On September 14, 2014, close to $20,000 was raised for the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS), Western Branch, at the “Maudified” House Auction in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, thanks in part to sponsor the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® and their members.
The Friends of the AGNS Western Branch Society initiated the “Maudified” House Project to let the world know world-renowned folk artist Maud Lewis’s roots were in Yarmouth, celebrate the artistic talent in the region, beautify the town, and raise funds for programming and the Children’s Art Fund. The project involved the construction and decoration of 11 miniature houses in the style of Maud Lewis’s work by artists and volunteers, which were on display throughout Yarmouth for everyone’s enjoyment before being auctioned off.
“We’re pretty reserved people here in Yarmouth and we don’t brag much, but Wendy Majestic, Chair of this project, stepped up to the plate and a community-minded project was implemented,” explains Ann Durkee, REALTOR®. “The auction was a class act and the REALTORS® dressed in Maude t-shirts and NSAR name tags looked great as we participated in one of the finest community projects that I have seen in the Yarmouth area.”
“Overall, we were able to generate close to $20,000 that will be used directly for children’s programming, supplies, art classes, special events, and the start of an art scholarship fund,” explains Wendy Majestic, Project Coordinator with the Friends of the AGNS Yarmouth Branch. “But the project went beyond raising funds. It brought a diverse group of people together. In the process, it beautified the town and provided an attraction that everyone loved. It also brought attention to many of our artists. And it certainly let people know about Maud Lewis and how ‘the story starts here.'”
Pictured: Debbie Boudreau, Susan Boudreau, Ann Durkee, Nancy Earle and Melissa Watkins.
