The Anonymous Art Show, one of Arts Whistler’s biggest fundraisers of the year, was postponed back in the spring due to COVID-19, but now organizers are planning for a pandemic-friendly revamp.
Starting on Aug. 1, art buyers can check out the 333 pieces of art from more than 200 anonymous artists in an online gallery. Participants are advised to pick 10 to 20 of their favourite pieces ahead of bidding.
“We have sitting in our offices [333] pieces of art,” says Mo Douglas, Arts Whistler’s executive director. “It had all come in. We were going to prepare the walls and do the hang just as the building needed to be closed. All those wonderful pieces are waiting to be snapped up by people.”
As in the past, the tier of ticket you purchase will determine the buying order. Those tiers range from $500 for first pick—which is new this year and, with only one spot available, is already sold out—to $250 for the top 10, $150 for the next 50 spots, $100 for another 50 spots and $50 for 100 final spots.
If you would like to see the art in person ahead of the online bidding night, Arts Whistler is planning to reopen the doors to the Maury Young Arts Centre on Sept. 1 for daily viewings of the exhibit.
Then on Sept. 11 bidders will log on to a “buying room” in groups and choose their piece based on a randomly assigned order. And, of course, the artists of each piece won’t be revealed until after the purchase is finalized.
“We’re really glad we can move forward with it,” Douglas says.
To buy tickets, or for more information, visit artswhistler.com/anonymous-art-show.
WFF’s Indigenous fellowship program opens
The Whistler Film Festival (WFF) has put out a call for applications to its Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship.
The program supports up to six Indigenous filmmakers who have a short-form film concept or a web series in development that already has a script.
Designed to advise Indigenous Canadian talent by developing short-form projects, this year the program will take place virtually over five months.
It will begin in November with workshops and meetings and lead up to the Whistler Film Festival and Content Summit, which is set to take place from Dec. 2 to 6.
Afterwards, the fellowship continues with three months of mentorship on a project and online workshop sessions that will run through to March 2021.
“Entering its eighth edition, our Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship continues to shine the spotlight on Indigenous stories and content creators from across Canada with a unique [point of view] or story to tell who are looking to take their short-form concepts from script to screen,” says Angela Heck, WFF’s director of industry programming, in a release. “We’re honoured to have the support of tremendous mentors, alumni, industry leaders, and our community to be able to expand the fellowship over a longer period of time, and facilitate deeper engagement and development of the projects.”
Overall, participants gain experience in scripted storytelling with access to filmmakers, broadcasters, and industry leaders.
“I learned so much in a short period of time and made meaningful connections with both fellow artists and funders,” says Stefany Mathias, who participated in the program in 2019, in a release. “It was a fantastic experience on a personal and professional level.”
The deadline to submit a short script is Sept. 10. For more information, visit whistlerfilmfestival.com.
