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Anonymous Art Show returns to HUB with more than 150 works

All pieces in the show are up for auction starting on March 6

A unique art event that has proven to be a big hit with artists and the public alike is the Anonymous Art Show, which debuted at the Ashcroft HUB in September 2020, and returned in March 2022. It’s now coming back for a third outing, which starts on Monday, March 6 and runs through March 17.

The first Anonymous Art Show saw more than 75 works by local artists — everyone from professionals who have been paid for their art to children to people who had never picked up a brush — on display.

All the works were unsigned, and members of the public could bid on them auction-style, with half the sale price going to the artist and the other to the HUB as a fundraiser.

Last year, more than 100 works created by more than 40 artists were on display in the HUB gym. This year there are more than 150 entries by more than 50 artists, which can be viewed in person during regular HUB hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday), and online on the Ashcroft HUB Facebook page.

HUB executive director Jessica Clement came up with the idea for the initial show, and says she stole it from a 2019 event in Vanderhoof, where her parents live. The woman who was in charge of it was coming down to Ashcroft, and Clement’s mother suggested she get in touch and have a tour of the HUB, where she told Clement about the Vanderhoof show.

As with the first two events, the HUB let aspiring artists know that 8” by 8” canvases were available for $5 each, and Clement says nearly 200 canvases were spoken for this year. The finished pieces are in a variety of media, from oil and acrylic to multimedia works, and pieces were still being handed in earlier this week, some with the paint still wet.

In 2020 in-person bidding at the HUB was allowed, but last year saw a successful switch to online bidding only, on the HUB’s Facebook page, where all the submitted works were displayed. Bids start at $10 and go up in increments of at least $2, and bidders can check the status of pieces they are interested in online at any time. Anyone without access to Facebook can either drop by the HUB or call the office (250-453-9177) to have their bid added on Facebook. The winning bidders will be contacted after the show closes on March 17, and bids will be accepted until 4 p.m. that day.

As with the past two events, artists will receive half of the final bid for each of their works. The other half will go to the Ashcroft HUB to support operational costs.

“The response this year has been overwhelming, and we’re super excited for everyone to see all of the pieces,” says Clement. “We’re thankful for the continued support of the community in showing how important the HUB is to them.”



editorial@accjournal.ca

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