Second annual winter warmer celebration

TIMOTHY BROWN STAFF

This past Saturday, AceArtInc kicked off their second annual Winter Warmer open members’ show, with a celebration that featured food, drinks, and a cozy, by-the-fire story-time. For those of you who’ve never heard of AceArtInc, it is a non-profit, artist-run gallery that is provincially and locally driven. “We try and show as much Manitoba and Winnipeg artwork as possible,” says Liz Garlicki, gallery assistant at AceArtInc.

The Winter Warmer is an open show and sale of members’ artwork. “A hundred per cent goes to the artist,” says Garlicki. “Price range is from about $15 [which] is the lowest, to $3,500, which is the highest.”

Before the Winter Warmer, AceArt held a draw called Times 3. The people at AceArtInc, realizing that the draw wasn’t helping the artists as much as it could, decided to go the route of a members’ show and sale. This year they have a wide array of artwork which includes drawings (large and small), paintings (large and small), sculptures and even an audio installation.

Garlicki, who is an artist herself, pressed the importance of giving back to the members who’ve helped make AceArtInc what it is today. “If it wasn’t for our members, AceArt wouldn’t be here,” she said. “I think we need to be aware that artists do survive on their artwork . . . They do make money off of this artwork and it helps them make more artwork. So, I think we have to really realize and understand that this is a way of them surviving.”

The show started Dec. 2 and runs until Dec. 9. AceArtInc is located at 290 McDermot Ave., and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 12 p.m.-5 p.m..