 President Cyd Gorman accepted a CAAA Arts Advocacy Award on behalf of the Avon Arts Association Scholarship Committee. Nominated by Shannon Gagne, Visual Arts Supervisor of the Simsbury Schools, in recognition of our many years in providing art scholarships to local High School students that wish to further their education in the arts.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2023-24
BIOS
President/Newsletter/Webmaster Cynthia Kilbey Gorman ("Cyd") began her professional art career when, at the age of 16, she was commissioned to design a holiday greeting card for The American Hotel and Motel Association. Since then, her work has appeared in various shows and galleries from Connecticut to Florida. A former record album cover designer, Cyd has been working in the computer graphics field since 1985. She has created graphics for television, newspaper & magazine publications, posters & brochures, annual reports, charts & graphs, slide presentations and web sites. Clients have ranged from large financial institutions to famous jazz musicians. In 1983, Cyd received two Creativity Show Awards for album covers designed for an independent record label in NY. She won first place for best oil painting “Skull Study” in the 1999 Ferguson Library Show in Stamford, CT and in 2001, was given the blue ribbon for best photograph “New Zealand New Year’s”. In 2003, Cyd received an Honorable Mention in the Stamford Art Association’s Black, White and Grey Show for her sculpture “Age before Beauty”. Cyd has a certificate in web design from United Digital Artists in Manhattan and a BFA from Temple University Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, PA. She is a member of the Avon Arts Association and the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council.
Vice President/Program Coordinator Lena Stein is a photographer and retired art teacher. She has taught in various public and private schools. As a photographer she traveled to many countries and has a significant portfolio of works focusing on topics of humanitarian interest. For many years she has also been enjoying painting using watercolors and pastels. Her work can be seen at: 
Membership/Treasurer Joan Brault studied painting at the CT School of Fine Art. Instructor Carl Paternostro introduced her to watercolor painting in the style of Andrew Wyeth. When she retired from a career in computer programming, she took classes with other local area artists.Joan has been studying with master pastelist Christine Ivers for several years. She enjoys the demos and workshops offered by the Avon Arts Association and discovered pastels in one of the classes. Joan loves working and learning from the wonderful artists we get to meet each month.
Hospitality Chair Sarah Hathaway is a self-taught artist who recently moved to Avon. She usually paints family portraits using acrylics, but is now beginning a new style that comes straight out of the unconscious. Sarah has never been a part of an artist community before and is very happy and grateful to be a part of Avon Arts Association.
Recording Secretary Carmina Ayazides always had a deep appreciation and love of art. She attended local schools and graduated from UConn with a BGS degree after studying art history. She has visited many museums in the United States as well as those in Egypt, Canada, Germany, and Austria. Carmina has studied with artists at the Washington Art Association, and with Susan Wakeen at the Renaissance Studio in Litchfield. Carmina’s painting style is realism with elements of expressionism. Figurative, landscape and still life subjects are explored with a fondness for rich colors. She is a member of the Avon Arts Association and the Fine Arts Commission of Thomaston (Ten to One Artists). Carmina has exhibited at the Washington Art Association, Kent Art Association, Avon Arts Association and the Crescent Gallery in Thomaston.
Meeting Coordinator/Scholarship Chair Deborah Sacks has been an art student, artist and art teacher all of her adult life. She completed a B.F.A from Rhode Island School of Design, an M.A. from Towson State University and an M.A.L.S. from Wesleyan University. Having much experience with diverse media and materials, Deborah came to concentrate primarily on printmaking. Her work builds upon years of intaglio and relief printing from metal, wood and linoleum plates. She combines original paintings, drawings, etchings and photographs within a digital print and further transform images with pastel or paint. Deborah divides her time between Avon, Connecticut and her second residence in Chelsea,Vermont. She has retired from a long career teaching art in Connecticut public schools. Her work has been in juried exhibitions throughout New England.