It was a successful sale of local art, and also an exercise in co-operative fundraising.
Last Friday, two non-profit organizations that had never worked together before, the Gibsons Public Art Gallery and Habitat for Humanity, Sunshine Coast, hosted a gala art auction that raised more than $13,000 to be shared equally between both.
About 80 people crowded into the gallery to browse the work and bid at silent and live auctions.
"We could have held it at a larger venue, but this way we drew people into the gallery, many of whom hadn't been there before," said Habitat's executive director Ron Pepper.
Fifty local artists donated the artwork all on the theme of Visions of Home. The artwork ranged from a stained glass model house by Susan Furze to a soapstone sculpture by Ian Hooley that represented in abstract the strength and security of home. Several younger people shared their visions: Landseer Enga, aged 9, used the medium of embellished milk cartons, while Arif Janmohamed, 9, worked with his father on a piece.
During a live auction, auctioneer and artist Ed Hill had the chance to offer one of his own prints, a depiction of Georgia Beach, along with 11 other pieces by the Coast's finest. Several door prizes included a $500 gift certificate from the Waltzing Whippet and a sculpture from Dog River Pottery. Peter Bogardus won the spectacular recycled and painted door, the "door prize," by artist Jan Poynter.
Putting on this fundraiser represented a big challenge to the Gallery, said president Rod Olafson, as the board had not attempted such a large-scale event before.
"Working with a well established group like Habitat for Humanity was a chance to broaden our fundraising base and learn new skills in supporting ourselves," he said. "We are very grateful to Habitat for partnering with us."
Habitat's fundraising committee chair Deborah Pepper commented that she likes any fundraising event to be entirely funded by sponsorship, "so that every penny entrusted to us through ticket and art sales will be dedicated to building homes for people and homes for art."
In this case, a host of local sponsors chipped in for catering, wine, framing, wall scripting, promotion and silent auction items.
See our on-line photo gallery for more pictures from the event.
