The senior leadership of the Southern Oregon Guild changed Jan. 12, 2025 at the organization’s annual meeting and election at Wild River Brewery & Pizza in Cave Junction.
While Guild secretary, Ryan Forsythe, continues in his role, treasurer Donna Parrish, who had held the position for nine years, passed her responsibilities to incoming treasurer, Cathy Warner, who had spent 40 years as a loan officer before retiring and moving to the Illinois Valley. Warner, a new board member, was a key organizer and one of the art-in-the-garden sites for the new Arts Alive! event the Guild inaugurated in 2024. In addition, Maelagh Baker has joined the leadership team as vice president, a position that had remained unfilled in the past.
President Joyce Abrams, who served the Guild as president for 14 years, passed the gavel to incoming president, Miri Admoni, who has previously served on the board of directors for three years.
Admoni is a lifetime glass and multi-media artist whose work has exhibited and sold at various venues throughout the United States and in Israel. She has named the theme of her first year in office, “Dare to Dream.”
Parrish and Abrams have overseen significant growth in the Southern Oregon Guild during their tenure. Abrams’ presidency began in 2011, when founding president, Jerry Work, retired, along with most of the former Board of Directors. Guild members stepped forward to continue the organization and elected Abrams, Anita Savio, and Linda Corey to fill the required leadership positions. Abrams has seen the Guild through two renovations of the Kerby Belt Building, which were begun under Jerry Work while the Belt Building was owned by Rogue Community College. The renovations created the large additional rooms that house the beautiful and well-equipped Guild Gallery & Art Center. The Guild now shares the building with new owners, the Boys and Girls Club of the Illinois Valley.
Abrams and Parrish have overseen the creation of major arts events like Artoberfest and Let’s
Write! as well as art classes and workshops for the Illinois Valley and the region and expanded the membership from primarily visual artists to the full range of creatives, including performing and literary artists. They have built a strong program supporting artists and the arts, including converting to a successful online program of classes during the pandemic. The online program of classes on YouTube and Zoom brought significant grant support to pay artists and allowed the Guild to continue fulfilling its mission despite having to close the Center.
Additional growth occurred in 2022 when Caitlin Deane joined the Guild as Managing Director.
Being a nearly full-time manager, Deane expanded capabilities beyond what could be accomplished by the volunteer members of this nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. One major addition was the satellite gallery, “Art in the Vineyard,” at Bridgeview Winery in Cave Junction.
The Guild plans to develop a new strategic plan in 2025 and the new officers bring promise of
revitalized vision and energy for the future of this important Southern Oregon arts organization.