Art from the Attic to be held Oct. 6

St. Vital

Royalwood

South Osborne

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This article was published 02/10/2024 (346 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This year’s Art from the Attic event promises to be a bumper affair.

At press time, approximately 2,500 pieces of art had been donated and processed for the fundraiser, which — according to key organizer and Royalwood resident Sharon Twilley — is the largest number of pieces collected in the local fundraiser’s history.

Art from the Attic will be held on Sunday, Oct. 6 between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. at St. Vital Centre (1225 St. Mary’s Rd.), when donated items for sale will be displayed in centre court and along at least two corridors of the shopping mall.

The annual event is organized by the non-profit organization Grands ‘n’ More Winnipeg, and proceeds will go to the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign. This year, Grands ‘n’ More Winnipeg members invited individuals to scour their attics, basements, closets, cupboards, and anywhere else they might stash stuff in support of a good cause.

“I think people are happy to divest themselves of art that’s no longer appealing or useful to them,” said Twilley, co-chair of the planning committee with South Osborne resident Jean Altemeyer. “People are happy to pass these pieces on rather than put them in a dumpster.”

Some donations, Twilley said, come from family members of painters who sometimes donate a large or entire collection from the artist.

Since the annual campaign got going earlier this year, dedicated volunteers have been collecting, cleaning and sorting a wide variety of hangable art in all kinds of sizes and genres.

On the day of the event, grateful organizers will also benefit from the helping hands of volunteers from various local schools and organizations, including Dakota Collegiate, Pembina Trails Collegiate, Vincent Massey Collegiate, and Windsor Park Collegiate. As well, additional students from high schools will be participating through a program called CanU Canada.

“They help set up, carry the art out from storage, help with payment, and help take the art out to people’s cars,” Twilley said, noting her appreciation for their efforts. “They are our arms and legs.”

On the day before the event, Oct. 5, a pop-up display in the mall will showcase 30 to 40 pieces, to give passersby a small taste of what will be on sale the following day. Prospective shoppers are also will not be able to rummage beforehand, and the sale itself will begin at 11 a.m. sharp.

As well as the donated artwork, hand-made merchandise, including bags and gift cards, plus vintage jewelry items donated by grandmothers, will be on sale at Art from the Attic.

Call 431-294-5784 or email gnmafta@gmail.com for more information, or visit @artfromtheattic on Instagram.