Organizers of last weekend鈥檚 Art + Fare celebration couldn鈥檛 have found a more suitable host for the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria fundraiser than the Union Club of sa国际传媒
The historic club housed in an Edwardian building at Gordon and Humboldt streets has been a longtime supporter of Victoria鈥檚 arts community, counting architects Francis Rattenbury and Samuel Maclure among past members.
鈥淭his is a continuation of that,鈥� said Robert Coulter, chairman of the club鈥檚 community outreach committee. 鈥淭he art gallery is one of the community鈥檚 cultural pillars, and we believe it needs broadly based community support.鈥�
The Union Club鈥檚 own art collection, dating back to at least 1885 according to those in the know, includes rare books, antiques and larger-scale paintings.
鈥淚f you go upstairs to the bar, you鈥檒l still see some of our 鈥榯rophy art,鈥� which was the art collected at the time [in the 1870s and 鈥�80s],鈥� said Martin Segger, honorary curator of the club鈥檚 collection of 200 works.
A group of club members founded the Island Arts and Crafts Society, 鈥渨hich brought Emily Carr into existence,鈥� Segger said.
The club鈥檚 extensive collection includes wildlife paintings, 19th- and 20th-century watercolours and works by painters who captured the scenic splendour of the Rockies and other famous landscapes.
鈥淚n more recent times, the collection has grown and the emphasis has been on historic and contemporary artists who reflect nature and the times,鈥� he said, noting small groups of paintings adorn its 22 hotel rooms.
Six local galleries 鈥� Madrona, Winchester, Alcheringa, Art Atelier 546, Mercurio and Stephen Lowe Art Gallery 鈥� participated in the fundraiser alongside Kilshaw鈥檚 Auctioneers and AGGV Art Rental & Sales.
The $125-a-head crowd of art enthusiasts viewed a special art exhibition in the club鈥檚 McKenzie Rooms, where Kilshaw鈥檚 Alison Ross dispensed tips on art investing. The guests then moved into the Centennial Ballroom to nibble on tapas, listen to music by the Katzenjammers and hit the dance floor.
Despite being competitors, the art galleries were enthusiastic about participating to support the public gallery and its programs, representatives said.
鈥淭his is a celebration of all things local and local art,鈥� said Emily Dobby, an art historian and Art Atelier 546 associate.
鈥淥ur history goes back a long time, and we share concerns about the cultural health of the community, its physical health and its economic development,鈥� said AGGV director Jon Tupper.
鈥淲e all have a part to play, and when we combine forces like this we can amplify that. The galleries in support of this project are part of that whole ecology we find in this community, particularly the arts, and how it all fits together 鈥� the artists, the galleries that sell the work, the museums that show and collect the work and the people who collect the work.鈥�
When Tupper wasn鈥檛 thanking supporters of the cultural institutions that strengthen a region鈥檚 economic viability, he gamely revealed what he believes is the biggest misconception about the AGGV.
鈥淚 think one of the biggest misunderstandings for me lately has been that the gallery would be better off downtown,鈥� said Tupper.
鈥淚n fact, it鈥檚 in the perfect location [1040 Moss St. in Fairfield]. It鈥檚 in the centre of all its supporters.鈥�
The takeaway was that, no matter where it is, the gallery is 鈥渇or the people of Victoria,鈥� with programs designed to make it widely accessible.
鈥淭hat is our focus,鈥� Tupper said. 鈥淲e have a lot of volunteers, and we enjoy a lot of support from the community compared to other places that are twice as big as Victoria.鈥�
