Despite the deluge of late-season snow, the Sundre Art Society’s 44th annual art show and sale drew a good turnout at the Sundre West Country Centre, the group’s president said.
“We had about 200 people come through both days,” said Lila Weiss, adding that number was down a bit from the average, most likely due to the weather.
Considering the conditions on Saturday, April 27, when a spring snowstorm swept through the area wreaking havoc on roads, Weiss seemed pleased by how many people attended the free admission event and said everything went well.
The show and sale also continued the following day, by which point the weather had improved, encouraging a larger crowd to check out the almost 200 paintings on display by 25 artists who participated, she said.
Many of the featured pieces were somewhat smaller, as there would not be enough room to display hundreds of larger canvases. Every year, people who attend to peruse the exhibition are offered an opportunity to vote for their favourite work. This year, 14 different artists received at least one vote for fan favourites, she said.
One of Weiss’s paintings, a piece called Pristine that features a snowy landscape scene near Lake Louise, garnered the most votes to earn the viewer’s choice, she said.
The primary objective behind the art show and sale is to not only provide artists with a platform to feature their work, but also to give members of the public a chance to see the variety of talent in their own backyard, she said.
“We’re all about showcasing local art.”
Because there are expenses involved in hosting such an event, the show and sale also raises funds just to offset those costs, she added.
This year, 45 paintings were sold, which while more than last year was actually about average compared with past years, she said.
“We had 17 artists who sold at least one piece.”
There was about $5,300 in sales, with the society receiving 10 per cent of the proceeds, or roughly $530 to help the group break even, she said.
Members of the society planned to debrief the recent show and sale this week to discuss how things went and to begin the process of conjuring up ideas for the 45th annual exhibition next April, she said.
While a new theme has yet to be determined for the next show, this year’s subject, Feathers, was interpreted in a variety of ways. One piece in particular left an impression on Weiss, who described the work of an artist who painted an image of a feather that featured a landscape scene within it.
