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MINUTES & ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FROM SEPTEMBER 1 AD CLUB MEETING
September 7, 2010
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GREAT FALLS, MT – Here are minutes from the September 1st Ad Club meeting, as well as additional questions and answers from members. Please direct additional questions to Ad Club Executive Director Sara Becker.
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POWER POINT PRESENTATION FROM SEPTEMBER 1 AD CLUB MEETING
September 1, 2010
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GREAT FALLS, MT – Here is the power point presentation from today's Ad Club meeting. Minutes from the meeting as well as other questions and corresponding answers will be uploaded tomorrow. Please direct additional questions to Ad Club Executive Director Sara Becker.
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MUSEUM TO ASSUME C.M. RUSSELL AUCTION NAME
September 1, 2010
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GREAT FALLS, MT – After being a beneficiary of the Ad Club’s C.M. Russell Art Auction for 41 years, the C.M. Russell Museum is the new owner of the event name and its associated trademarks.
“After much discussion, the Ad Club and the C.M. Russell Museum have reached an agreement regarding the future of the C.M. Russell Art Auction. The Museum now owns the rights to the ‘C.M. Russell Art Auction’ name,” Ad Club Executive Director Sara Becker said.
Earlier this year the Museum filed an injunction, suing Ad Club for use of the C.M. Russell name. “While we felt we had a strong legal position regarding rights to the name, Ad Club did not wish to tear our organization, our Auction family, or our community apart through a legal battle with the Museum,” Becker explained. The Museum agreed to dismiss the lawsuit in exchange for the rights to the C.M. Russell Art Auction name and associated trademarks. As a result, Ad Club must cease and desist using the C.M. Russell name.
Ad Club launched the C.M. Russell Art Auction in 1969 as a Club fundraiser. In addition, a portion of the proceeds also benefitted the C.M. Russell Museum until 2009; donations to the Museum from Ad Club totaled over $5.7 million. The Ad Club recently announced it will not participate in Western Art Week 2011. “It is hard to let go of a 42-year tradition,” Becker said. “But our members are looking forward to focusing our energy and our passion on new events that will benefit both our Club and our community.
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AD CLUB NOT PARTICIPATING IN WESTERN ART WEEK
August 6, 2010
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GREAT FALLS, MT – After 42 years of live auctions, free exhibit rooms, seminars, and entertainment, the Ad Club will not participate in Western Art Week in March 2011.
Earlier this summer, the Ad Club Board of Directors voted to no longer conduct a live auction as part of the C.M. Russell Art Auction. “With a lagging economy and increased local competition, the live auction festivities we enjoyed for so many years are sadly no longer fiscally responsible or possible for our Club to continue,” said Executive Director Sara Becker.
Over the past few months, Ad Club leadership has been reviewing other components of the C.M. Russell Art Auction, evaluating whether or not they would be able to successfully conduct these events in 2011 without the presence of a live auction. “After much discussion, financial analysis, and extensive input from artists, exhibitors, members, and patrons, Ad Club has decided not to participate in Western Art Week 2011,” Becker said.
Ad Club launched the C.M. Russell Art Auction in 1969 as a Club fundraiser. In addition, a portion of the proceeds also benefitted the C.M. Russell Museum until 2009; donations to the Museum from Ad Club totaled over $5.7 million. “While it is hard to imagine March in Great Falls without the presence of the Ad Club’s famed C.M. Russell Art Auction, we are looking forward to focusing our energy and passion on new events that will benefit both our Club and our community,” Becker explained.
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A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT JACK MAY
July 1, 2010
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Greetings, Ad Clubbers…
As many of you are already aware, this past year has been a challenging one for our Club. We have seen the demise of a 41-year relationship with the Museum as well as a definite shift in our longtime fundraising event, the C.M. Russell Art Auction. During the past few months, your Board of Directors has evaluated the results of this year’s Auction event; overall, it was not profitable for our Club. As a result, the Board has made some difficult decisions regarding the future of the C.M. Russell Art Auction.
We have determined that conducting another live auction is not in our Club’s best interest at this time. Currently, the Board is reviewing all of our Western Art Week events and assessing which ones (if any) are feasible to continue. Our staff is corresponding with artists and exhibitors to gather their input on whether or not we should continue producing Art Exhibit Rooms.
The changes in our Auction have also brought about staffing changes. The positions of Auction Director and Auction Art Director have unfortunately been eliminated. I would like to thank Ellen Gauthier and Duane Braaten for their dedication to our Club and our Auction. They have been exemplary employees and the decision to let them go was not an easy one. We will miss them immensely and wish them best of luck in their future endeavors.
The Board and the Future Planning Committee are in the process of brainstorming ideas for new fundraising opportunities for our Club; we need your help! As a Club comprised of Great Falls’ most savvy business professionals, we know there are amazing fundraising ideas out there among our members. Please pass those ideas along to any of our Board members or to our Executive Director, Sara. We look forward to raising some much needed funds for our organization; these funds will allow us to continue our mission as well as our commitment to the Great Falls community.
Please do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have regarding this situation. Many thanks for your continued support of our Club. Have a safe and happy 4th of July.
Regards,
Jack May
2009-2010 President, Board of Directors
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AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM AD CLUB
October 23, 2009
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GREAT FALLS – Ad Club, which produces the annual C.M. Russell Art Auction, has released a letter addressing several points of misinformation regarding the Club and the Auction. The intent of the letter is to further clarify the misinformation for Ad Club members, Auction participants, and supporters of the Ad Club and the C.M. Russell Art Auction.
Please click here to read the letter. For further comments or questions, please contact Sara Becker, Ad Club Executive Director.
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