Souris scrap art auction

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This article was published 25/07/2019 (2306 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

 

Fantastic beasts were roaming the grounds of the Souris Fair in the show’s first-ever scrap art contest and auction.

Barbara Lynch organized the Scrap Sculptures Contest and Auction as a celebration of the artists in the community and to launch a scholarship for Southwest Horizons School Division graduates.

She was inspired to start the scrap contest because she loves the art form and thought it would be fun to bring to the community.

“It is amazing how some people can look at a piece of scrap and see (an animal),” Lynch said.

It took a combination of time and dedication, paired with support from an array of people with unique skillsets to bring the event to the Souris Fair.

The most challenging part of launching the contest proved to be generating word-of-mouth, she said, but as the fair grew closer the show gained notoriety in the community.

People were excited and it was soon well-known in the community.

The Scrap Sculptures Contest and Auction was held in conjunction with the Souris Fair, which provided a platform to showcase the art projects.

The inaugural show took root and blossomed, culminating in a show and auction at the Souris Fair Grounds on July 13.

Lynch hopes to see the contest become an annual event in the area that is used to raise money for an arts scholarship for students in the Southwest Horizon school division looking to attend a post-secondary school for a trade.

The 2019 event had seven entries and awarded prizes for first, second and third. The contest was followed by an auction that saw all of the pieces sold off.

The theme of the event was “Animals of the World,” Lynch said because she wanted to keep it as broad as possible because it was the first year.

Fifty per cent of the sales raised in the auction went back to the artists and 50 per cent was kept to help finance the contest and the creation of a scholarship.

The sculptures employ an array of different ways of working in metal, to create a unique piece created using scrap metal and the artist’s own creativity.

“I sometimes think that some of these guys don’t realize their artists,” Lynch said. “They create beautiful things.”

She hopes to see it grow next year with more people participating in the contest, or coming to check out the artwork.

The sculpture of the day was a moose created by a team led by Marc Waldner that went for $1,000 in the auction and took home first place in the contest.

Other creations included a beaver, scorpion and a light-up peacock.

She was not sure what to expect from participants given that is was the show’s first year, Lynch said, but she was amazed at the imagination and work put forth by competitors.

Lynch appreciated that first and second place went to the most Canadian animals possible — a moose and a beaver, she said with a laugh.

For those that are keen on trying out a project for the contest, Lynch said, she recommends using as many scrap pieces as possible in an imaginative way to create something novel. She cited the moose sculpture that took home first place and the fact that it incorporated the most unique types of scrap material.

Lynch was especially happy to see Brandon artist Chad Hebner participate in the contest, she said, creating a light-up peacock.

The contest and auction proved to be a popular attraction and Lynch is already planning for next years show. She has decided on a theme for the pieces ― “Mythical Creatures.”

Lynch is not alone in her eagerness for next years event. She said future participants have already contacted her with plans for projects to work on over the winter.

“It’s something fun to do.”

 

» ckemp@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp