If you鈥檝e ever wanted to own an authentic piece of art but can鈥檛 stomach the cost, now鈥檚 your chance.
St. Mary and St. George Anglican Church have been hosting a silent art auction for the past week to raise money for the local parish. The auction officially ends at 8 p.m. on July 16.
Donated by Mountain Galleries, the art collection includes 26 pieces of art from prominent and emerging Canadian artists including work by Doris McCarthy, Rod Prouse and Charlie Easton. The market value for the entire collect is approximately $43,000.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a diverse collection, there鈥檚 something here for everyone,鈥� said Wendy Wacko, owner of Mountain Galleries.
鈥淚f we raise half of what the value is we鈥檇 be thrilled.鈥�
For Wacko the art auction is more than just a fundraiser, it鈥檚 also a way to honour her parents and more specifically her mother who passed away in 1992.
鈥淢y mother passed away in her late 60s and we were able to bring her to Jasper to take care of her near the end and thanks to the minister at the time and a couple of parishioners here we were able to keep her in our house until three days before she passed away,鈥� said Wacko.
鈥淚 never would have been able to pull that off without the help of the minister. He knew I was raised an Anglican, but in my generation a lot of us haven鈥檛 found the time to support a parish or support the church.鈥�
To change that and make good on a promise she made to her mother before she passed away, Wacko pitched the idea to host an auction at the church 22 years ago 鈥� an idea that was initially meet with some resistance.
鈥淚t鈥檚 quite a modern approach to fundraising and to bring an auction into a church it was slightly controversial way back then, but things have changed,鈥� recalled Wacko.
Since then the church has hosted 10 silent auctions. The last one was held in 2014.
According to Bryn Thomas, the church鈥檚 treasurer, on average the auctions have historically brought in between $15,000 to $20,000, significantly less than the market value of the art being sold.
鈥淭he last auction there were about 80 people who actually signed up to bid, that鈥檚 quite a lot of people,鈥� Thomas said, thanking Wacko for her continued support.
Reverend Keith Marsh said the money will help the 103-year-old church keep up with maintenance costs and allow it to support other organizations in town.
鈥淎t least 50 per cent, maybe more, of my work is spent working in the community, supporting other ventures and being available to people who are going through difficult times so things like this enable things like that to happen at critical times,鈥� said Marsh.
The auction officially started on July 7 and is open daily from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and again from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. It will conclude on July 16 with final bidding taking place between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Those who are not in Jasper can appoint an agent to bid on their behalf. The minimum bids start at 20 per cent of the piece鈥檚 market value and all bids are final.
The church is located on the corner of Geikie Street and Miette Avenue.
Paul Clarke
[email protected]
