Art lovers and the art-curious alike can look forward to an upcoming art showcase in Niverville. Prairie Visions will take place on Saturday, September 27 at the Golden Friendship Centre, and the Niverville Foundation, as part of its ongoing fundraising efforts, invites guests to experience it firsthand.

Prairie Visions will be an opportunity to explore a diverse collection of prairie-focused art by local artists. Guests will also be able to mingle with the artists themselves and other members of the community.

In an effort to make this event accessible for all ages, there will be two distinct sessions, each with a capacity of 100. The first session will take place from 12:30 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. and the second will run from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 pm.

Tickets to each show are available for $20 and include refreshments.

The work of seven local artists will be showcased: James Dean, Elaine Dilay, Ludolf Grolle, Mimi Hart, Jenn Lundy, Margaret Switala, and Alex Verbo. Together they represent a mix of emerging talent and those with national and international recognition. The work spans various mediums, including oil, watercolour, acrylic paint, epoxy resin, and ceramics.

Ludolf Grolle is also a board member of the Niverville Foundation. Having personally benefited from the community’s emergency response team in the past, Grolle views his participation as artistic expression, gratitude, and a desire to give back in any way he can.

“My objective is to give back to the community that I love,” says Grolle. “It’s to enhance the community that I love, to help friends and relatives of the friends that I’ve made and relatives that I’ve made with whatever skillset I can muster. My personal goal is to promote my art and to promote other artists as well to show the world the talent Canada has.”

At its core, the event mirrors the heart of the Niverville Foundation: to be rooted in community. Founded in 1992, the foundation has helped raise more than $1.3 million with the goal of supporting health and wellness of the community and its surrounding area.

Prairie Visions aims to bring people together through art while supporting the growth and well-being of the community.

“The objective of the foundation is to be grounded in community, to develop a legacy that is ongoing, and to assist where it matters most, which is health at the root,” says Grolle.

The event is not a formal function and is framed, rather, as a community gathering. Grolle wants people of all ages to feel welcome to come as they are.

“If you’ve never been to an art event, it’s a unique experience,” he says. “Through the art at our show, it gives you a glimpse of other people’s vision of where you live. They’re all going to be prairie scenes or related to prairie and nature. You’ll meet friends and relatives there. It’s a smaller, intimate gallery experience. Be yourself and feel free to express yourself. Do what you would do if you were visiting friends.”