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Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Hundreds of artworks find new homes at Pumphouse sale

More than 250 pieces of art have found new homes thanks to the Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre's art sale.

“We’ve had an amazing four days because we had the members show on Dec. 1 and then on Thursday and Friday and today, it’s just been crazy,” Pumphouse board chair Lise Andreana said in an interview Saturday.

It was the first time the Pumphouse has held an art sale, let alone one featuring more than 300 works of art.

“We’ve just had an amazing crew of volunteers helping out,” Andreana said.

The 300 works were donated by artists and from people’s private collections.

Andreana said this means the Pumphouse will have to skip the sale next year and just focus on its Treasure Sale.

“I suspect we’ll do it every second year. The donors need time to accumulate some inventory,” she said with a laugh.

“We have artists that are hoping (the Treasure Sale) comes back and our patrons like it too.”

Some of Andreana’s art was on display as well.

“This is the foil so people buy other stuff,” Andreana joked about her own work.

The art sale coincided with the Rotary Club’s Holiday House Tour this year.

People “are used to coming here this weekend because of the house tour,” said Judy Thornton, who volunteers with the Pumphouse.

Thornton said people had been showing up at the Pumphouse all day Friday and Saturday because of the house tour only to be greeted with the pleasant surprise of an art sale.

One couple who had no idea the art sale was going on until they showed up for the house tour was Liz and George Bouwmeester from Hamilton.

“It was perfect because we love art,” Liz said.

George said the couple had come down to NOTL on Friday and were just wrapping up a lovely weekend in town by visiting the Pumphouse.

Architect Paul Gordon was perusing the artwork on Saturday and said he feels like he has a kinship with visual artists through his line of work.

“I love art and I’m in the art line myself. I’m not an artist, I’m an architect, so I appreciate things like this,” Gordon said as he looked at a Raymond Martin painting.

“I saw the ad in The Lake Report and I always come down here when there’s a new exhibit,” Gordon said.

The featured artist for the sale was Martin, a Toronto-born painter who lived many years in the Niagara region.

Martin died in 2015 and used to teach at the Pumphouse, artist Gail Kerr said in an interview.

Martin drew inspiration from his favourite artists, the Group of Seven. His style does not emulate them but rather his choice of subjects, his website biography says.

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