MOOSE JAW — Whether it’s a painting, quilt, wood carving or metal engravings, the Rotary Club of Moose Jaw Wakamow wants residents to donate any unwanted wall art to support an upcoming fundraiser.
The volunteer organization is hosting the “Art in the Attic” sale on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Centre for Arts and Culture. Most items will be priced from $10 to $60, although some pieces will be priced over $100.
The club noted that it welcomes any wall art from people who want to clear out their attics or basements, are moving or downsizing, or who want to change the artwork in their homes.
The donations will have a positive effect in the community and internationally, the club said, as it will take the proceeds from the paintings, prints, posters, photographs, needlework and empty frames and turn them into food for hungry children, needed hospital equipment, books for pre-schoolers, awards for young musicians and polio vaccines.
Moreover, the club will use the money to support classrooms, kitchens and scholarships for children in Guatemala, as it has a partnership with a Rotary group there.
Donations can be dropped off at the Western Development Museum seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Anyone who wants to donate large or difficult-to-move wall art can call David at 306-631-7213.
Rotarian Marian Kettlewell explained that she heard from a woman in February about a similar fundraiser that the Rotary Club of Calgary Heritage Park has been running for six years. The woman knew the Moose Jaw club was always looking for new, different and unique fundraisers and passed along the details.
“I think it’s a really neat idea,” Kettlewell said, noting “everybody wins” since customers can purchase new art and the club can generate money for projects.
Continuing, she said she enjoys art, and while she’s no expert, she appreciates quality work. Moreover, she and her husband visit museums whenever they travel; last spring, they were in Paris, France, where she visited two museums and saw works by well-known impressionist painters, such as Monet, Degas and Sisley.
“It was very cool,” she remarked.
Kettlewell noted that she wouldn’t be surprised to find “some treasures” hidden among the items people give. To identify those interesting artworks, the club has recruited an expert from Moose Jaw’s art world, who will curate the donations to determine whether some should be priced higher.
The fundraiser appears to be gaining popularity since the club announced it, as members have visited the WDM four times already to empty the donation bin, which was overflowing with donations one day, she said. This initial support has pleased the club greatly.
Continuing, Kettlewell said the club has been appealing for artwork not just in Moose Jaw, but outside the community as well. They have advertised the sale in all directions, including north to Davidson, west to Elbow, south to Assiniboia and east to Belle Plaine — with donations coming in from even further away.
“We have no idea from where these pieces of art (have) come. So we are going to canvas people on the day of the sale to find out how they learned about the sale,” she added. “And that’s the only way we’ll know where the interest is … .”
For more details, visit rotaryclubofmoosejawwakamow.org.
