Claire Everson hopes her school can raise enough money to give at least three artists in Kingcome Inlet the tools they need to make a living.
Everson, 9, and her fellow Aspen Park Elementary School students are raising money for artists in Kingcome Inlet who lost their tools in September floods. Art for Artists, an art show and silent auction, will be held Feb. 3.
All students in the school are contributing to a group piece for the silent auction, and each student is creating an individual piece of artwork to display.
Everson and her classmates are making prints of Northwest Coast moons — or “Andy Everson moons” as she calls them. Andy Everson, Claire’s father, is a prominent Comox Valley native artist.
Everson showed her classmates how to design the moons Monday afternoon, and she was happy to share what she has learned from her father.
“He taught me, and he told me one of the things was to try to do the eyebrows first then the mouth but always do the nice stuff that looks good at the end,” she said. “I think it’s really nice because it’s one of the things I’m really passionate about. I always do them in my drawing book.”
Everson’s aunt and uncle live in Kingcome Inlet.
“All the carvers’ tools got washed away,” she said. “For some people, like my auntie, they carve, and that’s how they make money. We’re trying to raise money so they can make money for their family.”
Everson is happy to see her school doing something to help others.
“I think it’s really nice because it means a lot to me and my family,” she said. “My family will be really happy since they are getting money they need to make stuff that will make a big difference to them.”
Cameron Gregory, 8, feels it’s important to help the artists in Kingcome Inlet.
“They need their tools so they can carve so they can make money so they can be with their families,” he said.
Eight-year-old Olivia Williams, who likes to draw every day, is excited that people will come and see her art.
“I feel like I’m famous,” she said.
She and her family want to raise money to help the people of Kingcome Inlet.
“I feel bad for them because they lost their tools in the flood, and I really hope they can get new tools,” she said.
For the past two years, Aspen Park Elementary School’s focus has been teaching children Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and Art for Artists fits in with many of Covey’s habits, explained principal Corinne Wester.
“The suggestion of providing support for artists comes from the fact their basic day-to-day needs were taken care of immediately,” Wester noted. “Now, they’re rebuilding, and a lot of artists have lost their tools, and they can’t earn an income.”
Aspen students are presenting Art for Artists Feb. 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the school.
Many local artists, including Bill Maximick and Andy Everson, have donated items for the silent auction, and the I-Hos Gallery has offered its support. Wester asks anyone who can offer a donation for the silent auction to let the school know by Jan. 21 so they can build a list of auction items.
writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com