Auction fundraiser supporting Banff's Whyte Museum
As a way of celebrating the 115th birthday of its late founder, Catharine Robb Whyte on June 13, the Whyte Museum has decided to expand virtual access to its collections and enhance Indigenous programming.
But to do that, funding will be needed.
Donna Livingstone is the CEO of the museum and after reaching out to the artist community, she was overwhelmed with support.
A total of 177 items were donated to the cause, with the majority coming from artists and organizations across Alberta.
"I think Catherine would get a big kick out of this," said Livingstone. "She was a very strong supporter of emerging artists, she was an artist herself, but I think she would look at the list and look at the people that are coming from all over North America and go, 'Oh, these are my friends.' As we are looking at the list and getting excited about it, I think this would be a wonderful moment for her."
The auction runs from June 1 to 13 and is being presented online courtesy of Levis Fine Art Auctions.
Bidders can choose between objects with a strong connection to the Bow Valley, including paintings, photographs, sculptures, folk art, ceramics, and memorable mountain experiences.
Featured items include a number of rare objects such as a signed first-edition book by Emily Carr and paintings by H.G. Glyde, Walter J. Phillips, David Thauberger, Michael Cameron, Chris Flodberg, and many more.
"We've had bids on 90 per cent," said Doug Levis, owner of Levis Fine Art Auctions. "But I think there will be a lot of activity between now and the closing on Sunday which just happens to be Catherine Whyte's birthday."
Levis says people all over North America are interested in what's up for grabs. So far upward of $70,000 has been raised but there are still three more days of bidding. Everything raised will go to the museum.
"It's a good cause and we've said OK, there's going to be no buyer's premium," said Levis. "You pay $10,000 on the item, there's no buyer's premium, there is of course the appropriate taxes."
Livingstone says the money will be put to good use digitizing material in its archives to be viewed by virtual visitors.
"Peter (Whyte) and Catherine were very close friends with the Stoney Nakoda," said Livingstone. "And we've really revived that relationship and looking at some new programming involving them directly."
Chris Green is a bladesmith who makes functional art. He's a big supporter of museums and wanted to donate something to help the Whyte Museum.
"I looked at some old photographs of mountain men circa 1850s," said Green. "One of the fellows was all in buck skin and had this big bandolier kind of thing on his body and had this massive knife sticking out of the back and I thought that's perfect, I'll just do my take on what was possibly in that fellow's sheath."
Green researched camping knives of that period and came up with something he called a 'knatchet', a combination knife and hatchet.
"It had to be able to do everything from clear bush, to prepare the meal, to shave, anything else you could throw at it," said Green. "It had to be big, it had to be substantial, it also had to have a bit of style to it too."
See Green's knife along with all the other items up for auction online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Party's over: Coyotes play final game as Arizona franchise before move to Salt Lake City
Mullett Arena buzzed like few times in the two years since the Arizona Coyotes moved in, the fans amped for one last desert hurrah.