Everyone who participated in the successful Shuffle Up and Deal fundraiser, last Wednesday is welcome to attend     the final wrap up party tonight at the Owl Acoustic Lounge.

Shuffle Up And Deal was a  special event which included 53 local artists  who all designed individual playing cards for special deck of cards which will be sold for $15 each to raise money for the Special Needs Art Education program at  the Bowman Arts Centre.

A packed house incuding artists and art aficionados gathered at the Owl, Nov. 10 to take part in a special silent auction, in which the original pieces were auctioned off by a silent auction which raised  $2,916 for the program.

 They also enjoyed performances by several local musicians including Brenna Lowrie, Steven Foord, Matt Robinson and Darryl Düus who performed in between live auctions hosted by Aaron Hagan and Mike Maguire for some fantastic prize packages including donations  from local businesses.

Packages included a variety of concert tickets, gift certificates, art, books, tickets to the Galt Museum beer tasting, bowling and even a guitar donated by Long and McQuade.

The guitar package, which also included tickets to New West’s production of Glitz, and haircut and colour by Maisey, a purse and even a half price bellygram from Desert Wind Belly Dance, went for close to $1,000 alone.

So the event was billed a success by organizers who are thanking participants and donors and of course artists, with the special event which includes free appetizers and drinks and a chance to sketch two fetching models beginning at 7:30 p.m.  Once all of the decks have been sold, the project will have raised $10,000 for the Bowman Arts Centre’s Special Needs Art program.

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 A collective of artists from the Burning Ground Studio often have individual works in numeorus other Lethbridge art shows, however they haven’t had a show of just their own new works until this weekend.

So they are excited to show off their latest works at the Trianon during their first show including all of the members and a couple of their friends at the Trianon and Petit Trianon Gallery, Nov. 20- Jan. 1.

“People will be able to really experience a variety of  the eclectic and experimental works this group has been working on,” said artist Darcy Logan, noting there will be a variety of works and subject matter from painting to sculpture and a couple multi-media works which combine several mediums, including one of Logan’s Naglfar (ancient  Norse “nail ships” created from the bones and fingernails of the dead, which are Logan’s current artistic inspiration) pieces which will show the creative process involved in creating one of his works from start to finish.

“This will be the first time all nine of us and some of our friends have had a show all together,” observed artist Rick Gillis, relaxing in the Burning Ground studio in the basement of  the old firehall.

“It will give a fair sampling of the type of art being created in the city that is outside of the traditional of landscapes and such,” Gillis added, noting most of the artists have three individual pieces.

This weekend will be a great one for Lethbridge art afficionados.

 A pallette of fun begins at 2 p.m. at the Owl Acoustic Lounge with November’s edition of Dr. Sketchy’s anti-art school. It is a jazz theme this time. Model Clair de la Lune is presenting an afternoon of Fosse Jazz. Bob Fosse was an American choreographer who was highly influential to the jazz dance style. He was very simplistic yet powerful in his staging and movement. He used a cool, jazz sensibility in his choreography, yet it was burlesque in nature and sleek by choice with pelvic movement and heavy leans.

Fosse Jazz has engaging poses, angles and positions that would suit the portrait studio greatly.

 Tickets are $10 for the event, which runs from 2-5 p.m.

In addition to the Burning Ground studio’s exhibition of their latest works at the Trianon and Petit Trianon Gallery, there are several other exhibitions starting as well.
 Mary-Anne McTrowe is excited to present Sarah Barr’s latest installation ‘In A Thin Voice’ at McTrowe and husband David Hoffos’s Chinatown studio, Nov. 20.

“Sarah is a graduate of the University of Lethbridge, but she is in Montreal doing her master’s degree at Concordia. She is just back for this show and then goes back to Montreal,” McTrowe said adding though Barr is usually known  for working in fibre, she has been working in sculpture lately utilizing books.

 The current installation incorporates video and sound.
“It’s been pretty irregular that we’ve been doing shows at the studio  expecially since the fire last year,” McTrowe continued adding this show is a partnership with The Trap\Door Artist’s Collective.

The opening reception is 7-9 p.m. at 310-2nd Ave South. The exhibition runs until Dec. 17.

Catherine Ross’s new exhibition “Field Sightings,” opens at 8 p.m., Nov. 20 at the Mueller Gallery.

It features a variety of sculptures of birds and forest creatures.
 Local bluesman Daryll Düus will be performing at it as well.