Painting their interpretation of storefronts on Fifth Street in Courtenay is just the beginning of giving back by a new group calling itself the Art Group of the Comox Valley (AGCV).
The collection of paintings, a fundraiser for the Comox Valley Food Bank, now hangs in Percs Coffee Shop on Fifth Street where a silent auction is ongoing. The money raised through this silent auction will go entirely to the food bank.
On Aug. 7, the group handed over a $300 cheque to the food bank, proceeds collected during a private showing of the Fifth Street project. Much more will follow if the community gets involved and bids on these paintings at Percs.
But the show and auction will not be here for long.
“On Aug. 29 the silent bidding will be over,” states AGCV founder Kate Brown, who has a number of paintings in the show.
She also adds that this is the public’s opportunity to own an original painting for an opening bid of $50.
“We hope that the merchants along the street will also get involved in order to acquire a painting of their own shop. All they have to do is come in, look at the paintings, go through the auction book, and write down their bid. The artists have contributed their materials, talent and time, and now the community has the opportunity to take part.”
Some of the artists in the group are internationally known. Pieter Molenaar is one such painter whose work sells for thousands of dollars.
“What an opportunity to own an original Molenaar oil painting at an unheard of price,” says AGCV member Marlet Ashley.
Molenaar’s paintings hang in galleries across the country. You can look him up on the Internet to see the kind of work he does and the places that showcase his paintings. See pietersart.blogspot.com.
When asked why he became involved with this project, Molenaar states, “People have to eat. It was a chance to provide one of the basic things of life for people in need.”
Molenaar claims the three paintings he did for the project took him away from his usual subject matter, “but it was for a good cause.”
Myshree Tsai is another internationally known artist whose “needle paintings” have gained wide attention (see myshree99.blogspot.com).
Tsai was last year’s winner of the People’s Choice Members’ Show at the Pearl Ellis Gallery in Comox. Tsai is also an art teacher who gives classes and conducts workshops in her home studio in Courtenay.
Members and non-members of the AGCV may sign up for a workshop offered by Tsai and Brown titled Boundless Memory on Aug. 24 and 25. See www.artgroupcomoxvalley.net.
During the summer months, the Comox Valley Food Bank is in need of donations of food and cash. What better way is there to contribute to the community than by bidding on one or more of the original paintings of downtown Courtenay seen at Percs’ Coffee Shop on Fifth Street in Courtenay?
Not only will you be contributing to a worthy cause, you will end up with a fine work of art as well.
— Art Group of the Comox Valley
