I am excited by Spring. I love the warming weather, blooming trees and flowers, nesting birds, the hum of bees. My toes are so much happier when I paint plein air in the warmer months!
Our first event of the year is “2024 Paint New Mexico!”. This is a brand new juried plein air event for our artist level members. The opportunity to paint statewide for a plein air event is a first for us, as is the innovative digital time-stamping system.
The concept of painting on a statewide scale and bypassing the need for physical stamping of panels originated from a lively brainstorming session held around my dining room table one afternoon last December. As we drank coffee and shared ideas and stories, I realized that our shared passion for painting had led us all to PAPNM. While we were ostensibly discussing schedules and events for PAPNM, what was really going on is that we were building trust and forging friendships. In essence, we were cultivating community.
Shawn Achor in The Happiness Advantage writes about seven principles that drive happiness and success in the real world. One of the seven principles is Social Investment. He writes, “In the midst of challenges and stress, some people choose to hunker down and retreat within themselves. But the most successful people invest in their friends, peers, and family members to propel themselves forward. This principle teaches us how to invest more in one of the greatest predictors of success and excellence our social support network.”
Painting, by its nature, is a solitary pursuit. I cherish my painting time and am reluctant to interrupt it for anything. Initially, volunteering may seem like additional work and clutter on our already busy calendars. However, my experience with volunteering for PAPNM has been quite the opposite. Through volunteering, I've developed a robust social support network for both myself and my painting. I feel connected to incredible artists in my town and state. Meeting up with friends isn't a chore or obligation; it's an opportunity to collaborate and inspire one another. Volunteering provides a way to connect with fellow artists, collectors, and professionals in the art business, thereby fostering invaluable networking opportunities.
We have several wonderful opportunities coming up to volunteer. Our organization relies heavily on the passion and dedication of volunteers like yourself to help make our events successful and memorable. Volunteering with PAPNM gives back to our community of artists and creates the opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich artistic culture of our state. In fact, we create this artistic culture with every painting we make and with each PAPNM event!
From assisting with event setup and registration to providing support to participating artists, your contribution, no matter how big or small, will make a meaningful difference.
Our brilliant webmaster, Karen Halbert, has created a calendar system on the PAPNM website for you to look at volunteering opportunities and match your interest with four different upcoming events. The first event open for registration is for 2024 Paint New Mexico! You can choose your task, date, and time you want to volunteer and register to volunteer for “2024 Paint New Mexico!” by clicking on this link:
https://www.papnm.org/event-5687122
Thank you for considering this opportunity to volunteer with Plein Air Painters of New Mexico. Your support is invaluable, and I look forward to the possibility of working together.
All the best,
Barbara Coleman
President, PAPNM
