Thank You for Sharing Your Gift in 2018!

The holiday season is a time for giving and receiving, and both have happened in abundance in the last few months thanks to your participation in our 2018 Share Your Gift Donation Drive. Your donations of lightly-used art supplies have been given a meaningful new life, offering non-profit organizations, schools, and community groups throughout the British Columbia much needed materials to allow others to pursue their artistic endeavours.

Our call went out and you answered with abundance!

As many are aware, the funding earmarked for visual arts organizations, initiatives, and education is often minuscule to non-existent. Imagine trying to provide a classroom of high school students a strong art education with a yearly materials budget of $500, or building a low-barrier art space for youth at risk or seniors in need of connection with almost no budget at all.

In a world where terms like “creativity economy” are repeatedly broadcast as integral to our society, the ability to teach the skills that strengthen creativity are severely limited by lack of funding. While it can take time to time to change this at a policy level, your donations have offered an immediate impact to many groups around the province. Opus also gives to non-profit arts organizations and initiatives throughout the year, something you help support through the purchases you make when you visit our stores and shop with us online.

If you’d like to find additional ways you can support your creative community, here are a few ideas to get you started on matching your skills with the needs of a local organization.

• Find an arts organization in your area whose work resonates with you and contact them for volunteer and donation opportunities. Volunteer BC is also a great place to find volunteer centres in your area and information on how to make the most out of your volunteer experience.
• Contact your local school district or schools in your area and speak with their administration to discover if their needs and your resources might be a fit.
• Create your own art supply drive among friends! It’s a great to chance pool your resources, let go of materials and tools that no longer serve you, and to give the gift of creative expression to those who may have difficulty obtaining much needed supplies without you.

Thank you again to everyone who donated to our 2018 Share Your Give Donation Drive!