Georgina
August 27, 2008 09:20 PM
John Slykhuis
The world’s foremost wildlife artist has thrown his support behind the Georgina Arts Centre and Gallery.
Robert Bateman has donated a one-of-a-kind oil painting of a barred owl for Saturday’s Dinah Christie Celebrity Challenge at Crate Marine in Keswick.
The painting will be the hottest item up for grabs during the live auction that will include a performance by the popular Good Brothers and Ms Christie, a well-known celebrity in her own right.
Money raised will go to support children’s programming at the arts centre on High Street in Sutton.
How the painting was obtained is the result of the dogged persistence of gallery executive director Heather Fullerton — and a little bit of luck.
Mrs. Fullerton was attending the Vancouver National Philanthropy Conference as a member of the Canadian Association of Planned Giving.
Her expenses were paid by the Atkinson charitable foundation.
“This was a four-day event that attracted more than 400 delegates,” she said.
The first keynote speaker was Frank O’Dea, founder of Second Cup, who told his rags to riches story.
On the schedule next day was Robert Bateman.
“One of the things I do when I go to these things is volunteer to help out wherever I can,” she said.
Mrs. Fullerton decided to help out at the registration desk and one of the women there with her told her she used to work for Robert Bateman.
“My ears perked up,” Mrs. Fullerton said.
The woman also happened to know Mr. Bateman’s phone number, adding she’d likely have it answered by his assistant, Alex.
“After hearing that talk by Frank O’Day I was so inspired that I marched upstairs and picked up the phone.”
A voice answered.
She asked, “Is this Alex?”
It turned out not to be Alex, but the famous artist himself.
“It just freaked me out,” she said laughing. “I started to babble on about the gallery and fundraising. And he said ‘Slow down’.”
She told him about the upcoming Dinah Christie Celebrity Challenge and asked if he would take part.
“We ended up talking for about half an hour,” she said.
They arranged to meet after his speech the next day.
“I just knew he would do a painting for us, so I brought along a Picasso Pouch.”
The pouch contains a canvas, brushes, paint on which celebrities are asked to paint something of their choosing.
Mr. Bateman took the pouch and flew back to his home.
In June, the painting of the barred owl arrived in the mail “and we finally had it in our hot little hands”, Mrs. Fullerton said laughing.
The painting is expected to fetch at least four figures at Saturday’s auction.
There is also a framed print of a Lynn Johnson For Better Or For Worse comic strip in two versions, one black and white unedited and the other the coloured final.
Both donations were framed by Kat’s Gallery in Jackson’s Point, Mrs. Fullerton said.
Other originals were sent in by popular children’s author Robert Munsch, broadcaster and author Dini Petty, sprinter Ben Johnson, the entire morning team at Breakfast Television, Maple Leaf great Rick Vaive and several other sports legends and well-known personalities.
There will also be an appearance by the newly-crowned Miss Canada.
Tickets are $25 each and are available by calling 905-722-9587 or go to www.gacag.com
The event gets under way at 7 p.m.