Editor:
Thank you to the Sunshine Coast Volunteer Centre for recognizing Pat and Murray Drope’s contribution to local arts and culture, through your Celebration of Excellence of local volunteers.
Pat and Murray, like many, retired to the Sunshine Coast after long careers that saw them living and working all over Canada and the world. “Retirement” for them has not followed the usual definition. Retirement for them is helping found and operate a public art gallery.
Now, 14 years later, with the help of a legion of artists, volunteers, and local sponsors, the Sunshine Coast has the gift of the Gibsons Public Art Gallery. The end result of this is something real and tangible for everyone: a community venue suitable for celebrating all forms of art and culture.
Pat and Murray have helped with every aspect of gallery administration, and played an important role in the renovation and acquisition of our current building. Through their management of the Eve Smart legacy, they have helped define the values of our organization as a volunteer-run charity: welcoming, supportive, inclusive, educative, encouraging, pro-partnership, enabling, public, accessible to everyone.
Cheers to Pat and Murray and all the retirees in our community who have devoted this phase of their lives to extraordinary public service. Our community is a better place because of you.
Stewart Stinson, president, Gibsons Public Art Gallery
