The countdown to Christmas began Thursday and in recognition of the season and the ongoing need to assist people in the community at this time of year, Elevation Contemporary Art Gallery in Canmore is hosting a fundraiser for the Bow Valley Christmas Spirit Campaign this weekend (Dec. 3-4).
As part of the two-day festivities, Get sm(Art), Give sm(Art), Cheryl Baxter, who owns Elevation Gallery, is planning a book launch, limited edition holiday cards and a raffle of original artwork with all proceeds earmarked for Christmas Spirit.
The gallery is also hosting demonstrations of book making and acrylic, oil and encaustic painting, entertainment and tastings of wine and beer and the launch of the annual miniature show, which will feature 100 pieces ranging in price from $50 to $500.
Gallery artist Ian Sheldon will be on hand Saturday (Dec. 3) to launch and sign his new book, Storm Chaser: Canadian Prairie Skyscapes featuring his favourite work from the past decade and insights into his large-scale prairie storm paintings. The gallery will donate $20 from the sale of each book sold during the weekend to Christmas Spirit.
The limited-edition Christmas cards, which will be sold in bundles of five for $25, feature 18 original paintings by gallery artists and can be mixed and matched – only 25 of each card have been printed. All proceeds from the sale of the cards will go to the campaign.
A selection of the paintings used for the cards will be raffled off as well, with tickets for the raffle selling for $5 each.
Baxter said she has supported the Christmas Spirit Campaign for many years, but with the difficult economic times, the support has slipped.
“I had a dedication, but it had fallen off. Everyone has been scrambling to keep their business alive and vibrant. You refocus, you’re constantly refocusing and when the time comes again to look at where you got where you are and how you are able to maintain it, you realize it is 100 per cent community,” Baxter said.
“And there’s an opportunity to make Christmas a simpler time for as many people as possible and the Christmas Spirit campaign seems to be right now the central focus. I asked around. I wanted to ask my community and did a bit of a survey and time and time again it came back there is never enough. For the campaign, people are incredibly generous, but there’s never enough. I wanted to start early to contribute as much as we possibly can.”
Baxter said she hopes the weekend will raise at least $3,000 to support the hamper program.
The gallery will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information, keep checking www.elevation-gallery.blogspot.com as Baxter said she intends to continually update it with times and new events.
For more ways to help the Christmas Spirit Campaign go to www.christmasspiritcampaign.com
