Donate art to a good cause

St. Vital

Royalwood

West Winnipeg

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/06/2023 (1042 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There are times when a good spring cleaning can go a long way.

The non-profit organization Grands ‘n’ More Winnipeg is once again inviting individuals to scour their attics, closets, cupboards, and anywhere else they might stash stuff in support of a good cause.

Community members are being encouraged to donate pieces of surplus art to the seventh annual Art from the Attic sale, which will take place on Sunday, Oct. 15 at St. Vital Centre, when organizers predict there will be somewhere between 1,800 and 2,000 pieces of art for sale; a figure that’s based on donations from previous years. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign.

Between now and into September, dedicated volunteers will be collecting, cleaning and sorting a wide variety of hangable art in all kinds of sizes and genres. To give prospective donors an idea of how they can help, organizers say past donors have either been downsizing, moving, sorting through someone’s effects, as well as responding to the realization they’ve fallen out of love with a particular piece. In turn, their art will find a loving new home while also helping support a good cause in the process.

“We’re happy to accept any kind of art, any medium and any size,” said Sharon Twilley, a key organizer of the event along with Jean Altemeyer. “We just ask the art is in condition and is ready to hang. We don’t accept sculptures or stuff that sits on a table. Other than that, anything goes, whether it’s amateur paintings, fine art, or good limited edition prints by well-known artists — we cover the whole spectrum.”

Twilley, who lives in Royalwood, said donors and buyers tend to overlap, and the age range of the latter runs the spectrum from small children to seniors.

“Last year, we were surprised by how may kids came through, who were shopping with their parents.”

Last year’s event also garnered the support of student volunteers from three south Winnipeg high schools — Dakota, Windsor Park and Vincent Massey — who helped set up the sale displays and take them down at the end and do various errands such as helping buyers organize their purchases and out to their vehicles.

“Their work was essential in making the event run on time and successfully. They gave up substantial hours of their weekend, and their cheerful faces and youthful energy boosted the spirits of those of the organizers, mostly grandmothers and grand others, whose joints are less forgiving,” Twilley said.

Last year’s sale raised more than $30,000.

For information about drop-off times and locations, or to request pickup, potential donors can email gnmafta@gmail.com or call 431-276-9973.