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The Saanich Peninsula Arts and Crafts Society to host final event of season in Sidney

The Tag-Team, Art-Mania Painting Event is back for a second time at the Mary Winspear Centre.
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Members of the Saanich Peninsula Arts and Crafts Society (SPAC) enjoy a little painting in this photo from 2016. (File photo)

The last event for the Saanich Peninsula Arts and Crafts Society (SPAC) season is coming up.

It’s the second annual Tag-Team, Art-Mania Painting Event and art auction fundraiser hosted by SPAC at the Mary Winspear Centre on Monday, June 5.

The idea of the event is for twosomes to take turns painting on the same easel-mounted canvas for about 10 minutes each. After their time is up, another team tags in and takes over working on the same piece. Before the teams begin painting they are given a theme to keep in mind. Past themes have been fairly broad, such as nature, to allow for personal interpretation and creativity. While other teams are painting, the rest are encouraged to be strategizing about what to paint next as well as watching the other artists.

“It’s a lot of fun. There’s a lot of energy in the group. It’s just amazing how much energy there is with lots of buzz and conversation. People are very friendly and approachable and also very forgiving if you’re not an artist,” says Marilynne Miles Gray, SPAC vice-president and event organizer, with a laugh.

She adds that not all participants are painters, some are sculptors or work in a different medium or don’t consider themselves artists at all.

The finished collaborative paintings require about 20 minutes to dry before the auction, then they are up for bidding. The money collected from last year’s event went towards the Saanich Peninsula Hospital; Gray says this year the Society would like to see the proceeds go towards an art hanging system at the Hospital, which is already under way.

“It costs a lot to have the proper boards and metal hooks to properly hang the paintings at the hospital,” says Gray.

This year, Opus Art Supplies in Victoria has provided a donation of 10 large canvases and a bunch of acrylic paint tubes and other art supplies through the Opus Community Grant.

Last year the event saw around 75 participants. The event starts at 7 p.m. and is open to the public. Admission is free, however, participants are encouraged to make a bid on the paintings. Participants are not required to bring anything.