Get ready for an art show with a difference, where anyone can submit a work and see it displayed for all to enjoy (and possibly purchase).
The fifth annual Anonymous Art Show is returning to the Ashcroft HUB, and there is still time for artists of all ages and abilities to submit their artwork. The submission deadline is Feb. 14, and all of the submitted pieces will be on display (in the HUB gym and online) from Feb. 18 to 28.
The HUB has 10” by 10” canvases for sale for $5 each, and HUB executive director Jessica Clement says that about 90 canvases have gone out so far.
“We had about 160 canvases go out in 2024, and 130 finished pieces came back in,” she says. While the sale of the canvases covers the cost of purchasing them, the HUB benefits from the sale of the paintings. Bidding takes place online on the HUB’s Facebook page, with the highest bidder on each piece taking home the work and the HUB and the artist splitting the purchase price.
Clement says that when it comes to the auction, people like seeing landscapes and animals, as well as things like the old fire hall in Ashcroft. Most people view the works online, but they get a couple of dozen people coming to the HUB specifically to see the finished works, or who pop in to see them while there for other reasons. People who don’t have the ability bid on Facebook can have a bid placed for them by HUB staff.
She adds that while they prefer the submitted works to be on canvas, they can be in any medium, including mixed media. She says that they see little kids and their parents all getting canvases and creating works.
“We have a pretty good array of professional and semi-professional artists in the community, but the cool thing about it being anonymous is that if you think you’re no good, no one knows it’s yours, and someone else might think that it’s good.
“You don’t need to be a professional artist to produce work that someone else will find appealing.”
For more information, visit the Ashcroft Hub Facebook page, or contact the office at (250) 453-9177; you can also email office@ashcrofthub.com.
