KINGSTON _ Despite its longevity, despite a membership that includes civic-minded people such as Sandy McCaw, of Matunuck, who isn't an artist but appreciates and serves as its president, despite strong attendance at monthly shows and daily crowds in the pottery workshop, the South County Art Association is feeling its age.
The 75-year-old group's headquarters, Helme House, is deteriorating and getting grants is difficult because the 200-year-old building isn't accessible to the handicapped.
Once the only game in town, it is facing competition from other arts-related organizations in terms of dollars and volunteer hours donated.
"We're well-known but we're sliding on our long history. We want to warrant the reputation we have," said McCaw, from the 200 year-old building's board room where the cold can be felt coming through the walls where a painting by a founding member still hangs.
"We want to be on the map," said McCaw, using the expression both literally and figuratively.
The group hopes to be included on a map of local points of interest for a bike path _ but in loftier terms, it wants to be on the mental map of local people when the moment comes for them to make donations of money, time and personal interest.
The group has a paid executive director, Rhonda Shumaker, who organizes its monthly shows such as the open juried photography annual (see related story) now on exhibit through Saturday, followed on March 28 by the 30th annual Earthworks: Open Juried Clay Annual.
"Part of her job is to do everything," quipped Kathleen Waterman, a second vice president to the 280-member group. But while the group's reason for being is well taken care of _ providing a space for artists to show their work _ that space has a leaky basement and granite steps at its entrances _ lovely to see, but an obstacle to the handicapped.
A $25,000 grant from The Rhode Island Foundation, and recent approval by the town and historic preservation regulators, will make the building handicapped acccessible, McCaw said.
"We're taking the landscaping approach to becoming handicapped accessible and that will get people into the first floor of Helme House but it won't provide a handicapped bathroom," McCaw said.
Though it is only the beginning, it is a beginning they are very pleased about and hope to begin construction on the west side of Helme House as soon as the ground is no longer in danger of freezing.
"Probably in April," said McCaw adding that the job will soon go out to bid.
"It's a lovely facade, which we had painted, but it has been blistering because of moisture in the basement," she said.
Once that is completed, they'll still need to raise about $600,000 to make the pottery shop next door accessible, build a bathroom and install accessible potter's wheels as well.
"That's where the heavy money goes and that's for the future," said McCaw.
"Hopefully within the next seven years or so. It's going to be slow going. We don't have the staff to fundraise. We lose nothing by doing it slowly, but it's less exciting," she said.
McCaw and photographer Robert Peabody of Jamestown have tried their hands at grant writing, with some success. Enough so that they could have blueprints drawn and cost estimates tallied.
"We're learning a lot," said McCaw, retired from federal service. "But it's taking people away from their art."
With the Colonial-era Helme House facing major maintanence problems, members have sometimes felt chased by the tide of endless repairs.
"There have been desperate months," said McCaw. "I do know that several presidents ago there was a great deal of frustration and there was talk of giving it up."
"We're nowhere near that point," said Kathleen Waterman, second vice president. "But we're mostly artistic people without business expertise."
Under perfect circumstances, an energetic, business-minded person adept at fundraising would knock on their door and donate his or her time and talents because, as Waterman says, "We don't have administrative-type personalities."
The group's first exhibition was held in the Wickford studio of artist John W. Dawson in 1927. He became the first president and the group incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1929.
Boxes of archival records kept upstairs at the Helme House include a hand-written draft explaining the association's early formation.
"John W. Dawson properly wondered how one person could be an art association. This was his dilemma in 1929. He and his many friends certainly liked the idea of his summer art exhibitions in Wickford, but the time had come to give that pleasant tradition a name and an institutional permanancy. The decision to do this marked the birth of the South County Art Association."
Applications went out asking yearly dues of $2 "in the hope of concentrating and increasing the support and appreciation of art among ther sidents and friends of South County..."
The aim of the new art association was "to support in every way the aesthetic interests of the community, particularly to encourage the production, exhibition and sale of works of art by local and other artists, to arrange lectures and discussions on art and to aid in the preservation and deeper appreciation of the remains of local colonial art."
At one point the group was significantly tied to the Gilbert Stuart birthplace in North Kingstown. Since 1944, their home has been in Kingston village in the 1802 Helme House, as well as in the Annex building, which dates to 1759 and houses the potter's cooperative.
Headquarters were actually two buildings divided by a road in the 1800s. According to "Historic and Architectual Resources of South Kingstown," the buildings were joined to make room for the Landholder's Bank in 1818 and in the late 19th century, was acquired by Bernon and Nathaniel Helme "who left a legacy to the South County Art Association, the proceeds of which were used to purchase the property in 1945."
Said McCaw, "The fact that we are so old gives us a lot of credibility."
A 75th Members Annual is scheduled for the summer, but monthly shows will precede it, including this month's Earthworks, March 28 to April 20 as well as the All Media Open Juried, April 25 to May 18; Members' Invitational, May 23 to June 8; Open Juried Art Annual, June 13 to July 6; Five Rhode Island Artists, 2001 and the 75th Annual, Aug. 8 to 31.
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