Local art gallery hosts fundraiser

The Fine Line Art Gallery hosted “Music in the Gallery” on Friday night to help raise money for the arts community in Fort Frances.
About 30 people were on hand for the three-hour event, where they could view artwork by local artists as well as enjoy the instrumental melodies of the Northern Lights Ensemble, featuring Katherine Williams and Stephanie Hawkins.
“I thought it was absolutely delightful. They had a great spread and it was put together just wonderfully,” said Chris Lowe, who was among those on hand.
“The tickets were a gift. I didn’t know what to expect when I attended but it turned out to be a wonderful night,” she enthused.
“We are hoping to promote awareness about the arts community,” said Linda Lovisa, one of the 13 co-owners of the Fine Line Art Gallery.
“We had a similar fundraiser in the spring and we managed to give $55 to the Borderland Orchestra and $55 to the children’s programs and the museum,” she added.
Lovisa, along with partners Vi Plumridge and Jean Richards, are hoping to bring in about the same amount this time.
“We like to try and give back to the arts community. It’s important that they get funding, too,” she stressed.
Hawkins and Williams, two members of the Borderland Orchestra, played a wide variety of music–from Celtic folk songs to classic concertos.
“It was great for the older generations,” noted Lowe. “When they were playing the older songs, there was a little competition going on to see who could remember the song titles.”
The audience, though encouraged by the two musicians to continue mingling, could not help but be entranced by the lilting sounds of the ensemble’s harp and violin.
Guests also were treated to hors d’oeuvres and beverages while listening to the music or checking out the artwork lining the gallery’s walls.
“We showcase local artists’ work in the gallery,” Lovisa noted. “We have paintings, photographs, and even some pottery that local artists have made.”
The local gallery, which recently moved from Scott Street to its new location on Mowat Avenue, has been in business for five years.
“We were worried that the move from Scott Street might cause us to lose some people,” said Richards. “[But] so far, it is really working out well. We have a lot more room and we have more members.
“It has turned out very well.”
Given the success of Friday’s fundraiser, Richards is certain they’ll be holding another event sometime next year.
“We will definitely have another one,” she remarked. “We have had just a wonderful response from everyone that came. I went to the market the other day and there were some ladies there who were talking about it.
“I even had one woman come up to me and ask me if we were going to have another one because she had missed the one on Friday.
“We were very pleased with the outcome,” Richards concluded.