Annual Report (2001)
Midwest Regional Representative, ARLIS/NA

January 31, 2002

Submitted by Ursula Kolmstetter
Ukolmstetter@ima-art.org
317-920-2662, ext. 225

Executive Board Activities:

Attended Executive Board meetings in Los Angeles 2001

Participated in the Blackboard Executive Board meeting June 2001

Attended CPAC Meeting in St. Louis, June 2001

Attended Midyear Board meeting in New York, August 2001

Served as Board liaison to Standards Committee, Cataloging Advisory Committee, and Public Policy Committee

Regional Activities:

Attended four Midwestern chapter meetings:

ARLIS/Central Plains (October 12, St. Louis)

ARLIS/Midstates (May 11, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Nov. 2 Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis)

ARLIS/Ohio Valley (October 5, Toledo)

Committee Activities:

As Board liaison, communicated with and kept all three committees (Standards, Cataloging Advisory, and Public Policy) informed of upcoming deadlines for reports, budget requests, etc.

Chapter Activities:

Sent introductory letter, reminders, and other correspondence and follow-ups via e-mail to all chapter chairs on a regular basis reminding them of various deadlines, board meetings, and other issues. 

Sent thank you letters and congratulatory letters to all outgoing chapter chairs, incoming chairs, and other chapter officers in the Midwest region.  Invited them specifically to the Leadership Breakfast at the next ARLIS/NA conference in St. Louis.

All four chapters pledged contributions to the programming or Welcome Party of the next conference.  Sent thank you letters to all four (past) chairs for their effort to raise money.

During the year, sent minutes, membership lists, and annual reports from all four chapters to Headquarters.

ARLIS/Central Plains Chapter - met twice in 2001, first on June 15 in Kansas City at the Kansas City Art Institute, and on October 12 at the Hilton Frontenac in St. Louis. This chapter's activities mainly focused on the planning of the St. Louis 2002 Joint ARLIS-VRA Conference. As Midwest Representative and Midstates chapter member I asked CP meeting participants of the possibility of joining next year's Midstates chapter for a regional meeting at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Everybody seemed to be enthusiastic about the suggestion.

The chapter also adopted the revised bylaws that will establish chapter life-membership and an increase in annual chapter dues to $10.  The chapter's plans for a unified database is under construction, but has been tabled until after the conference.

This chapter also publishes the "Central Plains Irregular", a chapter newsletter. The ARLIS/Central Plains chapter is very active, very busy with the upcoming joint conference,  and in good shape.

ARLIS/Midstates Chapter - met twice, in the spring on May 11 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and in the fall on November 2 at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis.

The Michigan chapter was incorporated into the Midstates Chapter and the monies from the Michigan Chapter transferred to the Midstates Chapter account.

The Midstates chapter is experiencing some problems right now in membership participation and service to the organization. The Chapter is also concerned with attendance at chapter meetings.  This will hopefully be remedied with this year's new officers and a well organized and interesting spring chapter meeting which will be held at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Some chapter members are still developing a chapter web site, and a chapter newsletter.

ARLIS/Ohio Valley Chapter - met twice in 2001, the spring meeting took place on May 11 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and the fall meeting was on October 5 at the Toledo Museum of Art, in Toledo, Ohio. 

This chapter maintains a web site that was revised in 2001. The chapter also publishes a newsletter, "Collage", of which a spring and a fall issue had been published. 

At the end of the year the membership voted on the proposal that the Chapter would pay the current base rate toward ARLIS/NA membership fees for the elected officers who would otherwise pay out-of-pocket.  The outcome of this vote is not yet known.

The year 2001 marked the 25^th anniversary of the ARLIS/Ohio Valley Chapter. This chapter is also in good shape.

ARLIS/Michigan Chapter was officially dissolved in June 2001 by Ted Goodman, ARLIS/NA President.  All bank accounts were closed and the money was transferred to the ARLIS/Midstates chapter account.

ARLIS/Twin Cities Chapter - met three times in 2001, the first time on March 13 at the Elmer Andersen Library on the University of Minneapolis campus, the second time on July 26 at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and the third time on November 13 at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. 

This chapter had some difficulties with officers who all had to resign their positions due to job relocations and/or change of work assignments. But TC members were able to fill these positions again so that there is again a full slate of officers. This shows that it is a small but very determined chapter. 

This chapter is in the process of launching a web site very soon.

Because this chapter tends to announce their meetings on a very short term basis, I as their Midwest Representative was unable to attend any of their meetings.