 |
 |
 |
| |  |
 |
| |
| NEWS RELEASE |
| September 1, 2005 |
| |
| Artists create works of art and new self-sustaining fund;
McKean Family Foundation to support "Art & Artifacts" website |
| |
| The Greater Saint John Community Foundation and The New Brunswick Museum have teamed up to celebrate a group of local artists who have come forward over the past two years to assist visual artists both with events to show case their talents and to encourage and advance their careers through a new permanently endowed Professional Visual Artists Fund. The new fund, now valued at over $3,000, is to be launched at the New Brunswick Museum Sept. 1 at a final showing of "Art and Artifacts". |
| |
| Twenty four professional artists and craftspeople, have been part of the 2005 "Art and Artifacts" event. They created and showcased significant works of art that relate to some aspect of the New Brunswick Museum's collections. It is a uniquely conceived and creative project, which truly demonstrates the New Brunswick spirit, significant local talent and heritage simultaneously. The first event, an Art in The City Studio and Gallery Tour in 2003, also generated monies to establish the Fund, which will dispense artists' grants when a $10,000 target is reached, through the community foundation and museum. |
| |
| The founding group, Suzanne Hill, Carol Taylor, Lynn Wigginton and Pat Schell recognized the precarious financial situation of most artists and the substantial costs they incur to participate in making a submission for a show and if successful, being in one. With this in mind, they set out to establish a permanent fund, The Professional Visual Artists Fund, with The Greater Saint John Community Foundation, tailored to support artists' ongoing work with earnings from the fund. The vision is that this permanent fund will grow as it is augmented from proceeds from such events as the Studio Tour in 2003 and The "Art and Artifacts" event in 2005, as well as future gifts and events. Fund earnings will be directed annually to deserving artists in recognition of the financial burden of mounting submissions for shows. "Staging these events took time, determination and commitment to their fellow artists" said Jane Barry, Executive Director of The Greater Saint John Community Foundation. "I commend the group for this generous and innovative new fund". |
| |
| The "Art and Artifacts" show will continue to be publicly available through generous support from The McKean Family Foundation, a legacy of the late Mary McKean, a philanthropist and teacher from Saint John. Funding of $10,000 has been granted to create an "Art and Artifacts" web-site through The New Brunswick Museum, an institution in which Miss McKean was particularly interested. Jane Fullerton, Director of the museum stated "The works of art created demonstrate the diversity of the Museum's collection and the talent of Saint John artists. We are delighted that we will be able to continue to share them through a virtual exhibition." |
| |
| The Greater Saint John Community Foundation serves as a trustee for charitable, educational and cultural purposes. It administers funds given by public-spirited individuals for the benefit of the people of this area. Since 1976, the foundation's assets have grown to approximately $7.5 M. In 2004, it donated in excess of $319,000.00 to over 75 local charities. Applications from local registered charities are received twice yearly, Apr. 15 and Sept. 30. |
|
|