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Be a hero at home

Pacific Wild’s 2nd Annual Art Auction creates hope during COVID-19
Pacific Rim art auction
In Good Company by artist Joelly Louise Creight.

COVID-19 got you down? Let art lift you up!

You can personally make a difference for BC’s Coast through participating in the power of art. Join Pacific Wild for #wildauction2020 by creating an original art piece or bidding on one. Either way, you can be a hero just be staying home!

“This year, it’s exciting to be able to participate in all aspects of our annual Wild Auction from the comfort of home,” said Laurie McConnell, manager of the Friends of Pacific Wild program. “The auction provides a significant contribution to Pacific Wild’s key campaigns. Last year, we were thrilled to feature more than 75 pieces by professional and amateur artists from four countries.”

Anyone can be an artist and that includes you. #wildauction2020 creates hope and ultimately change which anyone can be a part of. Amateur artists as well as professionals can submit works relating to the protection of B.C.’s wildlife and Pacific Wild’s campaigns up until Oct. 31.

Works may be of any material and size and artists are invited to register at pacificwild.org and provide their submissions by Nov. 6. 

“We’re inviting artists from all over the world to submit pieces for this local fundraiser,” notes McConnell. “A percentage of their sales will go to fund our conservation work in 2020.”

The percentage will be up to you. You can decide how much of your auction earnings you’d like to donate and any medium can be used for your art. You can literally get paid for being a hero at home! 
All artists are provided excellent exposure through Pacific Wild’s various media campaigns and social media channels including individual artist snapshots on Instagram. This is a great opportunity for artists to be recognized and paid for their work, and at the same time, positively impact beautiful British Columbia.

The auction opens on Nov. 9 and closes Nov. 12. Preceding the auction is Instagram Stories Week Nov. 2 to 6 where different artists take over the @friendsofpacificwild account to share their practices and their conservation focus.

This focus on conservation is necessary as seen through David Attenborough’s new Netflix documentary showing the world’s remaining wilderness at only 35 per cent in 2020. The present global pandemic is potentially a direct outcome of pressures on biodiversity and habitat; as humans encroach further into the last wild places, zoonotic diseases move into the human population. We are all living with the natural outcome of unchecked growth.

“The healing powers of nature bring the wilderness into our homes and places of business at a turning point in human history and the art reminds us of what is truly important, the relationship of our species to our environment. Art has an immense capacity to effect change,” added McConnell. “Our hope is that gifting dollars this year will be spent to support our artists who create art for conservation’s sake.”

By purchasing art from the #wildauction2020, funds support critical conservation work and artists who have conservation at the centre of their art practices.

“My painting ‘In Good Company’ is an expression of my deepest love. It is my nod to the important and tireless work that scientists, conservationists, artists and activists are doing. My hope is that this piece of artwork has the ability to touch people on a heart level, to learn about, and connect us to, our wild places. I hope this piece will bring the collector light and beauty into their personal sanctuary, especially knowing it is directly helping Pacific Wild protect our cherished rainforest and coastline,” says artist Joelly Louise Creight of her 60”x60” work valued at over $22,000. 

Artist Elaine Brewer White says of her 11x17” ‘Mother Nature needs more heroes’ terracotta sculpture of Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, held by a grizzly, “I chose Ryan Reynolds because I admire how he uses his celebrity to raise awareness of important causes. A Canadian movie star, doing good things and making us laugh while he does it.”