Local artist creates fundraising calendar

The coffee’s on during the Past Glory fundraising calendar launch set for Saturday at the Community Arts Council’s Feature Gallery from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Local artist Rick Mintz has done it again and created a calendar of original art featuring paintings of old vehicles and equipment found in the fields, bush and driveways of British Columbia.

The fundraising proceeds will go to the BC Children’s Hospital.

It’s been a favourite charity for Mintz for a while now and his heart goes out to the parents whose little ones are visiting the Children’s Hospital at an alarming rate.

In 2020 3,753 children from Northern Health needed the hospital's services and 5,652 children from Interior Health went to the hospital. In all more than 93,000 children went to the BC Children’s Hospital in 2020.

“Those numbers are astounding - that’s a lot of kids - a lot of kids,” Mintz said. “Some of these kids are really in trouble and it makes you want to do something. This is my charity now whenever I have anything to give.”

Mintz has run the Community for Kids Committee in Prince George for a while now and it’s come down to just him - a committee of one - so he will let the group go but not his fundraising efforts.

“I’m still doing what I can,” Mintz said.

This year along with the calendars, Mintz will also sell the original artwork and add those proceeds to the money raised for the worthy cause of supporting the hospital that supports so many children from the northern part of the province.

Last year’s calendar raised $2,200 and the year before $2,850 was raised and donated.

He’d like this year’s efforts to match those of previous years.

In the 2022 calendar, Mintz’s favourite piece is the ‘48 Ford.

He was directed to the Ford by the contractor who did some major renovations to Mintz’s basement during the pandemic.

“He told me to come on out and take a look at it and and so I did and it just fits the bill,” Mintz said.

Mintz found the process of choosing the pieces to go in the calendar a bit of a challenge because he actually ended up with 14 paintings to choose from.

“I left out the old boat in the swamp just south of Quesnel - it just wasn’t great - and the other one was a Bombardier Snowcat we saw in Newfoundland - I painted the Snowcat too big with not enough background and so it didn’t fit,” Mintz said. “So those two didn’t make the cut.”

During the calendar launch at the Community Arts Council, 2880 15th Avenue, Mintz will be seen in action as he paints a piece during the event.

“The coffee will be on so stop by to get the calendar,” Mintz said. “It’s for a really good cause.”

For more information visit www.ramart.ca or email rmintz@shaw.ca.