The Vankleek Hill Vineyard hosted the Arbor Gallery’s Masquerade on September 14, 2024, to celebrate 30 years of operation.
Evening festivities included a mask contest, tabletop art activities, and a silent auction for the sixty attendees. Individuals divided themselves into teams to create unique, comical, and even grotesque collaborative drawings that were then displayed at the event. Ticketholders were also given the opportunity to take a free mask-decorating workshop at the Gallery.
The Gallery’s Artistic Director, Andrea Belcham, said, “We wanted to host an event that invited creativity from amongst its participants, given that we’re an organization that supports arts and culture.”
As a pivotal piece of the anniversary event, many local businesses, artists and artisans, and community members donated their products, services, and artwork for the silent auction.
“Their combined effort helped us reach our fundraising goals for the evening,” Belcham remarked.With special thanks to the generous contributions of participants, the Gallery raised $5,675 in total. Louise Sproule, Realtor with RE/MAX Delta Realty, offered to match bids at the auction up to $2,500 because “the arts are often overlooked in small communities and Arbor Gallery has been steadfast and undergoing changes for several years now,” she stated.
