The resilient non-for-profit arts organization Island Mountain Arts (IMA) in Wells, known for its ArtsWells Festival and School of the Arts, is taking Bids, Brews and a BBQ, its annual online and live auction fundraiser and dinner, to Prince George this weekend.
IMA presents its Bids, Brews and a BBQ Live Auction and Dinner Fundraiser Saturday, Oct. 5 at Hubspace at 1299 Third Ave. in Prince George.
The event begins at 5:30 p.m., with complimentary beverages for the first hour, hosted by Barkerville Brewing Co. and Bench 1775.
Local harp sensation Shoshanna Godber will provide live music while guests have a chance to peruse the live and silent auction items.
The live auction begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by a gourmet barbecue dinner, which is included with your ticket. Tickets cost $35 for Island Mountain Arts members or $50 for non-members, which includes an IMA membership.
In the tiny town of Wells, Island Mountain Arts has been at the artistic frontier, inspiring and empowering generations of Canadian artists for the past 42 years.
The organization began with the School of the Arts in 1977, offering professional arts programs from ballet to music to visual arts. In 1988, IMA acquired the historic Hill Meat Market building and renovated it into a Public Gallery space and administrative offices. In 2004, the ArtsWells Festival Of All Things Art was created as an event to capture the spirit of Island Mountain Arts and its multidisciplinary mandate in a weekend festival format.
In 2014, after a successful fundraising campaign and with the partnership of Integris Credit Union, IMA took possession of a new property, which provides much-needed accommodations for its artists, instructors and staff, as well as provides for a new Artist-in-Residence program and accommodates storage and space needs for IMA.
This upcoming fundraiser will help support all the programs that IMA delivers, including the Toni Onley Artists’ Project, the International Harp and Cello School, the ArtsWells Festival of All Things Art, the exhibitions at the IMA Gallery, and the Artist-in-Residence program, and help IMA continue to grow a grassroots arts economy and creative community.
Anyone who cannot make it to the event in Prince George but still wants to support IMA can bid on auction items online. Visit imarts.com to see all the items up for bid.
READ MORE: Island Mountain Arts in Wells celebrates 40th anniversary
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