About Us - Jacksonville Watercolor Society
1982-2024 In 2024, we celebrate 42 years of service to our members and active participation in the arts communities in the Jacksonville area (including Clay, St. Johns, Nassau, and Duval counties). Our members have grown over the years both in numbers and in artistic excellence which is recognized by awards locally and nationally.
Board of Directors and Committee Chairs for the 2023 - 2024 term:
The Board members are elected in April for a 12 month term. They serve from the last meeting of the season in May through the next May when new officers are installed. If a Board member leaves before the end of their term, the Board will fill the vacant position. Board meetings are generally held from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm on the third Thursday of the month, August - through May. Location will be via zoom until further notice. Meet the Board members in section below.
JWS History and Founding Members:
A brief history of how JWS started in 1982 is provided by Rosemond Parish, one of the founding members. We are grateful to the founding/charter members listed for their time and interest in initiating the Jacksonville Watercolor Society.
Past Presidents:
JWS continued to develop and to serve the arts community under the past presidents listed, many of whom are still active in JWS or other art organizations. Thank you for your leadership and contributions to JWS.
Board of Directors and Committee Chairs 2023-2024
Please contact one of board members if you have a question or suggestion or would like to volunteer and get more involved in one of our many activities. Click on the image to send an email or call the phone number listed.
From time to time, roles change and we need new board members to join us, sometimes mid-term. The Board and Nancy Banks, Recruiting & Nominations Chair, are looking for additional members to join and/or assist the Board and committees. Descriptions of key positions are described in the Bylaws. Additional details can be provided by Nancy or one of the Board members. It is a great opportunity to get involved, have fun and contribute to promotion of watercolor in the local community.
JWS History
Short History By Rosamond Parrish, Founder
In February 1982, with inspiration and counsel from legendary instructor Edgar Whitney, Rosamond Parrish called together a group of 26 watercolor painters at her house for the first meeting of the Jacksonville Watercolor Society. By October 1982, membership had grown to 100, demonstration meetings were held on the 4th Tuesday of the month and the first workshop was held. The first juried exhibition was in June 1983 at the Kent Campus Gallery of FCCJ (now FSCJ).
We had a great turnout for our 30 year anniversary celebration at the Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach on May 22, 2012. Lots of photos of members & guests, charter members, board members, and artist of the year.
Toni Charneco was our historian for 20+ years and preserved JWS history in many albums. We enjoyed a slide show of highlights from the 1980's and 1990's and early 2000's.
We had another great turnout for our 40 year anniversary celebration at the Mandarin Garden Club on May 24, 2022. Lots of fun and fellowship with a clothesline gallery, recognition of the past 40 years in exhibits and slide show, educational information, swap & shop, and refreshments. We have recently scanned all the albums and updated the 40 year slide show with digital photos from JWS years after the albums. We are updating the website with the slide show.
Below is a list of the founding members when JWS was first chartered.
Founding - Charter Members
Barbara Black
Margaret Carlson
Helen Covington
Don & Janice Delong
Marvin Duncan
Martha Finger
Helen Goldman
Cheryl Hastings
Charlotte Jones
Elsie Kramerick
Sarabob Londeree
Richard Lundgren
Peggy Mohler
Marga Paris
Jack Perry
Charlotte Reid
John Thorne
Ohla Walther
Becky Woodward
Eloise Bowen
Toni Charneco
Suzanne Crown
Mary Alice Doff
Carol Egner
Charlotte Forbus
Lucinda Halsema
Judith Horton
Margera Keeter
Janet Law
Oscar Lott
Anne McClain
Shirlee Negaard
Judy Parish
Vera Proctor
Marie Shell
G.L.Thornton
Joan Wellings
Catherine Callahan
Clara Cochran
Mardie Crowe
J.E. & Evelyn Draper
Nancy Ellison
Robert Gallagher
Rebecca & Will Hardy
Marge Johnson
Debra Keller
Robert Le Blanc
Delores Lovett
Mary Ann Miller
Caroline Oberling
Rosamond Parrish
William Proctor
Dorothy & Bill Thomas
George Tobi
Ellis Williamson
Past Presidents
President Term
Becky Woodward 1982-1983
Martha Finger 1983-1985
Scotty Thornton 1985-1986
Barbara Renfro 1986-1987
Sandra Grafton 1987-1988
Gloria Travassos 1988-1989
Charlotte Reid 1989-1990
Miles Batt 2 1990-1992
Pat Lusk 1992-1993
Audrey McCullagh 1993-1994
Florence Ashton Schadler 1994-1995
Janelle Watson 1995-1996
Renee Winkler 1996-1997
President Term
Kenneth Cooley 1997-1998
Joseph Mikulas 1998-1999
Leigh Murphy 1999-2001
Wilma Gilstrap 2001-2003
Stephanie Sipp 2003-2004
Jennie Szaltis 2004-2005
Francesca Tabor-Miolla 2005-2008
Terese Muller 2008-2010
Karen Zelenkov 2010-2013
Fran Grandy 2013-2015
R.Tuni Weiss 2015-2019
Chris Olmoguez 2019-2022
LuAnn Dunkinson 2022-