Sota's History

The 1960s brought many changes into American culture. Women were finding more places outside the home to develop their own organized movements, to expand their creative expressions, and gain personal satisfaction from the work they were doing. Women wanted to connect with their peers and enrich not only their own lives but advocate and improve the communities in which they lived. So, with this backdrop in the first wave of feminism, it was more than serendipity that sparked the idea for a service -oriented women’s volunteer group to benefit the fledgling Allentown Art Museum (AAM); the founding of Society of the Arts (SOTA) was ignited. Mr. Richard Hirsch, the first director of the AAM, and his wife Betty, on their way to an Art Museum of America (AMA) convention, struck up a conversation with a representative of another new organization, The Volunteer Committees of Art Museums (VCAM). The information Betty gleaned from their discussion gave her the idea to bring together local community women to support the Allentown Museum. AAM Board of Trustees member, Mrs. Billy Davis, brought together a group of women who would be the “sponsors” to ensure financial stability for this new volunteer organization being developed. This core group of women recruited other community leaders to join them on a Steering Committee and together they launched this new volunteer group, Society of the Arts. The first organizational meeting of SOTA occurred in April 1964. A slate of officers was proposed with Rusty (Campbell) Young elected as President. Other officers included June (Mrs. T.E.) Weaver, Vice President, Pat (Mrs. William) Schantz, Recording Secretary, Lila (Mrs. S.H.) Willis, Corresponding Secretary, and Jeanne (Mrs. Myron) Lerner, Treasurer. There were 60 original members in SOTA (with a maximum of 100 members), nine committees formed, and dues were set at $5.00. Their mission, which still serves the organization 60 years later, is to “cooperate with and further the policies and service programs of the Allentown Art Museum and to contribute to the educational, cultural and social life of the Lehigh Valley”. The group developed committees to carry out their mission. They included a Docent Committee, Museum Membership Committee, Museum Assistants, Nominating, Admissions, Personnel and Programs Committees, with a Social and Children’s Saturday Morning Program Committee to complete the board. During those formative years, SOTA members managed membership drives, manned the front desk, packed and unpacked crated masterpieces, and painted walls before the next exhibition opening. Docents gave tours of the current exhibitions, the Trouper Committee (now Field Docents) was established to take programs into the schools and The Saturday Morning Children’s Programs, later called the Adventure Club, who once brought a Barber Shop Quartet to the Museum, all helped promote the educational and service aspects of our mission. This was a formidable group of women who enjoyed the comradery of friends while feeling fulfilled with the knowledge they were giving back to their community. The original SOTA fundraising goal was for capital improvements to the Museum. SOTA had its first fundraising event, a formal buffet to open an Iranian exhibit in 1965 and first Black-Tie Gala in 1966. Both of which were quite successful. The significance of these fundraising events, all arranged and carried out by SOTA women bringing their own candle sticks and serving trays, was not lost on Mr. Hirsch. He understood that SOTA’s fundraising efforts could be utilized for even more specific fundraising goals. He suggested utilizing some of SOTA dollars for a print fund. This formulated the beginning of the SOTA Print Fund with a vote from the general membership in 1966. SOTA organized its very first Showhouse in 1973 on Market Street, Bethlehem, PA. Rosie Rebar, Showhouse Chair kicked off the opening with a preview champaign reception for invited guests followed by an opening to the public the next day. It raised over $13,000 designated for the expansion of the Museum. A new category of “Sustainer” status gave those women over the age of 40 an option should they wish to remain a member of SOTA. 40 years of age by today’s standard is still quite young but the original qualifications for SOTA did not allow members to remain in the organization past age 40. SOTA celebrated its first 10 years with a membership pool party at Willow Brook Farms, the home of SOTA member Alex and Tom Fuller. Torrential rain could not stop the party as Plan B was already in place and the party moved inside the barn. It was a fun filled event! In September 1975, the Museum closed for expansion. Not to be deterred, SOTA’s creative ingenuity went to work and brought the museum to the community. “Museum Day on the Mall” was set up on Hamilton Street. The street was closed to traffic and art-related activities were set up. There was a puppet show, a children’s art corner, a Texture Tunnel, docent talks on American paintings and a slide show about the Museum. Over 550 membership packets were handed out to increase awareness and bring new members to the Museum. That same membership awareness continued throughout the decade as the SOTA Junior Programs Committee planned and staged the 5th Street Creativity Festival attracting families from throughout the Lehigh Valley. This event was carried on each year thereafter well into the next decade. When the Museum reopened in December of 1975, the foyer was named in SOTA’s honor for the generous gift SOTA gave to the re-expansion project. There were members of the press present at the preview reception with city and county officials also attending. A black-tie gala dinner followed with special guest, Architect Edgar Tafel, who gave a guest lecture and signed his book, Apprentice to Genius, Years with Frank Lloyd Wright. SOTA filled this decade of service with a plethora of museum events, Show Houses, walking tours, parties, committee lectures, and children’s programs. The energy, ingenuity, creative ideas, meetings, planning sessions, cooking, serving and financial giving were eclipsed only by the satisfaction that SOTA was making a real impact on the community around them. They brought the arts in focus for all to enjoy. Museum Director Richard Gregg planned the first Holiday Gallery in 1976 by asking SOTA to staff the shop. There were original paintings, prints, crafts, handmade unique gifts for sale and a tearoom to sit a relax. All proceeds went to the Museum for the building fund. This Holiday Gallery was such a success that the Museum trustees voted to build a year-round sales gallery for the SOTA foyer which would become the Museum Store. Educational committees were exceptionally busy. Docents, in just the year of 1978-79, gave lectures to 11,500 students. Trouper gave 971 lectures to 2,657 students and the opening reception of “Aspects of Ancient Greece” had 3500 school students visiting. SOTA Docents worked with Museum staff to write up the educational pamphlet for that exhibit. In 1980-81 the Community Services tour was rewritten and presented to 190 people. SOTA members used their creative talents to host a variety of openings in 1980-81. There was an Italian Renaissance party for “Beyond Nobility: Art for the Private Citizen in the Early Renaissance” a speakeasy for “The Phillips Collection in the Making 1920-1930” and a western O’Clay Corral party for the “A Century of Ceramics, 1878-1978”. SOTA participated in a celebration of women at Muhlenberg College titled “Women Look at Women: Feminist Arts for the 1980’s” The featured artist was Judy Chicago who brought an international quilt honoring woman. The Museum paid tribute to Kate Fowler Merle-Smith by contributing a triangle to the quilt made from materials she donated to the Museum. Exhibits in the 1980-81 included “Turkish Treasures from the Collection of Edwin Binney 3rd” and Miniatures in Decorative Arts” which attracted more than 300 people to a Victorian Christmas opening. SOTA staged a black-tie party with cocktails, a buffet and music by Rob Stoneback for the 1982 exhibit: “Late 20th Century Art: From the Sydney and Francis Lewis Foundation”, The cost was $20 per person! Experts from Christie’s Auction House were here for “Heirloom Appraisal Days” in March of 1983. SOTA held a Patron’s Party for the event; it was a huge success with great newspaper coverage. SOTA continued to find innovative ways to involve members and produce a quality fundraiser for the 20th Anniversary of the Museum at its current location. The Culinary Arts Cookbook was copyrighted in 1979 after dozens of SOTA members spent two years and thousands of hours compiling well-loved recipes for the book. The results were indeed a fundraiser that was extremely successful. There were two printings of the cookbook and SOTA members, to this day, still pull out their copy for fabulous cooking ideas. There was much discussion about the SOTA Print Fund with some members preferring to purchase paintings and sculpture. Peter Blume, the Chief Curator at the time, and Mimi Miley, Curator of Education, believed that SOTA’s greatest contribution to the Museum was the purchase of quality prints and helped to educate the membership and public about the value of the print collection. In March 1982, SOTA voted to appropriate 2/3 of its fundraising revenue for the purchase of prints, with the guidelines to be reviewed in five years. SOTA’s third decade started with a successful two-day opening for the new Max Hess Junior Gallery. The Merle-Smith family endowed the Museum staff position of the Kate Fowler-Merle Smith Curator of Textiles. Knowing there would now be an endowed curator to oversee the fabulous museum textile collection, and bolster the depth and beauty of future exhibitions, added to the excitement for staff, volunteers and visitors alike. In April 1985, the Museum featured “Collection of American Quilts: Homage to Amanda”. This was a huge draw for an area already known for its textile history. In October 1985, SOTA sponsored the “Masterpieces on Wheels Antique and Classic Car Show”. In anticipation of the car show, the “Automobilia” exhibit showed auto hood ornaments, decals and décor and SOTA members organized and modeled in a fashion show of antique and vintage clothing from 1890-1950. SOTA members were busy for two years prior to the 4-day event with underwriting, research of cars and planning for the preview party, lectures and events. Local car connoisseurs Bernie Berman, Ray Holland and Arnold Rappoport advised on the selection of cars for the show that generated much excitement in the community and beyond and huge media coverage. This same car theme was continued with the Great Lehigh Valley Auto Fair again held in Allentown’s Agriculture Hall. Race car driver Mario Andretti was honorary chairman for the April 1987 event. The Allen High School Key Club members helped fill slots at the Auto Fair which also featured a craft show, a sports car rally and live broadcast on the radio station WAEB. Over 700 guests attended the preview party and the event netted over $20,000. Also in 1986, members of the Docent, Special Projects and Junior Program committees worked together for the ArtSpace birthday party. Troupers rewrote their lecture to include Japan rather than China since many schools did not cover China in the curriculum. “Confections and Cappuccino with Christie’s” was the enticing title of the preview party for the two-day Christie’s Appraisal Days at the Museum in April 1988. An article in the Morning Call newspaper noted that “more than 400 people waited at the Allentown Art Museum for the chance to learn the value of their items… and to learn from some of the best people in the business, appraisers from Christie’s Auction Gallery in New York City.” In 1988-89, The Kress Society was founded under the leadership and suggestion of AAM Board of Trustee, Al Douglass. The fledgling organization grew to be an integral part of the Museum’s support. With increased and successful development of membership in the Kress Society ranks, SOTA member Pat Sherman later aided with administrative duties related to the Kress Society. More than 800 people attended the 1989 talk by Martha Stewart at the Holiday Inn in Fogelsville. The celebrity guest arrived 90 minutes late and asked to change her clothes. SOTA President Sandy Eberting told her to “get in there and speak in your brown suit and stay late to autograph books”. Ms. Stewart obeyed and then had her driver take her to Walp’s Restaurant for Pennsylvania scrapple! The Show House that year was at 1818 Hamilton Street near Osteopathic Hospital (now St. Luke’s -Allentown). Students from Lehigh County VoTech helped with some of the preparations for the Show House, such as removing wallpaper and painting. The preview party was at the Museum, with trolley rides to the house provided by the Downtown Improvement District Authority. The years 1989-90 marked celebrations for the Museum’s 30th year on Fifth Street and SOTA ‘s 25 birthday. The campaign of a party and a gift to the Museum to celebrate SOTA’s anniversary was called “$25 for 25”. The occasion generated much local media attention with articles in the Morning Call newspaper, radio and television interviews with SOTA members. SOTA donated more than 10,000 hours of service to the museum in 1988-90. As women assumed a permanent role in the workplace while maintaining a degree of volunteer interest, SOTA established a category of professional membership and deleted the upper age limitation requirements. Rather than age, SOTA defined energy and enthusiasm for learning and working as the key ingredients of membership. Sustainers continued to contribute as Docents and Troupers. School education contracts for outreach and in-museum programs evolved from serving only students from the Allentown School district to eight surrounding districts. There was a combination of fundraising events SOTA coordinated to bring the maximum amount of interest and attendance. It kicked off with the “Julie Russo’s Entertaining Kitchen: In Fitness and In Health” event featuring noted cookbook author Julie Russo, Co-author of “The Silver Palate” series. Russo gave a cooking demonstration in November 1991 at Allentown Symphony Hall, followed by a reception at the Museum with boxed lunches catered by Karen Hunter. Continuing with this theme, “SOTA Culinary Arts II” cookbook was published and raised $6,000 in the first four months. The cookbook went to a second printing and had one case of books left to sell before a profit could be realized. SOTA member, June Holt said, “give me the full case – I will buy it!” This purchase freed the organization so all books sold from that point were pure profit for SOTA. The third and largest event was the 1992 SOTA Show House at the home of Linny and Beale Fowler on Center Street in Bethlehem. Alexandra Stoddard, author of “Living a Beautiful Life” was the honorary chairperson. The Showhouse had 8,000 plus visitors and made over $93,000 profit. In 1992, SOTA was featured on the front page of the VCAM newsletter and won The Morning Call newspaper’s prestigious Community Spirit Award for its extensive volunteer endeavors. During a ten-year review of the SOTA allocation of fundraising monies, the Print Fund policy became a By-Law (Article XIII), with 2/3 of its fundraising dollars to be set aside for the purchase of prints. A new SOTA Print Committee was formed to communicate with the AAM Board about the workings of the Print Fund. Capping out the decade with the 1994 SOTA Show House at 2933 Turner Street in Allentown, known as “The Perovich House”, attracted over 500 guests in the first three days of its opening. This decade started on a high note with SOTA being recognized for its years of service and fundraising to the AAM by receiving the annual Philanthropy Day Award. SOTA was honored at the yearly luncheon. SOTA has always maintained its primary focus on the Museum’s educational mission. The knowledge gained and satisfaction derived from contributing to the Museums’ interpretive endeavors has always been at the core of our service. Mimi Miley, Chief Curator of the Museum and SOTA’s dear friend and advocate died on July 14, 1995. The Museum Board established the “Mimi Fund” in her memory. Income earned from this fund would go to support AAM programs for children. SOTA donated $20,000 of the Show House profits to the “Mimi Fund”. Her passing was a great loss to the Museum and the community. The 1996 “Edgemont Show House” at 3110 Hamilton Blvd. was a beautiful estate that overlooked Cedar Crest College. The preview tour through the house that late spring evening brought many visitors and an increased load on the antiquated electrical system. The lights went out and thanks to the know-how from several SOTA husbands a crisis was quickly averted. It was a very successful Show House making over $60,00. SOTA continued its commitment to the Print Fund through substantive fund-raising projects which not only enhanced the coffers of the Print Fund but also brought continued honors to SOTA as it was awarded by the Allentown Arts Commission at the Arts Ovation luncheon on May 8, 1997. Days of heavy rain just prior to the opening of the 1998 “Youngkins Show House” and preview party brought mud and dirty feet to the pristine designer home. Not to be deterred, SOTA volunteers were out with straw and booties to mitigate any damage to the house. It over came the challenge and profited $90,000 for our fundraising campaign. In 2000, SOTA began to send representatives to the triennial VCAM Conference. SOTA President, Joan Fuller and Executive Vice President, Nancy Ritter attended the conference held in Detroit, MI. VCAM is an internationally recognized resource for information and communication among art museum volunteers in the US and Canada. Attendance at the conference helped SOTA broaden its view through interaction with other regional and international organizations. In 2001, SOTA formed a task force with the assistance of AAM Board Member Bernie Berman, the city of Allentown and other city art organizations to meet the responsibility and honor of developing the Allentown Arts Park. President Joan Fuller lead our organization through this process. The old parking garage was torn down as SOTA and Bernie Berman helped navigate the transfer of the deed from the County Executive to the City of Allentown. “The Schantz Farm”, a 19th century Pennsylvania German farmhouse in Lower Macungie Township was refurbished into a stunning Show House in 2002. No one could imagine a farmhouse that had a chicken coop in part of the house could have this kind of a designer makeover. The profits from this fundraising event enabled a donation to the Print Fund of over $69.000. The 2003 Governors Awards were held at Symphony Hall with a reception following at the Allentown Art Museum. SOTA volunteers were assigned to each painting to help protect them from the wayward elbows of hundreds of guests crowding the Museum during the reception. Additionally, forty “SOTA Culinary Arts II” cookbooks were in the gift baskets for the VIPs at the party. In 2003, SOTA volunteers surveyed Museum visitors as part of the reaccreditation process. SOTA donated $5.000 to ARTWAYS and the most noteworthy accomplishment was a $15,000 donation as the premier sponsor of the exhibit, “Treasures of the Lehigh Valley”. This was a “first” for SOTA to sponsor a major exhibition. This decade began with SOTA being asked to be an integral partner in fundraising for the Museum’s Capital Campaign. The first Past President’s luncheon was held to educate them about the building plans and boost enthusiasm for the new Museum addition, renovation and expansion. The Arts Park came to fruition as a beautiful space for gathering and sharing in the summer of 2006. It ignited the start of the downtown Allentown Cultural Center. SOTA was recognized for the integral position it held at the ribbon cutting to open the park. The monies raised from the 2004 Designer Show House & Gardens “West Park Place” made it possible to support “Free Sundays” with a gift of $25,000 from the discretionary funds. Docents started a new two-year training program that provided the necessary education and credibility Docents needed to meet public school education standards to lead school children on museum tours. Meanwhile Field Docents rolled out their new marketing program with new tours to the school children in outlying counties. SOTA has grown, evolved and adapted its committees, requirements and program activities to accomplish its purpose of quality education both in the Museum and in the district classrooms. The death in 2004 of dedicated SOTA Docent and Museum Board of Director member, Debbie Height, initiated the start of the SOTA Memorial Fund to remember valuable SOTA volunteers. A donation to the fund would be made upon the death of any current SOTA member. SOTA members met many times over the course of Sally’s administration to discuss how SOTA would go forward with its commitment to the Museum’s Capital Campaign. It was felt that any gift given would need to reflect SOTA’s support of educational programs. In March 2006, the SOTA Board recommended to the membership that SOTA pledge $100,000 to an AAM capital campaign for the creation of the SOTA Educational Endowment. This donation was in place of SOTA giving to “bricks and mortar”. It was determined that SOTA would contribute all the 2006 Show House profits and all subsequent fundraising profits to fulfill that pledge. The SOTA Board recommended that Article XIII of SOTA’s By-Laws be suspended to allow for such a distribution, and that after the pledge was satisfied, the By-Laws would revert back to their previous proviso that a minimum of two thirds of SOTA’s net fundraising profits be allocated to the SOTA Print Fund. The membership approved the recommendations. The 2006 Mosser Mansion Show House was so successful that SOTA was able to fulfill the entire pledge and no additional fundraising monies were required. The May luncheon that year honored Starr Siegle for her 20 years of service to the Museum with a gift of prints for her collection. In November 2007, SOTA had the first combined general meeting with the Allentown Art Museum Auxiliary, marking more than 104 years of service by the two organizations. This was a memorable day for both organizations. The Eastern Chapter of the Association of Fundraiser Professionals, an international organization, noted our SOTA’s years of hard work and fundraising and honored us with “Volunteer of the Year” Award in May 2008. Later that summer, SOTA closed the SOTA Memorial and Celebration Fund and used the money to purchase three Judy Pfaff prints to add to the print collection. The closure of the fund made way for SOTA’s Educational Endowment. It was also the year that SOTA again underwrote Free Sundays with a $25,000 contribution. In February 2010, SOTA joined the Greater Philadelphia Docent Consortium (GPADC) to gain support and knowledge about what other docent organizations were doing in the regional area. The 2010 Designer Show House and Gardens, “Rose Hill” on 28th Street in Allentown was notable because the original building where the AAM got its start was used for the Showhouse boutique. The city of Allentown allowed SOTA to utilize the neighboring Rose Garden for its preview party on a beautiful spring evening. June of that same year, the Museum closed its doors as its new building expansion began. This offered new challenges for SOTA. General Meetings were held in places such as Symphony Hall and the Lehigh County Historical Society while trips to other museums were scheduled to provide alternatives for educational opportunities. In late winter of 2010, an ad-hoc committee was assigned the task to review the allocation of SOTA’s fundraising money per Article XIII in the By-Laws. They worked diligently for 15 months, culminating in an amendment to change the ratio of fundraising dollars in January 2012. It allowed for half of the money earned from fundraising to be used for the purchase prints, the SOTA Education Endowment would receive another 10%, with discretionary funds receiving the final 40%. The development of a new SOTA Print Committee as a standing educational committee also resulted from the ad-hoc committee’s work. The spring 2011 Gala honored SOTA for its many years of service to the Museum. First President Rusty Young was recognized during the “Evening in Paris” themed event chaired by Stuart Dubbs. Later that spring season, the 13th Show House and Gardens was held on a picturesque farm in Coopersburg owned by SOTA member Anne Lawrence and her husband Bruce. The new Print Committee started its work in 2012. Their mission would be to educate SOTA members and the community about the prints SOTA has purchased over the years. In October 2012, the Museum adopted the Allentown Art Museum Intern and Volunteer Screening policy. It mandates all active volunteers be screened via a criminal background check. SOTA members were required to comply. The fall of 2013 initiated a new, very profitable SOTA fundraiser called “Luncheon with the Authors”. It featured three nationally known authors. They were able to advertise this event with the launch of SOTA’s own website, www.sotapa.org. The decade ended with the celebration of SOTA’s 50th Anniversary! SOTA “toasted” its many successes with a variety of projects and events during that 2014 anniversary year beginning with a kickoff party in January. The party had 180 attendees including many SOTA sustaining members. Prints were purchased to mark the golden anniversary and the audience was treated to a performance by the New York Baroque Dance Company, commissioned by Starr Siegele. The performance included dancers in original costumes designed after the Valerios Spada prints who were accompanied by harpsichord music. Show House 2014 brought us full circle back to Bethlehem where the first Show House opened its doors in 1973. Showhouse 2014 titled “Downtown Abbey”, with the theme of “Renew, Refresh Redo”, was a community favorite. The Society of the Arts rededicated itself to the mission, values and principles that have served the organization so well in its first 50 years, while focusing on organizational trends and technological advances requiring change within our organization. The organization started by donating $23,000 toward free summer admission to the Museum. This would allow for a greater number of guests to visit the Museum from all communities. It sponsored a special exhibition, “Of Heaven and Earth” as well as continuing with partially underwriting the Free Sunday’s program. This all necessitated a dramatic shift in traditional SOTA volunteer work schedules. SOTA members met the challenge of staffing new events on Thursday evenings, Sundays and all through the summer months. Volunteer support of the “Community Art Collaboration”, “Rise Together Allentown” and “Woven Welcome” relied on the extraordinary volunteer efforts of all SOTA members working hand in hand with the women of the AAM Auxiliary. Together the hours logged by the two organizations added up to over 30,000 hours. In October 2015, SOTA sent four delegates to the triennial VCAM conference held at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Richmond. The group brought back a renewed enthusiasm from sharing and receiving information with like volunteer organizations. Likewise in the same month, the SOTA Docent Committee hosted a meeting of the Greater Philadelphia Area Docent Consortium at the AAM for more than 20 museum groups from the tri-state area. A social media task force was created to facilitate SOTA ‘s movement into Facebook and Instagram. After extensive research and approval from the SOTA Board, these social platforms were initiated. This led to the review of all SOTA’s internal and public communications. The reorganization resulted in changes to the SOTA By-Law, Article V, Section 6 and 7 in 2016. Sadly, in July 2017, our wonderful founding President, Rusty Young passed away. Rusty played an integral role in developing the structure and purpose of SOTA and was president for two consecutive terms from 1964-1968. SOTA members honored her at our SOTA General Meeting with a tribute and champagne toast. The Past Presidents purchased a print in her honor called Mount Orizaba by artist Helen Hyde and a woodblock print entitled Figo by Beatriz Milhazes was purchased by the SOTA Print Fund. Rusty’s leadership will always be honored. In May 2018 SOTA hosted its 16th Show House titled “Idea House at Houden Hall”. Held in a newly constructed home west of Allentown, the theme reflected SOTA’s efforts to bring attention to sustainability and energy-efficiency. The following year 2019, SOTA moved to amend the By-Laws to negate any reference to SOTA being an exclusively women’s organization and instituted gender-neutral language throughout the By-Laws. It also adjusted committee requirements to make it easier for Professional members to be able to fulfill their commitments and maintain their membership. Both adjustments have gained an increase in male membership and those seeking a balance of work and volunteer commitments as Professionals. Everyone who has lived through 2020 will remember that year as unprecedented because of the lengthy disruption caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. Schedules, productivity and income were all negatively impacted. From mid-March through the end of May, virtually all activities were put on hold because of mandates for no public gatherings. The members of SOTA complied and sheltered in place expecting, along with the rest of the country, that business as usual would resume within several weeks. That did not happen, so our resourceful SOTA members began to adapt and determine creative alternative ways to serve the Museum. The election of a nominating slate of officers was completed via postal mail. The new administration was ready to begin its two-year term by June 2020. Regular meetings of the SOTA board, general membership and larger events were all held via ZOOM sessions. Members from a variety of committees stepped up and volunteered to help during the “Rembrandt Revealed Exhibition” where they monitored traffic in the gallery to accommodate the required number of visitors at any given time. Our Rembrandt print was once again out on display. Docents created an outdoor tour of art in the Arts Park and the Arts Walk while the ArtVentures Committee helped with “Lawn Ventures”. Other committees were supporting initiatives to contribute to the Museum’s mission. SOTA’s fundraising efforts were successful despite not being able to do things in person. SOTA held an art raffle, a virtual “Luncheon with the Authors “and a summertime virtual wine tasting series. These fundraising events allowed for a $10,000 gift to be given to the Museum in support of the “New Century, New Woman” exhibition. SOTA’s 2021-22 year was one of renewal and reengagement as members reemerged with a renewed commitment to our core mission to support the policies and programs of the Museum. SOTA expanded its volunteer hours to include Saturday and Sundays for ArtVentures. It merged our Museum Events and Development Assistants Committees to form a new Museum Assistant Committee to offer more flexible volunteer opportunities as well as better serve the needs of the Museum. The SOTA Show House “Greenleaf” in 2022 was again a wonderful success. This event along with the annual “Luncheon with the Author” allowed SOTA to make a generous donation to the SOTA Print Fund and Educational Endowment. SOTA was able to support the “reinstallation” of the New American Galleries with a gift of $25,000. SOTA welcomed the first men into the 2022-2024 Apprentice class. In November of 2023, SOTA was asked to support “Free for All “admission at the Museum with a donation of $15,000; $5,000 per year for three years. January of 2024 SOTA stream-lined the Board to make the organization more work efficient. The Executive Committee will now be the only members required to meet monthly to review the activities of the organization. General meeting of all members will remain every other month. In April 2024, SOTA celebrated its 60th Anniversary with a membership luncheon in the Trexler Gallery of the Allentown Art Museum and publication of Society of the Arts: Celebrating Sixty Years. Over the past 60 years, the organization has supported and bolstered the policies and service programs of the Allentown Art Museum. SOTA has broadened its goals, become more diverse, and enlarged its cultural identity yet the core mission has not changed. SOTA has dedicated countless volunteer hours in service and contributed thousands of dollars through their fundraising efforts. Over 400 noteworthy and impressive prints have been purchased with Print Fund monies. This legacy has made the Allentown Art Museum stand out among other like museums of its size in the caliber and quality of its prints. SOTA’s Education Endowment, which supports the Museum’s educational programs, will remain as a lasting source of funding that announces to the Museum and community that SOTA will be here fulfilling its educational mission for decades to come. SOTA is very proud of its rich history and will continue to bring the highest standards to all volunteer work that the organization continues to provide.