The Chrysalis Art Program in Edmonton churned out yet another masterpiece thanks to the 6th Annual Art Show and Sale presented by Scotiabank on April 25, 2014. After another year of hard work, creativity and the introduction of new creative outlets like our photography program, our artists were more than ready to showcase their talents and open the doors for this annual public display.
Art Program Facilitator, Gonzalo Canales, assistants Carmella Haykowsky and Mark Halfe, along with a handful of volunteers took over the basement in our Edmonton facility and created a wonderful gallery to show off nearly 200 hundred unique pieces of art. Airbrushed Plexiglas, hand painted canvas and beautifully framed photographs were expertly arranged throughout the space, ready to be plucked off the walls and easels on which they were displayed. 30 different artists had at least one piece up for sale.
Each year, the show continues to get bigger and better, and this year was no exception. The public has certainly taken notice of this as well which was evident when guests started arriving 45 minutes prior to the doors officially opening! By the time 6:00 pm rolled around, the parking lot was packed and people were quickly wandering through the displays to get a peek at what they wanted to take home before someone else scooped it up in front of them. Guests were also introduced to a new element this year in the form of a silent auction. To allow guests who either couldn’t arrive early enough, or those who couldn’t attend at all, the opportunity to still purchase a fantastic piece of art, we set aside seven different paintings for folks to bid on throughout the evening. Updates were relayed, and bids were accepted, through our Facebook and Twitter pages for those not able to be with us at the show.
Guests continued to flood through the doors as the night progressed. Well over 200 people attended the show which made for a very crowded basement, not to mention an extremely busy cash and wrapping station! It wasn’t until about 8:30, just a half hour before the show closed, that the galleries finally started to thin out. From there you could see just how bare some of the display areas had become thanks to patrons who had been buying up the inventory! At the end of the event, 110 pieces had been purchased for a total of close to $13,000 raised! The silent auction alone raised nearly $3,000 which included three of the seven paintings selling for $500 each! All funds raised thanks to this event will be shared between the artists (70%) and the art program (30%) to ensure the studio remains stocked with supplies.
These numbers are easily the largest we have seen in all the years we have hosted the art show and sale! Lofty figures to try and surpass next year but you can bet that our artists will be up to the challenge!
Photos of the event will be posted on our Facebook page when everything comes back from the photographer. Teaser images and a gallery of the silent auction items can be found in our Facebook galleries should you want a little taste of what was on display.
Thank you to all who attended the 6th Annual Art Show and Sale presented by Scotiabank and showed their support for our talented artists in the Chrysalis Art Program! We look forward to our next show in the Spring of 2015 but don’t forget, art is up for sale year round so feel free to drop by for a look at the art studio if you are interested in a new piece!
The art show was fantastic. The art work and photographs were breath taking. Bravo to everyone who were involved in putting such an amazing art show.