Staff
Dust off your glad rags and mark Thursday, Nov. 7 on your calendar!
That’s when the Friends of the Fort Frances Museum will hold its second-annual fall fundraiser gala.
Tickets for the wine-and-cheese gala, which will run from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the museum, cost $35 each or two for $60.
They are available at the museum, the Fort Frances Times office, or from Friends of the Museum members.
Buoyed by the success of last year’s gala, the Friends of the Museum is planning to make this one bigger and better in hopes of raising more funds to provide more programming for residents, especially children.
The idea also is to help raise the profile of the museum as a valuable community resource.
“We were very pleased by how well-received our first gala, which raised about $2,000, went,” said Friends president Duane Hicks.
“We had a good turnout, excellent support from donors, and everyone who attended enjoyed themselves.
“But it also was a learning experience, and we’re using what we learned to put together an even more lively, more enjoyable, more smoothly-run, and more successful evening in all regards,” Hicks added.
The gala will be centered around the opening of both the “Threadworks” exhibit, a juried exhibition that features exceptional and creative needlework by artists from across Canada, and the first-ever Fort Frances Fibre Art Festival.
The latter will highlight the talent in this area while providing a venue for local artisans to exhibit samples of their work.
“We think the Fibre Art Festival is an excellent way to engage local artisans; to showcase their talents,” said Hicks.
“After all, what they create is part of local culture and often reflects a family tradition,” he reasoned.
“It’s a part of some people’s heritage.”
The museum is accepting pieces for the fibre art exhibit until Oct. 31.
Artisans can submit work range from quilting, rug-hooking, crocheting, cross-stitch, or embroidery to fancy handbags, hats, or pieces of clothing.
Pieces must be complete, but can be something new or something you did years ago.
Just as the artwork will provide a feast for patrons’ eyes, local chef Mark Nagant, who catered last year’s gala, will return to treat patrons’ taste buds with a delectable array of hors d’oeuvres.
The evening also will feature live music from the Rainy Lake Orchestra, fiddler Shannon Darby, and more local musical talent.
“The orchestra was kind enough to perform during last year’s gala and we noticed the music not only created a certain atmosphere which we loved, but it also brought an energy to the evening,” noted Hicks.
“While the musicians played, the gala attendees mixed and mingled,” he recalled. “They circulated around the museum to admire the exhibits, enjoy a snack, and sip their wine.
“The music made the evening flow.
“This year, with more musicians, that flow will last all evening long,” he added.
The gala also will feature a silent auction, with items donated by local artists, crafters, and businesses.
Another popular aspect of last year’s fundraiser was the trivia games, where gala guests’ knowledge of local lore was put to the test.
These games also will be returning this year.
One way in which the public can help out is by volunteering.
Hicks said several volunteers are needed to do the coat check, serve hors d’oeuvres, and help with clean-up, adding it’s a perfect opportunity for high school students to earn those volunteer hours required to graduate.
The Friends of the Museum will be very busy between now and Nov. 7, but Hicks is confident the team of Sherry George, Debbie Ballard, Judy Kielczewski, Sue Fletcher, Robert Schulz, Pat Basaraba, and Caron Cridland, along with newest members Samantha Manty, Mandy Lahti, and Sarah Marusyk, will put together an evening to remember.
To reserve tickets, submit fibre art, donate items, or volunteer, or have any questions answered, call the museum at 274-7891 or e-mail ffmuseum@fort-frances.com
