Art card fundraiser supports Moosomin Visual Arts Centre
March 11, 2024, 10:58 am
Ashley Bochek
Local artist Jacqui Beckett has started a fundraiser to support the new Moosomin Visual Arts Centre. She is selling art cards printed from her original watercolor painting of a chickadee on spring blossoms. I had a chance to interview Jacqui and get her thoughts on the project.
Why did you decide to create an art card fundraiser?
It was something that I could do to help support the arts centre. I am a painter and I have all kinds of paintings. I did a fundraiser last year for the Ukrainian community and I used my pottery at that time to do it and raised a couple thousand dollars for the families that came here, but for the arts centre I wanted to do something around a painting.
I have a lot of paintings and I do sell lots of cards of paintings. Then, I thought about the arts centre and talked to Kevin and Kara and got their idea of what they thought, if it would be a good idea and they thought it would be, so then I jumped ahead and got 500 cards made.
It’s something that is not too hard for me to manage and everybody in town helps out selling things like that for fundraisers.
So now we sell the cards, and all the proceeds go toward the arts centre. I am hoping when I sell them all I will have about $2,000 to go toward the arts centre, and with that $2,000 I am going to purchase a clay slab roller for the pottery studio. Simply because it is kind of an extra thing, and if you have a clay slab roller then you can start pottery classes very soon.
It’s something I want to do for the arts centre.
Why do you think the arts centre is important?
Oh my gosh, well art is extremely important in my view, as important as other activities.
I think Moosomin has fantastic sports facilities and for sporting events it is excellent, but our town has just been missing the arts content and opportunities. I see so many people leaving town to go to classes and support other towns and other arts centres and I just think our town really need something like this too, and I thought it would definitely work.
I thought we could get something started and I thought about it for years and then Krista Crellin contacted me last March and she had already talked to the Economic Development Committee and gave them the idea of the arts centre as well, and she asked me if I would be interested in helping out and I just jumped at the task because I have been wanting to do this for years.
You said Moosomin has been lacking arts in our town, why do you think it hasn’t started before? How come just now?
For me, it is having time to help organize it. I think it just has to be the right timing when you have the people who are willing to help work at it and start it.
There is a lot of planning, and it takes a lot of time organizing things and I guess the timing was just right.
I think our town has been very focused on sports and it just hasn’t really come up.
I know different people have taught classes privately or at the Prairie Girl Gallery.
Classes are going on, which is great, so I know people are interested in the arts. Even the ones who are really involved in sports still are interested in the arts as well.
You can do the arts until you are really old, and you can start when you’re really young. I just think it is a great thing to have in the community.
Did you always think Moosomin would have an arts centre eventually?
Yes, I always hoped they would, and I always hoped I would be involved in it when it did happen. I knew it was just a matter of time, our town is really growing, improving, and expanding and it is just the right time, I think.
Would you consider teaching and participating in arts classes yourself?
Oh absolutely, yes. I will be teaching, and I will be participating too. There are a lot of interesting classes going on already that I would never have even thought about, like moss painting or just some different things that some people have never heard of.
What kind of classes will you be teaching?
I am not teaching any yet, but I am going to be involved! I want to teach all kinds of painting. I am very interested in the pottery, I do make pottery and I definitely want to teach it. Acrylics and watercolour— I would love to teach pretty much any kind of painting. I can’t wait actually, it is very exciting!
What are your hopes for the arts centre?
I am hoping that it will be used every day. We plan on having it open to be used every day. It takes time to build it up, but I hope that it is very busy, and people support it. I am sure they will. I am also hoping that the arts centre can get sponsorships and grants to help funding because it is expensive to run an arts centre. Every little bit helps!
Jacqui is selling packages of four art card with envelopes for $20 per package. She hopes to sell 100 sets for $20 each. The cards are available to be purchased at The World-Spectator, Moosomin Pharmasave, Prairie Girl Gallery, Mane Tain Hair Lounge and Gift Shoppe in Rocanville, Southeast Regional Library in Moosomin, and from jacquimbeckett@gmail.com
