Thanks
Greg

I joined the group, and actually won an award for an airbrushed acrylic sci-fi piece, before someone realized that I shouldn’t have even been allowed to join the group, according to its current charter.

Their charter was altered, shortly after, to include acrylics AND photography, and to allow imaginative works.

They still didn’t update their chater to include digital art, though.

I soon realized that this group was almost entirely made up of retired hobbyists, mostly folks who painted only under the watchful eyes of their instructors, at workshops–and who mainly exhibited ONLY at this group’s annual member show. Often, members exhibited the exact same group of paintings, year after year, hoping someone would (finally) purchase these old studies.

The group you’re discussing seems to be the same sort of group, and while these groups serve a purpose (I received a great deal of positivie feedback about my work, and learned a great deal about showing in public, because of their annual shows), the younger artists who occasionally join these groups almost always leave soon after, for better exhibition opportunities, careers, art school, etc.

Tha’ts what I did.

There are always going to be people who (for whatever reasons) feel threatened by “the new”, whether it’s electronic music, airbrushing, photography, body piercing, digital art, etc. Often, these folks’ opinions don’t really “matter”; the world ignores them, and does what it is going to do.

There’s nothing wrong with trying to broaden their minds, but (usually) whether you make the attempt (or not), and whether you “get through to them” (or not), it doesn’t end up making any difference.

Take care,

Keith.