July 2’s BlackTop Hop fundraiser for the Shurniak Art Gallery in Assiniboia was a big success, organizer Jyann Williams said, raising awareness for the gallery and entertaining attendees until the small hours of the morning.
“We had 250 guests for supper, and (an additional) 50 join us for the live music,” Williams said. “I got the go-ahead for the event at the end of April, which only gave me two months to plan, but we will be making this an annual event!
“I’m excited to have the whole year to plan to make the next one bigger and better.”
Williams did not have a final total as of the writing of this article — an update will be provided to this article once known.
At 8 p.m., Saskatchewan country music artist Justin Labrash performed a full concert. He was followed by a DJ who played for several more hours.
Tickets were $50 each and were all-inclusive. A separate Grand Summer Raffle included donated prizes such as a barbecue, a patio set, and several cash awards.
The Shurniak Art Gallery opened in 2005. The official ceremony was presided over by Linda Haverstock, then the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan. The gallery was the project of wealthy international businessman Bill Shurniak and hosts the artworks he spent his spare time collecting around the world.
Shurniak was born and raised in nearby Limerick, SK, and began his career as a bank teller in Assiniboia. He died in 2020 at the age of 89. Employees and volunteers at his gallery anticipated that his passing would require them to find new sources of funding and that has turned out to be the case.
“Since Bill’s passing in 2020 it’s just been expected that we’re going to have to apply for grants and look for fundraising opportunities to keep it all viable,” Williams said in a previous interview. “It’s not a ‘if we don’t make money now we’re going to close down’ situation, we’re just preparing for the future.”
A spokesperson for the gallery said that Shurniak’s estate provides a specified amount of funds that will be distributed to the Gallery annually for a number of years. The funds will help pay for many operating costs — but not all.
To keep the gallery serving the public at its current level, fundraising will have to become part of its strategy for the future.
The gallery is one hour south of Moose Jaw. Its hours are Tuesday to Saturday — 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Sundays — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission is always free.
Other upcoming events at the Shurniak Art Gallery include its sixth annual Artists Retreat, July 18 to 22, and Meeting for Teas: On the Road to Decolonization from Sept 15 to 18.
