The countdown clock for NASA is exciting, but the countdown to Synergy2 in Baltimore is just as thrilling! Only 16 days remain until the Synergy2 conference kicks off at the Tremont Grand Hotel in historic Baltimore.  It's not too late to spend that bit of rainy-day mad money and explore connections between art, artists and communities with over 200 artists from eight countries.

Read more about the upcoming events on the Synergy2 Web site .

Thanks to everyone that participated in the Synergy2 Collaborative Clay Quilt Contest! When all was said and done, three IPCA members were tied for first place with an astouding 21 correct answers each! The three members are:

• Judy Belcher
• Barbara Forbes-Lyons
• Bettina Welker

The winner's names were put into a hat and Synergy2 Exhibition Chair Marcia Laska drew Bettina's name as the overall winner. Bettina will receive a copy of the Exhibition Catalog as well as a one-year membership to the IPCA.

Come look at the Synergy2 exhibit in progress.

The Synergy2 exhibit is a FABULOUS collaboration of a wonderful group of artists to present beautiful and provocative interpretations of this year's theme - exploring connections. You can tour the exhibit online. You can purchase an awesome piece.

Link: http://tinyurl.com/synergy2exhibit

When I received the invitation to submit a piece for the 2010 Synergy2 Exhibition and saw that the theme was exploring connections, I immediately thought about doing a collaborative piece. Being a mixed media artist, I have had many opportunities to participate in collaborative projects. I am currently in the midst of two round robin books projects and have also been involved in ATC and "fat book" projects as well as both charm and tile exchanges. These have all been such fun. I knew I wanted to try and organize a tile collaborative. In addition to being fun, collaborations always stretch and challenge the participating artists in ways that working individually cannot do.

The Synergy2 newsletters are available online. If you accidentally deleted your e-mail copy, or if you are a new member and want to catch up on the news, the online archive has what you need!

• Sept 26 (Hands On Workshops) 
• Sept 14 (Collaboration Celebration)
• Sept 9 (Registration Opening)

Don't forget that a lot of great news and articles are also being published on the Synergy2 Web site at http://www.synergy2010.com!

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