TUESDAY, February 14, 2012 - 6 - 8:30 PM, The Regular Monthly Meeting of the Association - At the auditorium of the Clemmons Branch Library at 3554 Clemmons Road in Clemmons, NC. The speaker is Ralph Grady James, an accomplished musician and artist from Mocksville, NC. He attended N.C. School of the Arts in high school and later Indiana University to major in music. Although heavily involved in his study of music, Ralph also had a passion for the visual arts. Besides numerous private collectors, Ralph's paintings are also included in the permanent collections of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum in Wisconsin, which houses the internationally acclaimed "Birds in Art" exhibit. His work has been juried into national and international exhibits some of which include the Salon International – Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, Birds in Art – Leigh Yawkey Museum, American Impressionist National Exhibit, and the Paint the Parks Top 100 National Tour. Ralph has also had solo exhibits at Edward Dare Gallery, Charleston, SC, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh NC, and 16 Patton Gallery in Asheville, NC. Ralph has a great love for nature, especially the coastal areas where wildlife is abundant and observable. He also has a great desire to help others with their artistic dreams by passing on what he has been taught by so many great artists. His program will include comments on how to Successfully Prepare for Submission into an Art Show.