Charities to benefit from night of 1000 drawings
Night of a Thousand Drawings, the charity event that will be hosted by the 19 Hermanus First Friday (HFF) Artwalk galleries on 7 December, is fast approaching and the HFF committee has been inundated with applications by local charities.
Whereas in previous years three charities were chosen as the recipients of the funds raised during Night of a Thousand Drawings, this year the decision has been taken to increase the number of beneficiaries to five charities. It is hoped that last year’s total figure, which was in excess of R80 000, will be surpassed so that each charity will receive a substantial donation. The five selected charities are:
The Hermanus Visual Art and Design Centre. This organisation provides art and design classes for children from across the Overberg – many of whom cannot afford even the most basic art equipment and supplies.
The Overstrand Whale Boxing Club. The OWBC was established in order to take children off the streets, teach them discipline and give them a sense of belonging and pride. There are currently 40 children in the club; this year Sipamandla, a 16-year-old, won the SA National Championship.
The Overberg Crane Group. This NGO works across the Overberg and has had a hugely positive impact on our population of Blue Cranes; saving injured and diseased birds, forging relationships with landowners and providing a valuable rescue, treatment, and release service to secure the future of this iconic bird.
The Hawston Cadet Group. More than 50 children from Hawston, ranging in age from 8 to 13, belong to the Cadet Group. The aim of the organisation is to give children a positive and safe environment, to provide them with leadership skills and through music and marching, to teach them the value of teamwork.
The Hermanus Art and History Project.
Based on the Keiskamma Art Project in the Eastern Cape, this endeavour seeks to create skills and develop potential earning power for previously untrained people through the teaching of art, embroidery and sewing.
Each gallery will be selling a huge range of A5-size artworks during Night of a Thousand Drawings – some donated by professional artists and some by amateurs. The artworks will be priced at R100 each and all the proceeds will be donated to these charities.
If the galleries are to reach their target, however, they will need the assistance and generosity of the Hermanus community. Over the next week, anyone with artistic skills is asked to paint, draw, sketch or scribble away. A5 cards can be collected from any of the participating galleries and completed artworks should be handed back to the galleries before 6 December.
Night of a Thousand Drawings will kick off at 17:00 on 7 December, when hundreds of HFF Artwalkers will throng the streets and alleys as they stroll from gallery to gallery, searching for beautiful artworks to purchase and in so doing, changing lives for the better.