Editor:
As the holiday season draws near, we are reminded of the values that characterize this special time: compassion, hope, peace and celebration.
Every December, the White Rock South Surrey Hospice Society recognizes the impact they have on the bereaved through their “Celebrate-A-Life” campaign.
Visitors to Semiahmoo Shopping Centre are encouraged to stop by the Celebrate-A-Life Tree, write the name of a lost loved one on a paper dove, hang it on the tree and make an optional donation to the hospice society.
With a contribution of just $20 or more, you will receive a beautiful, handpainted dove ornament of their choice, decorated by local artists… and Southridge students!
Art students in Grade 11 and 12 have been working diligently over the past two months on these little wooden baubles. Using professional-grade acrylic paint and high-quality finishes to complement their artistic skill, they depicted miniature patterns and scenes inspired by themes of remembrance, festivity and hope.
Whether flat or 3-D, painting the doves was a highly involved process; in addition to coming up with a design, students faced the challenge of successfully rendering it on such a small ‘canvas.’
Speaking as the art steward, seeing the breathtaking results of their dedication to this project makes me so proud of Southridge’s visual-arts department.
While the doves have already been sent to the fundraising team, ready to bring joy into a new home, photos of the finished products were on display at the Southridge Senior School’s annual “Evening in December” concert held last week.
If you would like to pay tribute to a loved one and receive a beautiful wooden ornament painted by a Southridge student, please visit the Celebrate-A-Life stand at Semiahmoo Shopping Centre.
Doves painted by South Surrey and White Rock artists will be gifted throughout the month, while Southridge doves went on display last Saturday – they can be yours with a minimum cash donation of $20.
Aleksandra Golos, Southridge senior art steward student