Being an artist is no sure fire way to fame nor is it an easy path to get rich quick. In fact, many artists don't start making any money until after they are dead.
On that cheerful note, please read on.
It is a fact of life that artists do what they do because they have no choice. There is some internal itch, undeniable, insatiable tickle, which drives them to create and produce art in all its wonderful forms.
Yet poverty doesn't stop artists from being among the most generous citizens in a community. No fundraiser is complete without some of the most beautiful creations of our local artists on display, for sale or else in silent auction in order to raise money for an important and worthy local cause.
Guests at these fundraising events can acquire wonderful pieces knowing they are making a charitable donation at the same time. But that money goes to the charity, not the artist and the artists know this.
Depending on the size of the charity, they may be able to offer a receipt for the artist's taxes - smaller organizations not even that, simply their thanks.
For many, it's enough knowing that they are contributing to their community through their art.
This is not the only example of artist generosity. There are other less public demonstrations of their capacity for giving.
The staff at the Community Arts Council is on occasion fortunate to be gifted wonderful pieces of work as artists express their thanks for the hard work the staff at the CAC undertake year round on their behalf.
The Potter's Guild have given the CAC staff individual pieces at Christmas and contributed several dozen mugs so that meetings at the CAC could go green beautifully. One artist made pendants to match each staff member interests and/or personality.
A new and emerging photographer, when hosted as one of the starring artists in the feature gallery, found out which photo was each staff person's favourite and made sure each one got a copy of that print.
The most recent gift was a hand crafted wooden cedar box with a pen and pencil set for each of the staff.
This generous act of kindness towards the not-for-profit organization's staff that is struggling to keep staff never mind consider raises to show appreciation for good work came at an almost perfect time and it arrived most unexpectedly.
These may not seem like much these generous acts of kindness, but I believe they actually speak to a broader principle of creating and sharing beauty in the world.
From large causes such as fighting cancer to the smaller expressions of gratitude, Prince George artists make a sterling contribution to the profile of our community. We at the Community Arts Council salute our artists of Prince George and offer our thanks.
To the community at large, we invite you to come into Studio 2880 and see the beautiful work our local artists produce. We are located at 2880-15th Avenue and are open Monday to Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
