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Minutes for First Quarter Wednesday  February 17, 2021

 

Meeting was called to order by Megan Baker at 12:15 pm.

 

4th Quarter Minutes for 2020 was approved.

 

Treasury report was given by Debbie Macknight. The Balance to date is $4,916.00. Expenses paid this last quarter: MCMA Show Submit for $125.00.

 

2021 Dues are due. Treasurer will be sending out invoices. Dues and Workshops are the  only sources of income for GCC.   $35 single, $50 for 2 people.

  • Look for invoice or Mail payment to P.O. Box- Please let us know thru e-mail, so we can check the box more frequently.

 

Workshops for 2021 are moving along.

 

Ana Leal:   April 17th & 18th Sat/Sun. 10-5 each day, at Phoebe’s. 12 spots minimum. Ana will be bringing 2 thrown pieces for each person.   Ana uses Duncan underglazes. Some will be provided for the workshop.   Attendees can bring their own too (other varieties are fine). Individuals can bring extra pieces to work on if there is time after the provided pieces.   Attendees  should also bring sketches for inspiration: flowers etc… And plastic to cover your pieces.

Ana uses a plastic/porcelain type clay(B mix) Standard 356 is good. Do Not start out with Laguna Frost, it is more difficult to work with.

            

  • CDC guidelines will be followed; masks and social distancing as possible. If an attendee or Ana is sick, a full refund will be issued.

  • Look for emails and registration information.

  • Phoebe will be working on how she can accommodate us with social distancing.         Hopefully it will be a beautiful day and we can open doors and windows for ventilation and some could work outside. Lunch will be provided both days.

 

Judy Brater: Phoebe is checking on this, about possible rescheduling her workshop for a later date.

 

Education and Community Outreach;

Teacher Workshop: as per Dan and Mary DeFoor, was cancelled this year by the GA Art Education Association (GAEA).

 

The Dalton Creative Arts Guild has tentatively scheduled an Art Teacher Clay day workshop for Spring 2022.

 

Luce volunteered to hold a workshop in 2022. More details and an outline of the workshop to come.

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Marietta Cobb County Museum of Art (MCMA) - September 19, to December 19, 2021.  Update: 

Each participant may enter up to 3 pieces for jury process. A piece can be made up of numerous parts, but it all must be cohesive and will be labeled as one.

  • Each person can enter up to a total of 6 photos of their pieces.

  • Submission will be through Show Submit and GCC has paid the fees for entry.  Work needs to be submitted by July 12th. (This submission will automatically send your applications)  We should hear back by August 15th.

  • Accepted work is to be dropped off September 9th. MCMA will provide 10 promotional postcard invitations for each artist. (.30 each additional).

Open Reception Sept 18th- 2 complimentary tickets are provided for each exhibiting artist. General tickets are $10.

General admission to the museum is free on the 2nd Sunday of each month.

Show runs through Dec 19th  with pick-up on Dec 20th.

 

Other:

No other shows are currently scheduled. Our Resource Chair, Julie and the board are working on creating a member resource for shows, exhibits, etc. If any members have suggestions for galleries. They have worked with, or would like to work with, please feel free to let us know by e-mail to: JulieNunn@protonmail.com.

 

Board:

Currently we have 2 positions open on the board, Members Chair and Volunteer Chair.

Please volunteer if you can help GCC in either of these positions.

  • Members Chair duties include Welcoming new members and contacting current and prior members as needed for encouraging and continuing membership.

  • Volunteer Chair will help coordinate exhibits and workshops. They will be the person of contact when the need arises, be it an item or volunteer opportunity.

            Lynna volunteered to assist with needs that arise. So, if you are up to being the       

            Chair, you have at least one person you can call on.

 

2nd Quarter Meeting:

We will be returning to the evening meeting for the spring and summer. It is currently scheduled for Wednesday May 12th at 6 pm. If anyone would like to host the meeting, please contact any member of the board.

 

  • In conduction with this meeting, the upcoming deadline for the MCMA show and Show Submit requirements, we will be holding a photo workshop before this meeting. Members can bring their artwork to be photographed and learn more about doing their own photo shoots.

 

Other Business and Opportunities

 

Fred Ellis offered to start Raku nights again soon. Tenativly starting April or May for the first Raku night of 2021. Look for more information and a small fee to cover fuel and glaze costs.

 

GCC equipment that is currently housed at Fred and Laura’s studio (tent, chairs, shelves, raku kiln) is still welcome to be stored there.

 

Last Meeting an idea was thrown out for a live model workshop. This would be a possible ongoing opportunity for drawling, painting, or sculpture. If you are interested please e-mail us with “Live Model” as the subject.

 

Attendence: Debbie Flat, Debbie MacKnight, Megan Baker, Phoebe Maze, Lynne Gron, Barb Murphy, Fred and Laura Ellis, Trini Cline and Luce Van Asten.

2nd Quarter Meeting 2021, May 12.

Meeting was cancelled due to gas shortage and weather concerns.

 

Roundtable – photo workshop: If members still have items to be photographed for submission to MCMA, Julie Nunn has made her set-up in her studio available. See image below.

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Financial:

Bills paid:

  • Wix (the website), was a 2 year minimum, and the cost has gone up. Last year it was $96 for a year. Now we are paying $300.93 for two years. We have the money, but maybe in two years we will need to consider another platform if it keeps increasing. 

  • The Go Daddy (hosting) was paid in April also for 2 years, $37.98.

  • The P.O. Box was $148, due and paid at the end of June.

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MCMA Exhibit:

Show Submit- members should log in and have their submissions ready by the cut-off day of July 10th. Members can log in, begin the process, and edit or change their information until the July 10th cut-off. (We were originally told the 12th, but Show Submit has the cut off as the 10th)

Show Submit has easy to follow instructions on their website. (If you have questions, *See “Show Submit Walkthrough” for easy to follow instructions on setting up your account and finding the GCC at Marietta Cobb Museum of Art entry) If you have other, or more technical, questions the Show Submit people are very helpful too.

 

Shows:

We are looking for member suggestions or galleries that might be a good fit for our group. Please reach outto the board with any suggestions or contacts.

 

Workshops:

Our last workshop with Ana Leal was so much fun. I know it was a great learning and (sorely missed) socializing experience for everyone. As part of the glaze information, Ana talked about Daven’s policy to mix glazes for customers. Ingredients need to be in weight, not percentages, for Daven’s to measure. Kim Barr sent in an excellent Excel spreadsheet for glaze mixing that will convert your percentages into weights so you can get the exact amount of glaze you want. (See button for download below, or email us and we will send the spreadsheet directly to you. GaClayCouncil@gmail,com) Thank you Kim!

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Suggestions for the creation of a written agreement for future workshops have been made. Kathryn will work on creating a document that outlines our expectations (hours, interactions, supplies, class outline), our responsibilities (location, food, payment), and the presenters needs (equipment, clay, support).

A form for feedback after workshops on how we can improve in our organization and how we host the event has also been suggested. If the presenter would also like feedback from attendees, that can be addressed in the follow-up questionnaire.

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Upcoming Workshops:

 

2 Day Surface Decoration with Luce. More information to come.

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Judy Brater- Phoebe to contact about possibly scheduling for later this summer or fall.

 

Ideas for future presenters:

 

Stacey Morgan – slip trailing, handles, octopuses (I looked it up ;)

            Suggestions are encouraged – What would you like to learn?

 

One day workshops:

 

Ann Wallin held a Raku workshop about 2 years ago. Would members be interested in another workshop along the same lines? Ideas are welcome.

 

Education:

Update from Dan Defoor about the Georgia Art Education Association Teacher Workshop with the Creative Arts Guild: 

 

After checking with Dalton Creative Arts Guild and the Georgia Art Education Association district presidents, we have April 23, 2022 as the suggested date for our teacher workshop. If this date will also work for the GCC, we can go ahead to confirm it and move on to planning the programming. (Date is fine, please mark your calendars)

 

I know it has been a while since the workshop was proposed in the pre-pandemic times, so I'll just briefly review what we have in mind.  We want to do a one-day hands-on workshop for art teachers in the school districts that cover northwest and most of northeast Georgia. The Creative Arts Guild has a large covered concourse space where we can set up multiple concurrent 1 and 2 hour workshops. There is an indoor space that may also be available for wheel throwing workshops (if it isn't, we can move the wheels down to the concourse). GAEA will handle advertising to the teachers and registration. Our need from GCC is talent - members to lead at least three hands-on workshops plus, if Fred is willing to once again bring the portable raku setup, several members willing to help with that. In an effort to keep costs as low as possible for the teachers, this will be an all-volunteer effort, though we will provide lunch and will reimburse presenters for supplies.

 

 

Investing in our organization, workshops, and outreach education:

The GCC has a consistent bank balance of over $4000. It has been suggested that we should, since we run as a non-profit organization, carry a lower balance. A few ideas on how we can invest some of this money in a way that will provide benefits to the members and community have been suggested: (new suggestions are welcome)

  1. Presentation technology – overhead monitor & camera for workshops.

  2. Loaning library for tools, books, molds, kiln furniture, glazing tools/sieves/scales. All could be useful for demonstrations, workshops, and roundtables.

  3. Investing in a community studio, such as the Cherokee Arts Center.

  4. Outdoor lighting for Raku nights at Something Southern Studio which hosts the events.

  5. Laptop for dedicated GCC secretary work.

 

Next Quarter Member Meeting: Wednesday, August 11, 2021 @ 6 p.m.

Third Quarter Member Meeting August 11, 2021

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MCMA Exhibit – Congratulations to everyone who submitted pieces and were accepted! We’re looking forward to a great show. Everyone should have received paperwork with details - delivery dates and reception date and time was discussed. All members are encouraged to attend. Tickets are $10, light refreshments and a cash bar will be available.

 

Reception date: Saturday, September 18th 6:00 - 8:00 PM

30 Atlanta Street, Marietta, GA 30060 

 

Treasurer Report –  $ 5,444.44   Discussed the intended acquisition of media technology - TV, video recording equipment, and a laptop for the group to use at workshops. 

 

Shows: 

 

CAC: We’ve been in discussion with the Cherokee Arts Center about scheduling a GCC members show, possibly this fall. They are working to bring the center back to pre-covid activity, but are short-staffed. Classes are going and they are continuing to add to their schedule. 

 

      They are ready to begin hosting shows. We have discussed the possibility of having a GCC member show this fall continuing the tradition of our annual show at the CAC. To help them in their efforts and short-staffed facility, Denise Van Balen will assist with creating the advertising for the show. As done previously, the GCC members will hang the show. 

 

     This would be for all members and does not have a jury process or application. The relationship between the GCC and CAC has been a long-standing and mutual benefit for both organizations. A show in early October was discussed with the members attending the quarterly meeting. General consensus was that early October was too soon to the MCMA drop off and opening. Further discussions with the CAC are in-progress for a show mid-November. Members should prepare for the possibility of a fall show at the CAC.  

 

     Also discussed was a proposed partnership between the GCC and the CAC, allowing members to join both organizations for a discount off of the separate memberships.   After clarification that this would be optional, not compulsory, there was agreement for the proposal.    Quarterly meetings will be held at the CAC going forward and until they are able to find a new home.   

 

Workshops:

  • Luce Van Asten 2-Day Surface Decoration March 26&27, 2022 at Phoebe’s home and studio. Luce presented information about her upcoming workshop on surface decoration. Registration will open early 2022, look for an email for registration details then. 

    • Some information presented in the workshop will include Sgraffito, Mishima, screen printed image transfers, image transfer with newsprint paper, painted image transfer with gelli-plate, texture and print-making on clay, slip trail underglaze, spray painting with a spray bottle, and the recipe and use of Magic Water.  

  • Judy Brater- Is not yet ready to resume her workshop schedule. When she is, we will update the group on time and location.

 

Upcoming Events:

 

Reminder to mark your calendar for the spring Georgia Art Education Association Teacher Workshop with the Creative Arts Guild currently scheduled for April 23, 2022. 

 

Dan and Mary could not make the meeting, but this is the information about the workshop:

 

     We have tied down the date of April 23, 2022 for "A Day of Clay" in Dalton. We need from GCC members to volunteer to conduct workshops and/or to assist with workshops. I will offer a couple of wheel-throwing sessions, and we'd like to have at least five other one hour or two hour workshops, plus a raku experience (one in the morning and one in the afternoon). The content can be applicable to elementary, middle, or high school classrooms or it can be aimed at enriching the teachers' personal skills with clay. Anyone who would like to volunteer can let us know at angelvillepottery@gmail.com . We'd like to try to tie down the list of presenters by the end of October if possible.

 

     Additional volunteers will be needed to provide prepared pieces for the Raku demonstrations, with the expectation that each attendee would be able to take their own piece home at the end of the event.   The total number of pieces needed has yet to be determined.  

 

GCC Member Raku Nights - Fred has injured his shoulder and has not been able to complete the work on the raku kiln. Also, with covid currently they are not ready for visitors to their home. We have another possibility in the works and will update when possible.

 

Emails - Group emails are now being sent through MailChimp which should eliminate the issue of some members being dropped from the recipient lists. Please check your spam folder if you feel you are not receiving them. Also, remember that minutes are usually posted to the website shortly after the meeting for members who were unable to attend in person. The minutes usually contain the most up-to-date information on events and shows.  

 

In Closing - There was general discussion about how this past year, for obvious reasons, there has been diminished activity by and about the group. The upcoming MCMA show, proposed partnership with the CAC and Luce’s workshop will hopefully renew enthusiasm and broaden our membership roles. Suggestions from members on possible workshop presenters, show venues, and demos at quarterly meetings are encouraged and extremely helpful.  


 

4th Quarter Meeting:

  • Date: Wednesday, November 10, 2021

  • Daytime meeting: 12:00 

  • Demo by Kathryn Somers: 11:30 a.m. on transfers; overglaze, underglaze.  

  • Location: currently Cherokee Arts Center, downtown Canton 

Empty Bowls.jpg

4th Quarter Member Meeting November 10, 2021

Hickory Flat Masonic Lodge

2907 E. Cherokee Rd.

Canton, Ga. 30115

 

Roundtable 11:30 a.m. Transfers: Overglaze and Underglaze with Kathryn Somers

Kathryn has ordered hers from https://elantransfers.com/  

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Meeting 12:00 – Meeting was called to order and potluck began.

 

Financial :

 

         Treasurer Report – by Luce Van Asten : current balance $5,444.46; two new members since last meeting.

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         GCC Tax Status – Megan Baker : Some questions had arisen about our standing with taxes and if we were going to pursue a 501 C3 status or similar. Looking through the paperwork and searching (Googling) for information brought the board to three conclusions:

 

(1) The GCC is registered in Georgia as a "Domestic Non-Profit Organization" and the articles were filed when it was created. So, we function as a non-profit and unless we have income that is unrelated to our non-profit standing, we don't file taxes with Georgia.  

 

(2) The paperwork for 501 C 3 (or similar) federal status was begun at some point, but never finished. The GCC has an EIN tax number that was setup as a "nonprofit organization" on the application. We are functioning as a nonprofit and as long as our income falls under our nonprofit exempt purpose we do not have to file taxes. If we have income that falls outside of our purpose we would have to pay taxes on it. 

 

(3) We only need 501 C3 status (or similar) if we seek donations that the donor can write off their taxes.

 

 A vote was called on if we should pursue 501 C3 status. The unanimous decision was no, we should not pursue 501 C3 status at this point.

 

Shows and Exhibits :

 

MCMA Show - is continuing through December 19th. From Madeline Beck, curator, “Feedback continues to be positive regarding your exhibition and I will be in touch in a few more weeks as we inch towards the closing at the end of December. Please keep an eye on what dates the MCMA is closed to the public as we near the holidays, especially if you're planning a trip to the museum around then.”

See some photos on our "Upcoming Events" page (click here).

Mark your calendars for pickup date (Dec 20th) and times.

 

Future Shows and Exhibits:

 

July 2022 - Gilmer Arts in Ellijay – Barbara Murphy has contacted Gilmer Arts and confirmed a show for July 2022. Details will be coming on specific dates and times and will be passed on when available.

This was a lovely show last time and should be a great venue for summer time in Ellijay.

 

Winter 2023 - Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association / Art Center - Mark your calendars! Rough dates are early January to mid-February, the same timeframe as our 2020 exhibit. Specific dates and times will be passed on when they are set. We’re looking forward to a beautiful show there again! 

 

Calhoun – The Creative Arts Guild - Dan and Mary Defoor will be meeting with them on Thursday evening and will see how the schedule looks there.

 

The Canton Arts Center show is historically an annual event for the GCC. With Covid restrictions and the center closed, we have missed showing there. The CAC is in the middle of reorganizing, which includes locating a new home for the center at the end of this year. They are committed to maintaining our relationship through these changes and we’re looking for ways to strengthen our ties and help the community with the CAC. We are planning on setting up a show date in the new year when they have secured a building and gallery space.

 

Galleries and Museums Spreadsheet – Julie Nunn is assembling a spreadsheet to help us plan for future shows and exhibits. If anyone has suggestions or information to add on galleries and contacts, please drop us an email.

Current galleries on the spreadsheet are: Swan Gallery, Forward Arts Foundation, Museum of Contemporary Art, Blue Ridge Mountain Art Association, Cherokee Arts Center, Harris Arts Center, The Booth Museum, Dave and Pauli's, Creative Arts Guild, The Bowen Center for the Arts, Bleu Gallery, Gilmer Arts, Quinlan Visual Art Center, Brenau University - Galleries, Gallery on the Square, Marietta Museum of Art, John C Campbell Folk School.

 

Other Business:

 

Hickory Flat Masonic Lodge This 4th Quarter Meeting was scheduled to meet at the HF Masonic Lodge to help the members evaluate the building and location. It has been offered at no charge for our use (as long as scheduling does not conflict with the Masonic Lodge’s use and providing we clean up after ourselves). The building has a large room that easily holds 12 large round tables and can accommodate other tables for presenter’s use. Along one side of the room there is a kitchen setup including one fridge, one freezer, and cabinetry with long countertops. Easy access to bathrooms and parking makes it possibly ideal for meetings or workshops.

 

Members in attendance agreed that it would be a great place to hold future meetings and workshops. Workshop attendance could be increased significantly over home studio spaces we currently use. More attendees would increase the amount brought in per workshop and could help keep the cost of the workshops down as artist rates, especially regional artist rates, continue to rise. Size of workshops would be determined by the presenter and their comfort level with teaching. Smaller workshops may continue to be held at member studios for the creative and warm atmosphere. Member studios are often well equipped for the workshops, especially if slab rollers or wheels are needed for the workshop.

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Workshops :

 

Surface Decoration with Luce Van Asten;  March 26 & 27, 2022 currently scheduled at Phoebe Maze’s home. Registration will open in January. Cost will be $150 for members and $185 non-member. This will include some of the supplies needed, such as the gelli-plate, that attendees will take home. Flyer is on our "Upcoming Events" page (click here). Look for a registration email in January.

 

Stacy Morgan, a regional artist from Alabama, offers several options for one or two day workshops. Options for two day workshops included slip-trailing with expanded use of slip or octopus sculpting with sprig making workshop. Members voted on slip-trailing this year with a possibility of sculpting next year. Stacy’s fee is higher than the standard GCC amount of $1000 for the two days. Travel expenses would be reduced with Stacy staying at Phoebe’s home. If Stacy is comfortable with having more than 12 attendees, then we can keep the price of the workshop at $150 member and $185 non-member. Kathryn will contact her and see what her maximum class size is and possible dates available for 2022.  

 

Sculpting with Plasticine Clay & Mold Making with Julie Nunn; in the summer of 2022. This is a one-day workshop including step-by-step for modeling the head.

 

Education and Outreach:

 

“Day of Clay” Teacher Workshop with Creative Arts Guild: Update from Dan and Mary DeFoor:

         They are still looking for volunteers for the Day of Clay on Saturday April 23, 2022. A handout was presented (and will be attached or found on the GaClayCouncil.com website) for members to sign up to help someone with a workshop, or to present a 1 or 2 hour workshop for the teachers.

         Workshops can have a target audience for teachers with no experience and up to teachers that are very educated in clay. Some schools, such as many elementary schools, may be limited to hand-building, but others will have wheels available. Dan will be running a wheel throwing workshop. A raku workshop is always a hit and is planned. Past workshops have included ribbon pots, fish, pinch pots…  Really, anything you do would be knowledge gained for the teachers!

         So, fill out a form and present a workshop or help someone else present theirs!

If you have any questions you can contact Dan for more information (and send your form in) at drdand4@gmail.com or 678-524-4499.

 

 

Annual Scholarship

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A proposal was put to the membership to begin an Annual Scholarship for continuing education for GCC members. Any current member would be able to submit a proposal to the board for an award of up to $1000 towards a class or workshop. The cost of this would be covered through the annual membership dues. The member would then be responsible for teaching what they learned, or some of it, to the rest of the GCC members. This would not only expand the education of the member receiving the award, but also the knowledge of the GCC membership as a whole.

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  • The board will work on creating an application for the award that will include the amount the member is requesting, which class or workshop they would attend, the knowledge or skills they hope to acquire, and how it may benefit the GCC membership.

  • The award can be up to $1000 and will be paid directly to the venue.

  • If several members request smaller amounts, there may be more than one award in a year.

  • There are no restrictions on where or when the class or workshop is to take place.

  • The class or workshop does not need to be strictly a clay class, but must relate to clay work in some way.

 

Currently, applications will be due by December 15th so a decision can be made by the end of year for classes the following year. The attendee will share what they have learned to the membership as a demo or roundtable before regular membership meetings or in a half-day, one-day, or two-day workshop.

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A vote was put to the membership and was passed to pursue the annual scholarship and create the application for the coming year.

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Empty Bowls 

 

We have contacted Must Ministries, they are very excited about this event and are willing to attend and give us information about how their ministry feeds the homeless. We are waiting for date info from the Masons Lodge. We will be making a list of restaurants to contact for soup and ice cream donations.     

As of now we have 35 bowls donated, we’d like 200😊

You can contact Denise Van Balen @ dmvb.art@gmail.com to donate bowls or to volunteer for the event!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                         

GCC Board: Election time.  

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The discussion was opened for elections. A call was made for anyone who wanted to serve on the board. Uh, yeah. It was like we thought. The current board stated they were willing to continue serving in their current positions. The members voted and it was passed (very quickly).

A new member, Bonnie Diamond, offered to serve in the membership area. The vote was passed.

 

 2022 GCC Board Members:

President – Megan Baker

Vice President – Kathryn Somers

Secretary – Barbara Murphy

Treasurer – Luce Van Asten

Media and Promotion – Denise Van Balen

Resource Chair – Julie Nunn, including website resources

Shows, exhibits, galleries - open

Membership – Bonnie Diamond (Kathryn Somers will assist)

Reach out to new members and add them to the website..

Website and Social Media – (Megan & Denise acting)

Volunteer Chair - OPEN

Lynna Gron has volunteered to assist.

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Meeting was adjourned.

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1st Quarter Member Meeting Wednesday, February 9, 2022. Meeting at 12:00 noon.

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