Ellie Hochman, President
Markos Weiss, Vice President
Michael Yeaman, Treasurer
Jeremy Kester, Secretary
Exhibitions Committee: Pat Barton
Finance Committee: Michael Yeaman
Nominations Committee: Markos Weiss & Tamara Buchanan
Cyra Jane Hobson
Deborah Wilson
Denny Tsang
Stephen Taplin
Tamara Buchanan
I LOVED this organization from my first involvement in Camp Brotherhood in 2016 and have grown to appreciate it even more over the past several years. Through the mentoring (and love and support) from those folks experienced in organizing events, I got involved in putting on the Women’s Carving Event for several years. Sadly, COVID forced the decision to cancel the event twice.
Being on the NWSSA Board of Directors for the past 2 years, during a particularly difficult time due to the changes that the COVID pandemic necessitated, I have witnessed how this community of creative energies moved into developing “virtual” ways to flex, shape shift and think “outside the stone rectangle.” This has kept us connected during this trying time when so many of us have struggled with being apart from our friends, loved ones and our carving buddies.
I am now mostly retired from my psychotherapy practice and look forward to having more time and energy for carving as well as continuing to be involved in this community of artists. Should I be re-elected to the board, I am planning on focusing some of my energy for this year to resurrect the Women’s Hand Carving Retreat.
Since retiring from a career as a child and family therapist and raising a family, I am now able to direct most of my creative energy into stone sculpting. I’ve been a member of NWSSA for the past 20+ years, and have participated in most of the symposia at Camp Brotherhood and Pilgrim Firs. I experience the members of NWSSA as being the most generous, fun and creative group of artists that I have ever encountered. I am so appreciative of the many NWSSA mentors.
Last year, with the plan to give back to this amazing community of artists/stoners, I joined the NWSSA board. I am participating on the event planning and nominations committees. Valuing participation in groups, I also joined the Studio Stone Collective in the Georgetown neighborhood in SW Seattle.
I bring strong communication and organizational skills and previous experience on two other boards where I played leadership roles. I plan to utilize my skills and hope to continue to contribute my energy and efforts to help grow and stabilize NWSSA. I want to continue to focus on building representation from all our geographical areas both on the board and in general and to help in coordinating and developing stone sculpture exhibits/shows such as the one I have created to take place at Kubota Garden this fall.
Bio
I have been a professional stone worker and sculptor for 15 years and a lifelong artist since childhood. I started seriously pursuing stone sculpture in 2013 and was fortunate to find the NWSSA relatively early in my career. I have since attended 9 symposiums and the support and education that I have received has been of foundational importance. I would like to do whatever I can to foster the health and longevity of the organization so that many others can continue to have the quality of positive experiences that I have been afforded.
Cyra Jane Hobson has been an NWSSA member since 2014 and has been attending carving events since then. She worked for the organization first as an event producer and graphic designer, organizing multiple day-long shows in Seattle and creating the templates for our July symposium advertising. In 2016, she became the Director of the July Symposium and continues in that role. To the board, she brings dedication to the strength of the organization, a slew of practical skills in spreadsheet and budget management, professional grant writing experience, and a history of confident and effective leadership.
My relationship with stone began at the Vancouver School of Art, 1969-73. After graduating with honors in sculpture, I began my life as an independent jade artist/stone sculptor in 1975.
I was able to gradually acquire the necessary equipment and stone by accepting commission work from contacts made locally and in the US.
My move to the Okanagan in BC’s southern interior in 1983 brought new challenges, resulting in creating onsite jade workshops. They were the first of their kind in Canada and the US, and are ongoing to this day.
I’ve had the good fortune to work with Nephrite Jade on a monumental scale in 2002 & 2020, and continue to realize smaller pieces in jade, lapis, jasper and agate for gemstone carvings and jewelry.
Onyx, Picasso Marble, Pipestone, Granite, Italian & VN Marble, and Limestone are other stones that I’ve worked. As most sculptors would say, the list goes on!
I’d like to be on the NWSSA board to assist in any way possible. Since I am Canadian, I’d like to encourage people in the Okanagan Valley and Vancouver to participate in the NWSSA symposia. There’s room for more of us Canucks!
It will be an honor to have a part in maintaining this amazing organization and to suggest where improvements can be made once the conversations begin.
Over the last two years, I have had the pleasure of serving our awesome members of this association. Having learned a lot in the process, I feel there is still work to be done. If re-elected, I hope to continue to serve our members meaningfully with the help of the other Board members.
Stephen Taplin MD, MPH is a primary care physician, scientist and sculptor. His broad interests reflect the breadth of the farming family that raised him. They have been farming dairy cattle, fruit, nuts, and grapes in the Napa Valley since the 1860s. Dr Taplin fled the confines of small town life to be educated at UC Berkely and Davis. He was trained as a primary care physician in Rochester New York before moving to practice in Seattle for 20 years. There he connected with the Northwest Stone Sculptors (NWSSA) and has been attending symposia yearly since 1994. He began doing cancer screening research while in Seattle and then worked at the National Cancer Institute in Maryland until his 2019 retirement. He has returned to the Napa Valley and welcomes the peace and beauty of the small town he fled. Taplin has also been sculpting stone for over 25 years. When he’s not sculpting, he’s working with his team developing Taplin Cellars cabernet. His art works can be found in private collections, and the Taplin Vineyards in St. Helena, California.
In August of 1987 I attended the 1st NW Stone Sculptors Association Symposium and have been an active member ever since. As a member of the Board of Directors from 1994 to 1997, I helped procure 501(c)3 status for NWSSA. Currently, in the capacity of Vice President I am working toward building an infrastructure that will encourage member participation.
Each year in July, our Board elects its new Directors from a slate of candidates. Directors are limited to serving three consecutive, 2-year terms, with committee chairs allowed to extend service for additional 1-year terms. The Board Affairs Committee welcomes recommendations for candidates by sending an email in care of Our organization runs with the support of volunteers to serve on our Board of Directors. If you are interested in running for a BOD Position, please contact our Elections Committee members, Tamara Buchanan or Markos Weiss, on or before May 15.
Additionally, members may directly nominate a candidate by submitting a nomination petition signed by 5 or more members to the Board Affairs Committee by no later than May 15th. Candidates nominated by petition will automatically be placed on the election ballot. Please note: qualified candidates must be current NWSSA members. Petitions may be sent in care of our President, Ellie, by mail or email, ellie@nwssa.org.
For more background on our elections and bylaws, please see the current issue of Sculpture Northwest. Thank you.
Board members play an important role in the success of NWSSA. Being on the Board, you can have a direct and personal impact on our unique organization. It is also a great way for you to participate in the vision and planning for NWSSA.
The Board of Directors is responsible for fiscal and legal accountability of the association. The term of office for each Director is two years. At each election approximately ½ of the directors’ terms expire. Terms run from July to July. There is a limit of a maximum of 3 consecutive terms.
We desire to have representation from Canada, Oregon, California and Washington.
A diversity of talents and skills are needed to manage and guide NWSSA. The following skills are especially important (however not required): experience in business administration, bookkeeping, grant writing, negotiations, writing skills, graphics skills, interpersonal communication skills, legal knowledge, prior BOD experience, experience in non-profit organization, experience in event planning
What does it take to be a good Board member?
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