Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Dear friends at A Gift of Art,
 
August just blew past us! We had some amazing moments last month with a summer camp for kids ... they got to enjoy various art activities all part of the summer fun. We had challenges to face with the current COVID-19 situation but with careful planning and active involvement, we were able to have a safe, healthy, and fun-filled summer camp for all our campers!


We ensured that our daily routines were communicated and included everyone’s temperature was within the normal range and appropriate health-related questions were asked/recorded every morning prior to entering Camp. Hand sanitizing/washing and physical distancing became a regular and acceptable occurrence.  A hit with campers was their very own treasure box filled with art supplies, decorated in their own special way on the first day of camp.  Our counsellors wore appropriate PPE and “clean and sanitized” part of their daily duties.
 

It comes with a surprise that we didn’t have a single camper fall sick or ill! Everyone stayed healthy and happy while they were enjoying their summer.
We were a little disappointed that we couldn’t organize our Newcastle’s 13^th Annual Artist & Artisans Show & Sale, but we didn’t give up! Instead, we organized a mini, ‘9 Weekend Patio Art Show’ right outside our gallery featuring a handful of artists every weekend to showcase and demonstrate their work. This way we could still have a mini version of our art show as a platform for our local artists to connect with the community, while we keep our visitors safe and healthy. We had many artists who regularly are part of the Annual Show on hand, as well as some you may not be as familiar with.  On a weekend you could find one of a kind paintings in oil, acrylic, watercolour, and encaustic, charcoal penciled people and pets, soapstone carvings, pottery, jewellery, and leather bracelets, handcrafted quilts and textile art, wood turnings, repurposed and Cricut adorned pieces, handmade wooden kitchen utensils, hand felted cute and cuddly critters, photography and books by local authors.
 

 After overcoming all those challenges, we are fully confident and prepared to go into Fall season, which means we will be organizing the usual Fall art classes and workshops! For a sneak preview, we have a special Intro to Art Week planned August 31 – September 4^th.  Visit https://agiftof-art.com/project/august-31-september-4-intro-to-art-week/ for the schedule.  The full list of classes and workshops will be posted on our website next week or give us a call to find out if there is something you would like. We have new rules in place and class sizes to ensure that our Fall season will continue to reflect the success we had in keeping everyone healthy during the summer.  
Additionally, we are also working on setting up online delivery for these classes so you can participate without leaving your home. So many good things to look forward to!
If you are a digital artist, now would a good opportunity to showcase your skills by entering the ‘Newcastles of the World – Digital Art Exhibition in Nové Zámky’. The deadline for submission is on September 30 and you must submit your work through A Gift of Art. Winning entries will be featured in the Digital Art Exhibition taking place from 17 December 2020 through January the following year. Find out more details here (or just give us a call!) https://newcastlesoftheworld.com/2020/08/21/newcastles-of-the-world-digital-art-exhibition-in-nove-zamky/
These are uncertain times but with thoughtfulness and care, we will surely get through them. We value our community’s health and we insist that you keep safe and healthy during these times.

“The principles of true art is not to portray, but to evoke.” – Jerzy Kosinski