11th annual Art & Martini’s event helps young artists

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 affair held in the Winter Garden, Jamieson Place on March 8, was attended by more than 350 clients, friends and art students from the University of Calgary 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 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.

PHOTOS: BILL BROOKS The 11th annual Art & Martini’s reception was hosted by DLA Piper (Canada) LLP at the iconic Winter Garden on March 8. Jamieson Place DLA Piper Canada managing partner Robert Seidel was on hand with Calgary managing partner Heather Treacy. Original...

Calgary Home and Design Construction’s Helmut Scholz and Tanis Markevich were among the more than 350 guests.

Susan Clifford from the U of C faculty of arts, left, Tallin Energy general counsel Tamara Shawa, DLA Piper partner Robert Calvert and his wife, Ann Calvert, U of C’s senior adviser to the provost, attended Art & Martini’s.

Works by U of C artists Kajil Aujla, left, Sandra Sharkey, Chantal Snodgrass and Dawn Mitchelson were on sale at the Art & Martini’s reception.

U of C artists Kylie Berstad, left, Jessica Semenoff and Alliya Lopez had their original works selected for the 11th annual Art & Martini’s reception

Nahida Charrouf of Terralog Technologies, left, and Roman Bilak with RBC Royal Bank’s Nicole Eaton.

Lynn Tsutsumi of the Alberta Securities Commission, left, RBC Royal Bank’s Norm Eaton and DLA Piper’s Sharilyn Nagina.