LOVE FOR THE LIGHT
June 4 to 23, 2023
Everyone loves Grand Manan’s iconic Swallowtail Lighthouse. This historic structure has been guiding mariners, and welcoming returning Islanders and visitors for more than 160 years, but now it is desperately in need of help. The shingles on Swallowtail are 90 years old. They’ve been lashed by too many northeast gales and are beyond repair. The existing surfaces need to be stripped and replaced to prevent structural damage, and to decrease ongoing maintenance costs.
Last summer the Swallowtail Lightkeepers Society launched a $300,000 fundraising campaign to restore the exterior of the lighthouse and the adjacent keepers’ house. It was hoped that the restoration could be completed before water damage penetrated to the structure’s interior. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Recently, Light Keeper Ken Ingersoll discovered second floor damage to the Lighthouse’s lath and plaster ceiling, and large pieces of plaster have fallen to the floor. Consequently, a new element of urgency has been added to the restoration process, and it is now estimated that it will cost $479,000 to fully restore the exterior of both the Lighthouse and the Keepers House.
The Swallowtail Keepers Society, together with the Tending the Light Group, have already raised $160,000, and a telethon by CHCO-TV in St. Andrews in April raised more than $50,000. The Exhibition Committee of the Grand Manan Art Gallery is keen to have the Gallery take part in this very deserving community project, and consequently, we are planning a special Love For The Light fundraising exhibit as part of the Opening Show for our 2023 Season (June 4 to 23).
Consider this your invitation to participate in Love For the Light. We are hoping that many of you will be willing to submit one or two pieces of your work for this exhibition. As this is a charitable fund raising project, no entry fee will be charged. If your work sells, all profits from the sale, including the 25% commission on sales normally charged by the Gallery, will go to the Swallowtail Restoration Fund as a donation in your name, and you will receive a tax receipt for this donation. We will welcome a variety of artwork — paintings, drawings, photographs, fibre art, ceramics, wood, and mixed media pieces, for this fundraising event.
If you wish to participate in this event, please complete the Entry Form below, and email it to the Exhibition Committee in care of David Ogilvie (davidogilvie25@gmail.com). You may also send it to David by regular mail (380 Route 776, Grand Manan, NB E5G1C8).
Artwork must reach the Gallery by May 27, 2023. Work that is mailed, or sent by courier, must be in a reusable shipping container with a return address. For convenience of mainland artists, artwork may be taken to By-The-Sea Picture Framing, 122 Water Street, St. Andrews, NB from May 23 to 26. By-The-Sea is currently open by appointment as their building is under construction, and artists are advised to call Rebecca at (506) 529-8700 to arrange a time for delivering their work.