Sharing art for a special cause

BY ANDY BLATCHFORD

andy.blatchford@transcontinental.ca

A Kirkland artist will turn her passion into support for a local palliative-care residence.

Kirkland Artists Association (KAA) member Murielle LeBlanc will raffle off one of her paintings at the group’s annual spring exhibition this weekend.

Her mission is to raise funds for the West Island Palliative Care Residence.

“I visited the palliative care (residence) and it moved me,” said LeBlanc. The staff does “a beautiful job.”

LeBlanc was chosen as the KAA artist of the year for 2007, which gave her the duty of supplying a work of art for the raffle and forwarding all proceeds to the local cause of her choice. She chose the Kirkland palliative-care residence to mark its fifth anniversary.

LeBlanc donated a watercolour piece named “Bonjour,” which she described as a “cheery sunflower.”

“I’m a great believer of art,” said LeBlanc, a four-year member of the artists’ group. “I’ve adopted one of Picasso’s sayings: ‘Art removes the dust from your soul.’”

For LeBlanc, painting was a pastime that became a passion.

“I’ve always been fascinated with colours, the way the light hit objects,” said LeBlanc, also an avid photographer. “You shouldn’t be painting for yourself, you should be painting for others to see.”

LeBlanc, who became a “serious” painter about six years ago, downplayed her nod as artist of the year.

“We each take our turns,” she said of fellow association members.

The spring exhibition will be the group’s 25th year. Many of the KAA’s 55 members, who hail from around the West Island, will show their original artwork at the event.

West Island Palliative Care Residence events co-ordinator Andrea Gordon said the group’s support will be great for the residence.

“We have to raise over $1 million (a year) just to remain in operation,” she said. “We have five years of success under our belt and we’re hoping to continue for many more.”

Since the centre opened in October 2002, more than 700 terminally-ill patients have come through its doors, Gordon said.

“We’ve shared a lot of special moments with people,” she said.

The spring exhibition’s vernissage takes place Friday between 8 and 10 p.m. at Maison Lantier, 11 Lantier Dr., Kirkland. The event runs Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Raffle tickets in support of the West Island Palliative Care Centre are on sale at the exhibition and at the Kirkland Library this week. Tickets cost $2 or three for $5.￿