Background
I launched the Giving Art Project after winning an art competition sponsored by the Vancouver Island Symphony (VIS). As part of their Pictures Project, the VIS requested submissions of art that were inspired by the music of Russian composer, Modest Mussorgsky. The VIS chose my submission (“The Hatching”) for Mussorgsky’s piece called “Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks.” My artwork – along with nine other winning submissions – were showcased during the VIS’s performance of “Pictures at an Exhibition” (above image). I later sold “The Hatching” and donated the net proceeds to the VIS’s educational and outreach programs.
Participating in the Giving Art Project
Non-profit organizations are an essential service in our communities. Whether the focus is on wildlife protection, outreach for seniors, or music camp for kids, non-profit organizations work to improve the quality of life for all of us. Many of these organizations rely heavily on donations or fund-raising to provide services. That’s where the Giving Art Project comes in. Through this project, I volunteer my time to create art, which can then be used to raise money for a worthy cause.
If you work or volunteer for a registered charity in Canada, you may be eligible to receive one of my original artworks to auction, sell, or to raffle off, and raise money for your organization.
A Good News Story
I was thrilled when Nature Canada invited me to participate in their Online Auction 2023. I donated “A Stop Along the Way” to the auction. This is a large paper painting depicting a Columbian black-tailed deer that visited my garden last summer.
Thanks to Mary from Sydney, Nova Scotia, for purchasing this artwork! Mary — along with the other bidders in the auction — helped raise a total of $15,000 that will support Nature Canada’s efforts to save wildlife and protect nature in Canada. Mary writes:
“I am so very thankful and honoured to have such a beautiful art piece on my wall. I feel a sense of peace every time I look at it. Your artwork is beautiful. Thank you for all you do.“
Working With Other Artists
Some of my donations have been the result of joint projects with other artists. I joined up with 3D artist, Lily Dalley, from Kamloops, BC, to create “The Salmon Run.” This piece was donated to the Big Little Science Centre in Kamloops. Lily also wrote two children’s books featuring Percy the cat. My artwork appears in both books, and I created the cover art for “Percy Gets a Job.” The proceeds from the books go to charitable causes.
Feature Image: The Hatching onstage with the Vancouver Island Symphony. Image by Dirk Heydemann of HA Photography.
“An artist is someone who produces things that people don’t need to have but that (s)he — for some reason — thinks it would be a good idea to give them.”
Andy Warhol