This Saturday Parkside Art Gallery is opening a new show in support of the 100 Mile District Hospice Palliative Care Society.
Entitled simply Art For Hospice the show features the work of over 30 different members of the South Cariboo artist community. All of them have submitted paintings, sculptures and fibre art pieces with 50 to 100 per cent of all sales going directly to hospice. The show opens Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with both the artists and members of hospice on hand to answer questions over treats and coffee.
“We’ll have refreshments and people can peruse what’s available there and hopefully bid on them. This is part of our fundraising efforts for this year,” Judy Weir, hospice’s acting chairperson and longtime volunteer, said. “Hospice is going to be hosting the opening and we’ll be providing refreshments and just speaking with the patrons that come and give them a little bit of insight into what hospice does.”
Weir has been a volunteer with hospice for years and said she’s spent the last several weeks working with Patsy Granberg and Claudia Ring to organize the show. The idea for the show originated with Ring who Weir said has recently joined hospice as one of their volunteers. May is also Hospice Awareness Month, making the timing of the show special.
The theme for the show was left wide open, Weir explained, with artists invited to submit everything and anything to the show. Many of them chose to submit paintings themed around hospice’s chosen symbol, the butterfly. Hospice adopted the butterfly as a symbol because it represents life, transformation and hope, elements hospice deal with alongside grief counselling.
Granberg said that many of the artists and patrons of Parkside Gallery have deep connections with hospice. That’s why when Ring suggested they do a show in support of the group they agreed. She noted to her knowledge it is the first time the gallery had done a fundraiser like this.
“I’m glad to be a part of it. It seemed important I find a small place in it which I have done,” Granberg said. “There is a good assortment of art coming in. During my shift last week I was delighted that people making the donations often have stories about hospice and were passionate to contribute.”
For her own contribution to the show, Granberg submitted a painting titled Caragana Summer. She said it depicts butterflies flying through the air, which she chose because of its connection to hospice.
Weir remarked she’s eager to see the show all hung and is appreciative the artists have agreed to do this for hospice. She’s hopeful the entire community will come out and see the show.
“There’s so much talent in this little town of ours. We have a myriad of different things people do so I hope people come and see what is available,” Weir remarked.
Parkside Art Gallery is open Tuesdays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Art for Hospice runs until June 24.
