Local Art With Heart
Local Art With Heart
Sunday May 6, 1-5pm
The Urban Barn (24 Oceanview Drive, Halifax)
In its second year, Local Art with Heart takes place this Sunday showcasing works from eleven Halifax artists. The event’s planner, Colleen Ritchie, explains its three major objectives: “The first part of the idea was that often original art is expensive and therefore not always accessible. So they want to share art at a reasonable price. Secondly, as with most art forms, dance, music and more, part of honing your craft is being able to share it with an audience. The third part was to do it in support of a worthy cause making it a real community event”.
All of the artists will be donating 10% of their sales to the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia. In 2010, $700 was raised for the organization at the first Local Art exhibition. “Coleen Murphy [one of the participating artists and founders] says that they picked the Mental Health Foundation because the group really believes that having a creative outlet really helps practice good mental health,” explains Ritchie. “Having a creative outlet helps the balance of life”.
The artists at this year’s show range from the professionally trained to those who create in their spare time; at least one artist is making their public debut. Visitors will be surrounded by paintings, drawings, stained glass and jewellery as they tour around the Urban Barn, a space created by local artist Catherine McKinnon as an extension of her home that she shares with the community on special occassions.
One of the artists returning to Local Art with Heart is Janet Davison, former Artist in Residence at the Maritime Museum and Editorial Illustrator at The Chronicle Herald. She will be showing her Halifax streetscape paintings. “I create art for the love of it. That's really where you want to always be,” shares Davison. “I graduated from NSCAD over a decade ago and have shown work in a lot of places, but Halifax is something special. That's why I'm painting it!” ~ Michelle Brunet
For more information on Sunday’s event, visit: http://www.facebook.com/LocalArtWithHeart
