This spring, there will be more than one opportunity for local art lovers to enjoy and even buy some of the wonderful artworks produced by artists in the St. Vital Art Group. The St. Vital Art Group Show and Sale will be held on Friday, April 26, from 4:00 – 9:00 and Saturday, April 27 from 9:00 – 4:00 at the United Church in Meadowood, 1111 Dakota St.

The St. Vital Art Group is comprised of wonderful artists who meet on Wednesday mornings, and the annual St. Vital Art Group Show and Sale is the main event each year, giving members an opportunity to display and sell their work and locals a chance to buy a unique piece of art.

Members use a variety of mediums, such as oil, watercolour, acrylics, and resin, and also styles from still life to landscapes to abstracts and collages, so there is something for everyone. Past favourites have included landscapes and wild animals, and buying local art is a great option for business owners to support and stay connected to the community.

According to Pauline Korol, President of the St. Vital Art Group, there are lots of options for anyone who is interested in buying something for their home or business, or even as a gift, with artists selling postcards, shrinkwrap prints, and other items, as well as a Silent Auction, with a mix of art and donated gifts.

Korol first began painting in 2001, but said that at first she found that “it was hard to know where to start.” After receiving some watercolour classes with Leona Brown, a Manitoba artist, from her daughter, Korol fell in love with painting and now uses a variety of mediums, such as watercolour and acrylic, but her recent favourite technique is using resin, which creates an iridescent shimmer.

Korl became a member of the St. Vital Art Group when she moved to Winnipeg in 2002, and for her, painting is truly a pleasure, “you lose yourself in it, and you forget what time it is.” Korol will be showcasing a number of her paintings, as well as beautiful, abstract, resin coasters at the St. Vital Art Show and Sale, and Mona Lisa Restaurant will be hanging some of her acrylic and resin paintings for sale in their small dining room.

Although the art show and sale is held each year to highlight the talent of the St. Vital Art Group’s members, a total of eight of the thirty five members, including Korol, will also be showcased at Artarama, another annual art event in Winnipeg.

Artarama will take place at Mary Mother of the Church, 85 Kirkbridge Drive from March 29-31. There are forty four Manitoba artists, who participate by invitation only, and there will be framed and unframed art in a variety of styles and mediums, a raffle, and a café, with all proceeds going to local charities.

For more information about Artarama, contact Peter Lodewyks at pglods@mymts.net or Walter Berry at wcberry@planetnine.ca.

For more information about St. Vital Art Group or the St. Vital Art Group Show and Sale on April 26 and 27, contact Pauline Korol at paulinek1@shaw.ca.
This article was originally published in the Winnipeg Free Press on March 11, 2019.