Voting starts March 1st and ends on March 15th
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Ruth Giovannetti has been working as a decorative artisan for 28 years. She had attended Texas Tech University for 3 ½ years as an interior design major. She later started her business, Walls by R’Gio, as a wallpaper hanger in the 1990’s, when wallpaper, borders and accompanying papers were on every surface. Her first decorative finishing class was at Vigini Studios in San Antonio, Tx. and she was hooked. Previously, using paints and glazes, she applied ragging and color washing, but through Vigini studios, she was introduced to textures, plasters, cabinet finishes and more. After many years of classes and working at perfecting her skills, she has been able to work around the country and in Beijing and Dongguan, China. Now, with the opportunity to teach hand silvering and distressing glass at events and hosting classes in her studio in Lubbock, she has learned how to share and teach her craft. Serving on the board of IDAL would be an honor for Ruth. She has a wonderful career in the decorative arts and would love to work with an organization committed to furthering education and growing the number of decorative artisans in our field. Ruth and her husband, Pete, live on some acreage outside of town in a barndominium with two dogs, and 3 cats, one of them having the moniker of our shop kitty. They raised two wonderful adults, Francesca and Jeremy, who live in Ft. Wayne, Indiana and Taos, New Mexico, respectively. In fact, having young children in the 90’s is what prompted Ruth to find a career in the decorative arts, as it would afford her a flexible schedule and more time with her family. RUTH GIOVANNETTI IDAL BOD QUESTIONAIRE (PDF) > |
Ruth Giovannetti - IDAL 2023 Candidacy Statement
I’m honored to be selected as a candidate to the IDAL board and its furtherance of the Decorative Arts community. Selection as a board member would be a highlight of my nearly three-decade career in the industry. As an active IDAL member, I have benefitted greatly both as an artist and independent businesswomen from networking with fellow members. I have learned many new creative painting techniques and gained valuable business insights from fellow artisans. My professional resume in decorative arts and design includes co-ownership of Ruby Rose Studios in Columbus, Ohio from 2008 – 2015. Our primary business clients were high-end commercial and residential designers and contractors. Most recently I have been living in the St. Louis area and working with residential customers and a corporate client, Soft Surroundings, for whom I have been instrumental in decorative design decisions. My work for Soft Surroundings has included feature wall creation in 11 of their retail outlets and photography backdrops for their catalogues and on-line presence. In 2010 I expanded my professional portfolio and began transferring patterns that I created in large scale commercial and residential settings to wood and canvas. I exhibit and sell these works at regional art festivals. This has taken my skills to new levels and has exposed my art and designs to a broader audience. Besides my artistic endeavors, I also have several years of management, training, and financial experience in the restaurant and catering industry. I believe that the knowledge I have learned from that background will be valuable as a IDAL board member for planning, budgeting, and leadership. If selected as a board member, I will mentor those new to the Decorative Arts industry and encourage all members to continually learn, grow, and share so that we may advance Decorate Arts to a broader audience of allied industry professionals. Thank you for your time, consideration, and vote. I look forward to an exciting three-year term on the IDAL board. Please view examples of my recent work @lisalackeydesigns on Instagram. |
Lisa Lackey - IDAL 2023 Candidacy Statement
In addition to being a teaching member of IDAL, I’ve also taught classes at Pima Community College. As a long-time member of The International Decorative Artist’s Salon; I’ve studied at studios in both France and the United States. Finishes First has been featured in Phoenix Home and Garden, Faux Effects World and other publications; being named 2020 Decorative Artist of the Year for Arizona by Build Magazine. As a working artist for over 35 years, I’m keenly aware of the need for both business learning and the artistic skills needed to make your businesses lucrative, and growing with creativity. If elected, I will be focusing on ways to impart new skills to all our members. Whether that is skills-oriented technique classes and business classes at the Convention, the Mentoring Program, or other zoom offerings to the membership throughout the year. Every member needs to have access to ways to stay on the cutting edge of their business. Are you aware that 80% of decorative finishers are going out of business within 3 years; and 95% are out of business in 5 years? I see addressing this with real business skills (lectures on writing contracts, hiring freelance help, subcontracting with builders, and techniques for how to cope with difficult clients) and the mentorship program as good to expand as much as possible (I want all members to utilize the benefits of IDAL.) I’ll be looking for innovative ways to reach out and bring even more value to your IDAL membership. |
Patricia Swanson - IDAL 2023 Candidacy Statement