sNAPshot
July 2019
There's still time to enter our 'summer sNAPs' Instagram contest for your chance to win one of these awesome prize packages which are guaranteed   to help you make the most out of what remains of summer! Contest ends on July 31st.

Mary Lee Mansfield hit the ground running as she took over coordination of this year’s Reno-Tahoe International Airport exhibit now in their 11th year. Part of this can be attributed to her involvement shadowing previous long-time coordinator Kim Matthews during their 2018 show, which helped give her the confidence to take over such a successful program. Along with her first-hand experience, Mary Lee brought her own creative talents to the new role. To promote registration and help familiarize everyone with the new NAP branding, she went on a “promotional road show”, as she called it, throughout the airport including nearby tenants. Helping to catch the attention of potential participants, Mary Lee created a mannequin fashioned out of NAP posters and images from previous NAP shows at Reno-Tahoe. The mannequin even carried a purse full of registration brochures for people to take on their way by. During the events, she would snap pictures of enthusiastic employees with a sign stating “I’m in!” for participating in this year’s show. “It was such a blast and gave me the opportunity to meet potential artists, brag about the NAP and get the art show buzz going,” commented Mary Lee. 

The National Arts Program has been privileged to have a long-standing NAP exhibit in the City of Pittsburgh. This was their 20th Annual Showcase and in honor of this anniversary the NAP presented long time coordinator, Le Frankowski, with a piece of art from a local Pittsburgh artist named Murph McCulloch. Her artwork was entitled ‘Shapes of the Rainbow’ and the statement which accompanied the piece stated that “this painting was one of my first pieces showcasing my transition from artist to woodworker. Looking at this now, it is evident the things I would change. But that is the beauty of progression. You don’t always realize your progression as it’s happening. However, when you look back… it becomes very clear how much you’ve grown. Congratulations on your 20th Anniversary! May your progression be both evident and surprising!”
 
The National Arts Program was pleased to welcome back the City of Westminster, Colorado for their second NAP exhibit under the new coordination of Kristen Koehler, Cultural Affairs Specialist for the City’s Parks, Recreation & Libraries Department. Kristen stepped right in and was extremely proactive in her new role as coordinator. As a result, this year’s exhibition showcased 122 pieces from city employees, volunteers, retirees and their immediate family members.

When asked to reflect on her first time coordinating, Kristen said that being able to receive the artwork on the drop off days was one of her favorite experiences because it gave her the ability to interact with the artists and see the amazing talents of her community firsthand. In addition, she was surprised by the variety of artwork that was entered. This year’s show featured everything “from jewelry, quilts, and handwoven scarfs to painting, mixed media, pottery and photography.”