My art exhibit called Colours of Hope is an awareness campaign for the arts program of Siloam Mission- a humanitarian organization that provides a variety of programs and services free-of-charge to people experiencing homelessness and poverty in the city of Winnipeg.
The art exhibit started February 18 and went on until the 24th (but closed on Sunday) at The Edge Gallery on 611 Main Street. The exhibit had at least 200 visitors and they all came from different backgrounds and places. It's heart-warming to see the eagerness of these people who wanted to know what the exhibit was all about; but most specifically, curious of what our patron-artists (homeless artists) can do in the field of visual arts.
I had never thought that the exhibit would draw this much crowd. It attracted media attention and the event was all over the television, radio, and print. It was exciting to see that this was also publicized immenseley in different sites. Some of which I didn't ask to promote in the first place. Looking back, now I can remember that some of the people from these organizations are people I met long time ago.
There is a great sense of community here in our city and I am proud to be a Winnipegger. The event not only saw the artworks of patron-artists who have something to give back to the community, but as well as fascinating paintings by renowned local artists including Jackie Traverse, Patrick Ross, Jordan Miller, Lana Winfield, and promising artists Andrea Caron and Josie Hofer (a Hutterite).
The art exhibit concluded with an art auction night (it's only then that I realized that I was doing two projects) and it saw more than 60 people. I have all the names, and I am definitely sure that there were at least 60 people. The program was hosted by Winnipeg Sun's Laurie Mustard who charismatically handled the program with great ease. Bill Knight of Bill Knight Flooring & Carpets was our program's auctioneer. There were many heart-warming moments during that night's event. Frankly, it's not easy to hold an art auction; moreso, a LIVE auction. But we were successful because we were able to sell 7 out of the 11 paintings in the live auction and it made our featured artists really happy. What's so important about that very cold night (I think it was the coldest night this week) was the great expression of community among our guests. They braved the cold and the dark streets of downtown Winnipeg, just to show their support for the city's homeless and impoverished population.
I only have great words for each and every person who was there. I myself was so touched by the great support of everyone. I would be writing more about this in my next post. At the meantime, join with me in cloud 9 and have a sense of excitement building up; as even though this event is over, the impact it created will surely linger on and hopefully, will open to new doors.
Congratulations, Desiree. You worked very hard to make your event a success.
ReplyDeleteBask in the glow of your achievement.