Being an artist — as creatively fulfilling as it can be — is often times not overly financially rewarding. The expression ‘starving artist’ unfortunately has gravitas. But thanks to the super folks at DLA Piper (Canada) LLP and their annual Art & Martini’s reception, more than 635 works of art have been sold to private Calgary collectors over the years, raising more than $70,000 for the talented young artists who created the canvases or sculptures.
And this year’s reception, the 11th annual held in the Winter Garden, Jamieson Place on March 8 was attended by more than 350 clients, friends and art students from the U of C department of art. Since opening its Calgary offices in 2002, DLA Piper has been an avid supporter of the city’s cultural scene with the Art & Martini’s reception being but one of the firm’s ways to give back.
The pieces chosen for the reception were adjudicated by a committee of art professors from the U of C and narrowed down to 44 original works created by students who will be graduating from the Department of Art this spring. Artists represented this year included: Ainna Randhawa; Alliya Lopez; Amelia Rodriguez; Angela Orser; Avril Lopez; Brenda Fox; Chantal Snodgrass; Chris Savage; Dan Tran; Dawn Mitchelson; Dylan McLernon; Gabrielle Haidl; Jasmine Wong; Jessica Semenoff; Kajil Aujla; Kiran Rai; Kun Chen; Kylie Berstad; Loralie Nickel; Mackenzie Lockett; Meaghan Shaw; Nicole Tritter; Orysya Rudnyk; Rachel Refael; Riya Rai; Sandra Sharkey; Sherry Ma; and Zoe Botting.
Others in attendance included: hosts with the most, Robert Seidel, national managing partner of DLA and Heather Treacy, office managing partner; Dick Averns, U of C art department instructor project lead and liaison with DLA Piper; DLA Piper partner Robert Calvert, and his wife Ann Calvert, U of C senior adviser to the provost; RBC Royal Bank’s Nicole Eaton and Norm Eaton; Alberta Securities Commission’s Lynn Tsutsumi; DLA Pipers Sharilyn Nagina; Terralog Technologies’ Nahida Charrouf and Roman Bilak; and my terrific handler, DLA Piper’s Doris Gunnell.
Calgary Home and Design Construction’s Helmut Scholz and Tanis Markevich were among the more than 350 guests at the 11th annual Art & Martini’s reception hosted by DLA Piper (Canada) LLP at the iconic Winter Garden, Jamieson Place.
From left: U of C faculty of arts’ Susan Clifford, Tallin Energy general counsel Tamara Shawa, DLA Piper partner Robert Calvert, and his wife, Ann Calvert, U of C, senior adviser to the provost.
From left: Terralog Technologies’ Nahida Charrouf and Roman Bilak with RBC Royal Bank’s Nicole Eaton.
From left: Alberta Securities Commission’s Lynn Tsutsumi; RBC Royal Bank’s Norm Eaton; and DLA Piper’s Sharilyn Nagina.
From left: U of C artists Kajill Aujla; Sandra Sharkey; Chantal Snodgrass; and Dawn Mitchelson.
From left: U of C artists Kylie Berstad; Jessica Semenoff; and Alliya Lopez.