Art in the Heart!!

Mmmmmm.....Hot August nights....and it's time for Art in the Heart, a celebration of the arts in downtown Vancouver, Washington. This is one weekend we get to outshine our big sister, Portland, Oregon, across the river. A night and a day celebrating art and music, complete with food, wine, and the company of artists, musicians and citizens as they tour our 13 galleries.
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A bittersweet experience for our gallery, as this may be our last celebration if we fail to raise $5000 by August 31. For those of you who have been to the gallery, you know how special this space is. Red brick walls and high ceilings. Wood floors, warm with the patina of age. Filtered north light spilling through windows that have displayed a variety of goods since the early 1900's. And a tiny nook where you can curl up with a good book on a cold winter day, warmed by the nearby stove.

We are sponsored by the MOSAIC Art Alliance, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization and through the years we have brought art from around the world to be viewed in our gallery shows. Through grants and volunteer hours, we've brought art classes to children of all socio-economic levels in the community. We have reached out to struggling artists in the community and given them an opportunity to show their talent. And we have been voted best gallery in Vancouver.

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And then the recession came....competition for grants became intense and fewer grants were available - our crowds remained strong, but purchases dwindled as everyone struggled to cope. Suddenly we found ourselves in a place we have not been before....at the very brink of disaster. BUT...we are determined not to give up without a fight to keep art in the community, available for all.

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$5000.....50 donations of $100...100 donations of $50....500 donations of $10. Every dime will count! We appealed to the Columbian to publish our plight and have been amazed with the outpouring of support and we are thankful for every donation big and small.

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So we will join the festivities of Art in the Heart this weekend and hope you will join us for the opening reception of our sixth annual Fiber Arts Festival and view the work of 21 artists as they use a variety of fibers to create stunning works of art. Pick up a map and follow the fun on Main St., including art demonstrations, street art, food, live music, a beer garden and the amazing art in the 13 featured galleries. Many of the local shops and restaurants will be participating, as well.

And on Saturday, August 7, at 11:00 AM, please join us for Not Your Mother's Fashion Show where we will present a runway showcase of local clothing and accessory designers, including two dresses made by SethAaron Henderson, recent winner of the reality show, Project Runway. Both dresses will be raffled at the end of the show and rumor is, he will be there to present them! That evening, at 8:00 PM, we will offer an encore showing of Who Does She Think She Is? , a documentary concerning women who are both mothers and artists and their struggle to balance their passion for art with parenting. Tickets and information on both events are available on the gallery website.

I'm not normally comfortable with fund-raising. But I passionately believe in this gallery whose primary purpose is not making a profit, but bringing art to a community and to children who are quickly losing access to arts in the schools. So I beg your forgiveness for asking, on a blog not meant to generate money, to consider supporting our gallery. Even a dollar moves us closer to our goal. We can even take PayPal on the website! Thank you from the bottom of all our hearts.

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And please stop by and say hello to me Friday night. I'll be on the NW corner of 6th and Main, demonstrating the use of encaustic wax. See you there!!!