About the WHA
This organization is managed entirely by volunteers and all policies and procedures are set by the membership.
There are two categories of membership:
Exhibiting Members
Exhibiting Members are artists who have been juried in by a Board of Jury, pay annual dues and are eligible to exhibit in our shows. Inquiries need to be made prior to July 15th as the Board of Jury meets annually during the month of August.
Non-Exhibiting Member
Non-Exhibiting Members are not juried, pay annual dues, are not eligible to exhibit in our shows, but have all other rights and privileges of membership such as; holding office, chairing committees, voting on all issues brought before the membership and attending our workshops at member’s fees.
For more information contact our Room and Membership Chairman, any officer of the board, or write the Western Heritage Artists
Debra Bruner, Room and Membership Chairman
P.O. Box 109
Middleton, ID 83644
debrabrunerstudio@gmail.com
Officers, Board Members
Founder
Beverly Tietjen
President
George Traicheff
(250) 497-5667
President Elect
Sandra Haynes
(541) 399-3364
Vice President
Mary Michael
(406) 579-3891
Membership/Room Chairman
Debra Bruner
(208) 249-1011
Marketing
Hope Good
(406) 868-9649
Secretary
Shelley McClellan
(406) 453-5963
Treasurer
Robert Moritz
(406) 278-3319
Facebook/Instagram
Dwayne McClellan
(406) 453-5963
Committees
Show Chairman/Lobby Show
Kay Chick and Joanne Sanford
Preview Night (Wed)
Robert Moritz MC
Art Competing For Causes (Sat Event)
Hope Good
Reminiscing – A Word From Bev Tietjen
The best of stories begin with the following words…
In the beginning…It is not without a certain amount of reminiscing that we begin each show and there have been a number of incidents, both funny and unfunny, that spring to mind.
At first, we had to drag folks in from the street to help make a decent-sized show for the lobby. The hotel (formerly the Sheraton) allowed us to rush home to “create” the food for our first reception and my husband, Richard, playfully filled the bathtubs with champagne. A great time was had by all.
By the second year, those many artists who had intended to “wait and see” before joining us—no doubt to see if we’d sink or swim—decided to get on board, and before you knew it we were off and running.
Someone decided we’d better get a little more organized and we quickly made some adjustments which became by-laws. “No dealers” our first decision, which meant we’d have to work a lot harder. The artists, with the thankful help of many selfless volunteers, produced the show.
As always, abundant anxiety attends the production of each show, but there has been humor too.
One of the couples we took in at our first show was a pair of beautiful lady sculptors. They had excellent art, so we welcomed them with open arms. After the show, we were informed by the hotel that apparently their more lucrative business was carried on up in their sleeping rooms after dark, with gentlemen they’d collected from the bar.
Once, one of our artists had such a good time at the show that it became necessary to lock him in his room to keep him from falling down the stairs over and over. This might not have been too bad, except that he would lie there until someone picked him up and brought him back to his room. This, the board of directors agreed, cast an unfortunate pall over the proceedings.
We tightened up the rules, though, and have proceeded in an orderly fashion ever since.
It was my privilege to serve on the Board of Directors for twenty years and I watch with pleasure the steady advance to excellence the WHAA is making.
To the people who come to our show year after year to appreciate our art, we give our grateful thanks. We truly know your generous support has encouraged each member and we have all become finer artists because of it.
– Beverly Tietjen