I enjoy organizing and creating systems, and together with the team at the Visual Art League of Lewisville, we’ve been able to test and improve our processes. Even though everyone is a volunteer, our team is committed to continuous improvement and creating a positive experience for not only our members, but the community.
With that in mind, we decided it was time to update the processes for our exhibitions at Lewisville Thrive.
October is our first exhibition using the new system, and I’m proud of our volunteers and members. Our Call for Art and other procedures now more closely align with our exhibitions at the Lewisville Grand Theater. Change can be scary, but our members have risen to the occasion!
First change: Let’s have a theme!
That’s right—the October theme is Fall. You’ll see plenty of pumpkins, fall colors and some surprises along the way. There’s also a wonderful variety of mediums, including acrylic, oil, collage, photography, watercolor and mixed media.
With that in mind, we decided it was time to update the processes for our exhibitions at Lewisville Thrive.
October is our first exhibition using the new system, and I’m proud of our volunteers and members. Our Call for Art and other procedures now more closely align with our exhibitions at the Lewisville Grand Theater. Change can be scary, but our members have risen to the occasion!
First change: Let’s have a theme!
That’s right—the October theme is Fall. You’ll see plenty of pumpkins, fall colors and some surprises along the way. There’s also a wonderful variety of mediums, including acrylic, oil, collage, photography, watercolor and mixed media.
None of this would happen without the dedication of our volunteers: Polly Belt, Tore Bellis and Cindy Bustamante.
Polly has been participating in the Thrive exhibitions for years and served as an advisor, helping us understand the existing processes and identify where we could improve.
As President—and the zany person who likes to push the limits and encourage out-of-the-box thinking—I suggested introducing themes throughout the year. Don’t worry, we’ll have some open themes as well.
Tore Bellis was extremely helpful, not only because of his height, but because he has volunteered hanging artwork at our main exhibitions at the Lewisville Grand. Having that seasoned experience is always helpful.
For those who know me, you know I’m a bag lady. I pride myself on being Mary Poppins with a bag that has everything.
Well, today I handed Tore a wimpy tape measure that was more appropriate for sewing. It’s flexible. He commented that he wished he had a “real” tape measure for this particular application.
That’s when I remembered my friend Amanda Martin with Alliance Direct had just given me a proper tape measure yesterday!
I proudly pulled it out of one of my many totes, and it saved the day.
One of the best parts of the day was watching the reactions of people walking by. They stopped to view the artwork before we had even finished hanging it.
Children with their dad admired the pieces and pointed to their favorites. A man curious about our activity stopped to ask questions. One woman needed ALL the details about our group. I eagerly invited her to our next meeting—and by the time we were finished talking, I told her she clearly needed to join us.
This is why I lead the Visual Art League of Lewisville as President.
Yes, I enjoy organizing. I enjoy creating systems and figuring out how we can improve them. But the best part is seeing what happens afterward: volunteers working together, artists sharing their work and members of the community stopping in their tracks to experience art.
Fall Art Exhibition
October 3 – November 7, 2026
Lewisville Thrive
Curator: Polly Belt
Organizer: Denise Holguin
Visual Art League of Lewisville
We need more volunteers! So, if you’re already a member—or need a reason to join—consider this your invitation. We’d love to have you!
