By Alesha Capone
A bushfire relief charity auction and exhibition will be held in Newport next month.
Altona artist Simpson Myers has teamed up with the RedWest Creatives Co-op, a group for artists and performers from the west, to host the event at the Longspace Gallery.
The exhibition will donate half of the funds raised to Wildlife Victoria and the other half to the Indigenous Community Fire Relief Fund.
Ms Myers, who mainly works with oil paints and embroidery, said she had originally intended to host a solo exhibition, but instead decided to join with other artists to make the event a fundraising effort for bushfire affected communities.
“Every artist I spoke to was working on art related to the bushfires, had already donated to another fundraiser or working on something of their own to help out,” she said.
RedWest vice-president Leesa Gray-Pitt said several artists from RedWest had donated works to be sold at the exhibition.
“It still surprises me, how lovely and willing people are to give,” she said.
Ms Gray-Pitt said that around 15 artists had donated pieces so far, but the event organisers hoped 20 to 30 artworks would donated in total.
The Artist Aid Auction will be held 7pm, Friday, February 7, at Longspace Gallery, 419 Melbourne Road,
Newport. The event will also feature donation boxes for cash donations. Contact emailme@simpsonmyers.com if you would like to donate artwork.
