The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry may be chucking their duds right, left and centre, however organizers at Morinville’s third annual Celebrating Life and Culture are encouraging participants to dress up like royalty.
“It’s in honour of the Queen’s 60th anniversary,” said Karen Cassidy, a committee member of the two-pronged arts gala and Sturgeon Community Hospital fundraiser.
In conjunction with Alberta Culture Days, the celebration is slated for Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door.
Noreen Radford, owner of Vintage Petals, in partnership with a local builder, first developed the event as a platform to showcase local visual artists. Any money raised as a giveback to the Sturgeon Hospital was a bonus.
This year up to 25 artists will display their works. Among the personalities exhibiting their works are floral and landscape artist Judy Schafer, landscape artist Tara Riccippo, horse artist Bonnie Smith, detailed realism artist Lawrence Kenakin and Cassidy, a popular mixed media artist.
Two acts are the featured entertainers. Morinville Community High School’s Jazz Band is taking off with the ’40s sound while Paul Smith of Smith Music provides snippets from the ’50s to the ’70s.
Artists will donate 20 per cent of sold work to the fundraiser and there will be a raffle of a framed Lewis Lavoie limited edition print of his newest St. Albert mural. Only 1,000 prints were made and Cassidy puts the framed print’s value at $500.
The 2010 debut event raised $7,000 and last year participants kicked it up a notch to $12,000.
“Noreen has set a goal of $10,000 but we’ll take as much as we can get,” Cassidy added.
The gala runs from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
