grand river gallery

. . . an artist's best friend
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the Grand River Gallery

 

Drawing new lines. . .

 

The Grand River Gallery has become a fusion of both social and commercial enterprise. It is based on the idea of using the best of these two worlds for social benefits and sustainability. One element paying the bills while helping the other element to help and engage the community. It is an evollving hybrid combining the 'for profit' commercial world with the 'not for profit' world of social enterprise for the creation of social benefits. We do not want to rely on grants and political whim to support us and feel that broad public and community support will support this enterprise on it's earned merits through it's services

 

We intend this artistic enterprise to continue to be a wholly self sustaining one and beneficial to the public by providing both support for the cultivation, sale and display of local art by local artists along with the public mentoring of their artistic skills to all members of the community. This is all supported by providing good quality gallery services such as frame assembly, art conservation. custom mat cutting and assembly, art consignments, art rentals, art restoration and many other special gallery services.

 

 

 

We hope that this vision and art enabling mission will endure and continue to provide benefits in the community for future generations to enjoy and benefit from.

  

We do not have to devote our wall space to showcasing already established artists, and can thus use the available space to promote and encourage the sale and display of local art from our local artists.
 
As an evolving and growing artists group we are effectively interacting with the community by providing work shops, fund raisers for charity, seminars, school classroom mentoring and interaction, event creation and the participation in public interest displays, performances, festivals, and art shows.

 

We hope that both our local artists and retail customers will support this new social and commercial art gallery model by making use of and supporting its many services.

 

By supporting us we can all help build the art supportive facilities we need in the community.

 

This gallery has partnered with other social benefit groups in this community who share our visions and have similar missions and values,

 

 they are...

 

 

 

Pen Pals Traveling Art Exhibit &

 

Neighbouring Communities Project

 

 

All Haldimand Artists

 

 

SIX NATIONS NATIVE PAGEANT 

FOREST THEATER

 

THE JAM @ THE DAM

A growing group of local musicians sharing good times and tunes every Sunday afternoon in the Park near the Caledonia Dam.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME

 

the

RIVERBEND ARTISTS OF GRAND VALLEY

 

 

 

 

and many thanks to the

McKINNON HIGH SCHOOL

CO - OP PROGRAM

&

Oneida Public School

students and teachers

for the chance to learn and teach together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BELOW IS AN EXCERP FROM A LETTER RECENTLY SENT TO ONE OF OUR LOCAL PAPERS....

 

I hope to explain the not for profit nature nature of the Grand River Gallery and the All Haldimand Artists group that is currently forming in our community.

The Grand River Gallery is a hybrid organization combining social enterprise and commercial enterprise, with an emphasis on social enterprise.

 

Simply put...... I, as the owner of the gallery, pay the bills and support myself through framing, matting, art sales and other services ...this is the commercial side.

 

Here is the not for profit “Social Benefit” side...

 

I freely give the space inside the gallery to the artists who live in or nearby the community to provide them with a showcase and exposure for their art.

I serve as a hub and as a link through the gallery to other elements in the community such as providing mentoring and demonstrations free of charge to schools to assist the teachers with their curriculums and provide expertise through volunteer artists to demonstrate techniques or the benefits of their experience to students that are beyond the capacity of the schools and teachers to provide ...ei: preparing portfolios for those wishing post secondary art education to help them prepare. Other artists in the group share their skills in image post processing technology such as Photoshop, Painter Pro, NX2, CADCAM to name just a few. We are artists volunteering to give some benefit to the community. As a group we are also actively engaged in fundraising for community projects such as the restoration of the Old Mill. As a group we participated in the sharing of Friendship through Art and Culture in partnership with Neighbouring Communities and the PenPal traveling art project that brings together youth between Six Nations and Caledonia. This was shown at the Remax Room at the new Arena in Caledonia, as you are probably aware. I hope to provide workshops and demonstrations to the public in the field of the arts, and Wendy has volunteered to lead the first such free and open to the public workshops. I have donated the Gallery space to hold this event after business hours ... again, without intent of profit but with the intent of social benefit to the community.

We would be most appreciative if you would be willing to post these community events in the paper, as it would be helpful to spread the word to those who may wish to participate and benefit from this opportunity. I hope we can partner with you and the (paper's name) in this arena of Social Benefit without profit. We would gladly host these events outside of the Gallery but such space does not exist within our community.

So please reconsider printing a few words in the community section to help us in our goals. I hope this clarifies things for you, and I would welcome further discussion with you or anyone else in this different business model I have brought to Caledonia.

 

Warm regards

 

Rene Ariens

 

www.grandrivergallery.ca