Looking for a quality piece of art at a bargain price?
Then head down to Camelot in Mosman Park this Friday night for the Art Sale With A Difference.
Works by a wealth of artists, including Laszlo Lukacs, Rebecca Cool, Cathy Blanchflower, Eveline Kotai, George Haynes, all contributed by generous West Australians, will be up for grabs.
And best of all, funds from your purchase will go to help those most in need – our refugees.
“Over 400 refugees remain in detention in Nauru, Papua New Guinea and the Australian mainland; some have been locked up for eight years,” says Gillian Gallagher, the event’s organiser.
A keen art lover and a volunteer guide at the WA Art Gallery, she’s spent months preparing Friday night’s show.
The Starfish popped into the MosArts centre at Camelot in Lochee Street, and we were impressed at the calibre of the works on sale.
“Prices range from just $20 for something that would look great on a young person’s wall, to around $1200,” says Gillian.
She held her first fundraiser to help refugees last year, after approaching friends and family, to see if anyone would be prepared to give up a piece of excess art.
“People were really generous. It’s always awkward to hit on friends for support but I was pleasantly surprised how responsive people were,” she recalls.
“So many people said to me, ‘what’s happening is so awful. We’d love to help.’”
Last year’s show raised $22,000, and this year Gillians’ hopeful she may be able to exceed that target.
“We have more than 200 works for sale, contributed by 60 donors,” she waves her arm at walls festooned with colour and vibrancy from a who’s who of WA artists, and several from further afield.
The abundance of art is a powerful demonstration of how many locals feel the same way as Gillian about the plight of the asylum seekers.
“The Australian government will not allow them to settle in Australia because they came here by boat. The evidence of poor conditions, abuse, harm and inadequate treatment in off-shore centres is clear. Thirteen people have died through neglect and suicide. One psychologist and traumatologist said that treatment of asylum seekers on Manus and Naura was the worst thing he had ever seen.”
Funds from the art sale will go towards helping refugees apply to relocate to Canada, handled by a group of Australian expats and Canadians called AddsUp Canada.
“It costs about $20,000 to support one individual in the quest start a new life in Canada,” explains Gillian. “Before an application can be submitted, sponsors must confirm that there are sufficient funds to support an applicant for the first 12 months of their lives in Canada.”
So thanks to the generosity of Gillian and others, one more person at least has the chance of starting a new life.
Art Sale With A Difference is on from 5.30pm to 8.30pm at MosArts (Camelot), 16 Lochee Street, Mosman Park.
Light refreshments will be available.
Drinks and pizzas will be available for purchase at the venue.
Photographs: Peter Rigby
Art always enriches our lives and, in this case, the lives of struggling refugees. Hats off to the organisers and to Starfish and Jac & Pete for promoting it. Best, BC.