviously not going to be able to cover every single event around the world, we need everyone to pitch in by sending us their own photos, especially those that are way out on the trail.

Covering your event: We really do want to cover as many events as possible in person and get those photos published but if you don’t invite us, we might not find out on our own (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), so please keep us in the loop.

THE FINE PRINT: Click on About/Submissions in the index on the top or right hand column of the page and it’s all spelled out.

Thank You! It’s been quite an adventure thus far and getting more exciting each day. If you’re interested in working with us on The Salmagundian, just drop us a line: thesalmagundian@verizon.net

Have a wonderful year and I’ll see you at #47, around town or on the trail.

Best regards,
Mitch Kahn
Editor, The Salmagundian
 
 
The Salmagundian • Subscribe Today!

To the Editor: July 2012

Hi

Here’s my paintings and bio for the portfolio online.

Patt Baldino
Patt Baldino Fine Art
http://www.pattbaldino.com
 
Editor: Patt, the Artist Portfolios and Galleries live on the official Salmagundi Club Website, not The Salmagundian Weblog. The Salmagundian is more of a magazine or Club diary. The scheduled launch date for Portfolios is July 16th although some of the artist links are live already (those of members who responded more than a year ago). The Board voted to include the 5-image Portfolio as a perk of membership (accounts must remain in good standing) and checks previously sent were never deposited. The Premium Gallery Page template is still being designed and will accommodate additional images and text. It will be an extremely affordable upgrade and could very well suffice as a primary webpage for artists who don’t require extensive multi-page websites. More information and instructions will be forthcoming. These are exciting times … stay tuned.

To the Editor: June 2012

[Re: Panel Discussion • Managing Your Art Career]
 
Dear Mitch
 
Many thanks for the wonderful job you are doing on The Salmagundian and for your coverage of our successful panel on “How to Manage Your Art Career”.
 
I thought the in-depth piece on the history of our building was very interesting – I learned a great deal and found the old photos fascinating – and I finally found out what Salmagundi means!
 
All the best in your outstanding endeavor,
Marian Fay Levitt
 
Editor: Thanks, Marian, and congratulations. You and your fellow Program Committee members produced an outstanding event.
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[Re: Fleet Week Lunch @ SCNY]
 
What a great day for the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps to get to enjoy the fine art and hospitality of the Salmagundians! Thanks for taking such good care of your service members. This was truly an opportunity they will remember when looking fondly back on their NYC experience.
 
Thanks again,
Lt. Col. Neil F. Murphy, USMC
 
Editor: Truly our pleasure!
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 Attn: Mitch Kahn
 
I am [a] member of the Salmagundi Art Club and would like to submit a blurb and image for the Salmagundi Stew:
 
“Isabella Pizzano was recently published in the book, Eyes on Abstracts, edited by Joe Guimera. She received [the] Best in Show Award [at the] Garden State Watercolor Society [Show], May 2012 [image of painting]”.
 
Best regards,
Isabella Pizzano
 
Editor: Isabella, you must be tremendously proud of these accomplishments – and we are just as proud of you. I spent a few days trying to figure out where and how to fit this in and whether or not I can. My problem is that YOU’RE NOT IN THE PHOTO. The objective of The Salmagundian is for us to get to know our members better and for our non-resident members to feel better connected to us. That said, I see two solutions. If you have a photo from the Garden State Watercolor show depicting you and the artwork together, that would work. If you don’t have such a photo, but can have someone take a photo of you holding the book you’re included in, standing next to the original (if it’s still in your possession), that would also work. 
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 Hi Mitch,
 
Here’s an event for you. I am signing a limited edition print of an oil which I did many years ago as a Scholarship member. It won a prize back then at the Oil show. Now it is chosen as my first collector print.
 
“The production of the first limited edition Balas print is the realization of a prediction by [then] SCNY President Ray Goldberg and fellow Salmagundians back in the seventies”.
 
Image caption: Susan Balas-Whitfield with master printer, Ted Reece, of Aspen Graphics, Denver Colorado.
 
Susan Balas-Whitfield
Durango, Colorado
 
Editor: You’re posted in a new section called “Tagged”.
 
It looks nice, Mitch. You are a fantastic web designer. It has brought the Salmagundi Club close to home for me and I’m sure for many others. I have missed the days in New York and painting at the club. Thank you for a fine job.
 
Susan
 
Editor: Thank you, Susan, and congratulations from all of us at 47. We get a deep feeling of satisfaction when a Scholarship member goes on to succeed in their chosen field and take great pride in every one of their achievements. Do you think we could finagle a signed copy of the print for the Club’s collection (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)?
 
[reply from Susan]
 
…. of course I would donate a signed copy for the club …. I’m glad you enjoy the adventures of the Scholarship members. I should tell you that Carrie Boone Nelson, Flora Giuffuni and I were having lunch at Carrie’s country club in Staten Island when Flora announced to us that she was going to start a Pastel Society. “Any takers?”, she asked. Can you believe at the time I told her I was too busy with the little children? I had to enter the PSA the circuitous route many years later, but now have full signature status.
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I miss my club – Dag, I need a dinner!
 
Skip Mufalli
Salmagundian
Ft. Myers, Florida
 
Editor: Skip – we miss you too!
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 Letters to the Editor via email only: thesalmagundian@verizon.net 

To the Editor: May 2012

(Re: The Salmagundian emails from the Editor)
 
This is great, Mitch!
 
Will you be sending out emails like this on a regular basis? That would be nice. Let me know.
 
Chris Ivers
Meriden, CT
 
Editor: Thanks, Chris. I’m still negotiating the learning curve of WordPress. I will continue to send manual emails to the roster until I feel the direct subscription numbers are strong enough.
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Mitch
 
I’m not sure what a “subscription widget” is or does. I clicked on “about” and filled in my email address. I also added a “like on Facebook. If the monthly / weekly calendar is still being sent by email, please keep me on that list.
 
Thanks
Rusty Leffel
Mission Hills, KS
  
Editor: Rusty, you’re subscribed. Note that there are several SCNY related email lists and web entities. The official Patron Mailings, which include the monthly / weekly Club calendars, are managed by SCNY staffer, Chris Nunnally. Chris also manages the official SCNY website. Our Facebook page is administered by SCNY member Annie Patt. It also serves to announce/promote official Club events. My little corner of the universe is The Salmagundian, which strives to be a Journal of what goes on at the Club “and in the professional  lives of its members” and my emails are independent of the others. As more people subscribe to The Salmagundian directly, the need to send those will decrease. Let us know about any shows you’re in so we can help get the word out.
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Mitch – –
 
Good to hear from you. Thanks for the info and for all you do for Salmagundi! I’m doing street art fairs in Kansas City, Des Moines, Chicago and Salina in June so pretty localized there but will otherwise keep you up on things.
 
Thanks
Rusty Leffel
Mission Hills, KS
 
PS: Does Salmagundi still have a reciprocal in Chicago? Do they have hotel rooms? Our Chicago show at the end of June is in Grant Park so we’re looking downtown for a place to stay.
 
Editor: Rusty, please do send us the show information. With SCNY members living and working all throughout the United States, as well as other countries, you might be surprised who stops by your booth to say hello. One intended function of The Salmagundian is to serve is as an extension of the Members Bulletin Board downstairs at the Club. As far as I know our reciprocal with “The Cliff Dwellers” in Chicago is still in place, however, as their name suggests, they occupy the penthouse floor of a 22 story office building so it’s unlikely they offer hotel rooms. Here’s their website: http://www.cliff-chicago.org/  
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Hi Mitch, hope you’re well!
 
Annie Patt suggested I email you and see if it’s not too late to include an announcement for the GCA student exhibit in the Salmagundian newsletter.  Several students at the GCA are members of the club.
The show features work by the Water Street Atelier students.  The reception is at the Grand Central Academy of Art, 20 W 44th St.  The reception will be Friday, May 25th, from 5:30-7:30 PM  The work will be on view for the month of June, but because of summer class schedules, we can only have visitors between 1-2 PM and 5:30-6:30 PM Monday – Friday. The Water Street Atelier is a 4 year atelier program designed to offer classical training to serious students.I’m graduating this year and I can’t believe it!  I’ve attached one of my student paintings if you need an image.
 
Emilie Lee
Brooklyn, NY
www.emilielee.com
 
Editor: Posted! Congratulations on graduating. The Grand Central Academy and Salmagundi are a good match – thanks for promoting us to your fellow students.
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Hi Mitch—-
 
Congratulations on your new endeavor.  It’s very impressive that you’re so astute on the computer—-a new career???  It’s a terrific job !!  Well done.
 
Carole Teller
New York, NY
 
Editor: Thanks, Carole!  Now if I only spent this much time promoting my own musical career ………
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Mitch,
 
You and the rest of “the team” have done a terrific job with this product. Many thanks for a wonderful enrichment to the world of Salmagundi!!  By George, I do believe we’ve made it into the 21st century…look out world here we come.
 
Mame Green
Long Branch, NJ
 
Editor: Thanks, Mame! The team has a number of empty seats in the bullpen, if anyone is interested in joining us.
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 To whom it may concern,
 I just received the email link with our new member’s on line Salmagundi web magazine. I just wanted to take a moment to compliment you on the marvelous job that you all have done with this web issue. I was not aware that we now had such a wonderful internet subscription available! Excellent.
 
Sincerely Yours,
Elise M. Beattie
Paducah, KY
www.embart.com
 
Editor: Thank you, Elise.
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 FANTASTIC.  Looks wonderful!!!  Thank you.  Am brewing up submissions in my head. 
 
Carolyn Jundzilo
Nahant, MA
 
Editor: Thank you, Carolyn.
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 Hi, Mitch–
 
A fellow member, Beth Kurtz, alerted me a few weeks back that The Salmagundian was in the offing, and suggested that I contact you. Beth and I have talked several times about how the club can maintain collegiality or even simple contact among members once renovations begin. Certainly The Salmagundian is a great way to do it.
 
Let me introduce myself. I’ve been an oil painter for several decades. I live and work in Iowa (Des Moines) and teach at Des Moines University, where I chair the Department of Medical Humanities. (I’m also an interventional cardiologist, although I haven’t practiced in nearly a decade, having chosen academic work over clinical practice. My art practice is varied, ranging through portrait commissions to figures to the (very) occasional landscape. I’ve shown nationally and at Salmagundi, and currently show and sell around the Midwest.
 
Beth and I also discussed the possibility of a Salmagundi online forum, which could allow members of the club to communicate with relative immediacy, get to know one another better, post work in progress or unveil new works, and generally increase interactions among everyone, whether residents of NYC or non-resident members, like me. While I’m not necessarily interested in taking on more work, I’d be willing to assist in setting up a Salmagundians Forum some place. Although I’m not a computer guru I do have several years’ experience running a small, private discussion board of the type that might work for the club.
 
Now that I’ve browsed a bit, Congratulations. It’s really great. I like everything about it. The layout, images, links, etc. are all a delight. Thanks again, your work is much appreciated.
 
Gary Hoff
Des Moines, IA
www.heartland-studio.com
 
Editor: Thanks, Gary. Salmagundi already has a substantial presence on Facebook which may or may not include an interactive forum for our members as you suggest. Get in touch with Annie Patt to see what those entities are and whether an additional Facebook “group” (as opposed to “page”) might be the best way to go.
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 Congratulations, Mitch, for such a graphically handsome and professional magazine!!!
 
Jimmy Wright
New York, NY
www.jimmywrightartist.com 
 
Editor: Thank you, Jimmy. We have to thank Thomas Shelford for his technical expertise and graphic skill in setting this weblog up to look and feel like a real print magazine.
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Mitch,
 
this is a great site, so nicely done, wow, best of luck!  I’m an artist member and will send information about shows in the near future, just wanted to let you know that I think this is quite terrific.
 
Best,
Stacey Cushner
Newton, MA
 
Editor: Thank you, Stacey.
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 This is great!
 
Janet A. Cook,
New York, NY
www.janetAcook.com
 
Editor: Thank you, Janet.
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Please include the following announcement:
 
Andrea Placer’s drawings received the 1st Place and Honorable Mention drawing awards at the St. Catherine of Bologna Patron of the Arts Association Exhibition in March.  Visit www.andreaplacer.com
 
Thank you!
Andrea Placer
Woodcliff Lake, NJ
 
Editor: Andrea, at this point I’m deluged with requests – and therefore limiting promos/announcements to upcoming shows (something I believe provides the most value to our members). If you’re participating in an upcoming show we’d be happy to list it in “Around Town” or “On the Trail”, depending on the location. See “About” in the contents index for requirements. 
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 FANTASTIC!!  Mitch–you’re wonderful. 
 
Claudia Seymour
President, Salmagundi Club
www.claudiaseymour.com
 
Editor: >>>blushing<<<
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 Mitch-
 
Thanks for the Salmagundi inclusion – my mother truly enjoyed the atmosphere of artistic encouragement whenever she visited the Club. One of her last plein air painting excursions was last July when she at 91 she attended a NYC paint-out. She got herself down to Washington Square and set up her watercolors and was in heaven – a grand piano was being played under the arch, a sand-painter and a graffiti artist were entertaining the crowds, and while capturing the scene with her paints she chatted with and encouraged a young artist new to New York to continue his art.

Brian (B.T.) Whitehill
New York, NY
son of Mary (M.E.) Whitehill
 
Editor: Thanks for that priceless photo of your mother standing out on the SCNY parlor balcony, Brian. I’ve added it to the memorial about her in our “Hail and Farewell” section.
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Letters to the Editor via email only: thesalmagundian@verizon.net