The Story: In 2007, after nearly 100 years, the beloved Cowichan Station elementary school in Cowichan Valley was closed and the windows were boarded up, leaving a lonely-looking eyesore in this beautiful rural village. But residents soon rallied to rescue the old school for public use, forming a charitable organization and securing the site to create a community gathering space for arts, culture, sport and recreation. The Cowichan Station Area Association has already re-opened parts of the community centre, called “The HUB at Cowichan Station”. However, the original, hand-poured windows are still boarded up and some need repair.
Let There Be Light! emerged when the community group asked local artists to help with the issue of the ugly window boards. With the support of the Cowichan Valley Arts Council, artists volunteered to transform the unsightly boards into “outdoor art”. From June 2 to July 7, the historic school house will be become a free outdoor gallery, with all the pieces auctioned to fund the repairs to the windows, and let the light shine in the century-old building once again.
The Art: The response from the Valley’s artists was generous and talented! The works, inspired from local landscapes and landmarks, as well as from within, have been donated by the artists. Contributors are professionals and hobbyists, seniors and children, deeply rooted locals, and Valley newcomers. Many have a connection to the old school – former students or parents. All were moved by the excitement for The HUB project – a rare, community-run gathering space.
Photos of the art pieces can be viewed here, or at The HUB June 2 to July 7, 2012. Directions below.
| The Sale: Bids will be accepted either by email or on site at The HUB. This is a ‘blind bid’ auction. Simply bid what you’re willing to pay. You can’t see what others have bid, so bid generously! Some works have a reserve (minimum) bid specified by the contributing artist. The highest bid for each piece at the close of the auction claims that piece. See terms of sale below for details.
Bid by email: sale@cowichanstation.org. State the number or title of the work, what you’re prepared to pay for it, and your full contact information. |
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Bid in person: Bid forms and a drop-box will be mounted near the front doors of The HUB. Come anytime. |
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The HUB is completely volunteer-run by community members and overseen by the CSAA. 100% of the proceeds will go towards The HUB project, starting with repairing the heritage windows. Please bid generously, and Let there be Light!
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Getting Here: The HUB is located at 2375 Koksilah Road, Cowichan Station, Vancouver Island, BC. From the Trans-Canada Highway, south of Duncan and north of Cobble Hill, go west on Koksilah Road 2 km – look for us on the right. |
Terms of Sale: Successful bidders will be informed by 2pm on Saturday July 7th on site at the HUB, and contacted within three hours by phone and/or email. The works of art will be available to claim either immediately or on the following Tuesday (July 10th) depending on their placement on the building (the upper pieces will be removed on July 9th for safety reasons). Works of art must be paid for (by cash, cheque or credit card) before they can be claimed. The last day that an article can be claimed is July 20. Any work of art that has not been paid for by midnight on July 20th will be offered to the next highest bidder. Any shipping and handling costs will be the responsibility of the buyer. An NSF fee of $45 will be charged on any returned cheques. Although CSAA is a registered Canadian charity, we are unable to issue charitable tax receipts for purchased goods, including art.