Galveston Art League will salute3 conservation groups at Oct. 26 galaBy Mary Vinnedge

Texas City artist Lee Johnson’s large watercolor, “Ibis,” will be auctioned during the Galveston Art League gala from 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at the San Luis Hotel Grand Ballroom in Galveston. Johnson was awarded first place for her painting in an Art League contest.

Visual arts and local conservation efforts share top billing at the Galveston Art League’s annual gala from 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at the San Luis Hotel Grand Ballroom in Galveston. This event theme is “The Nature of Art/The Art of Nature.” 
    The Art League’s gala always recognizes causes, organizations, and individuals contributing to the culture, education and/or amenities of the Galveston County region. This year’s honorees are FeatherFest/PhotoFest/FledglingFest (annual initiatives of the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council), the Seawall Interpretive Trail (an Artist Boat project), and Turtles About Town (a Turtle Island Restoration Network program). Gala guests are encouraged to wear costumes fitting the theme at the laid-back party.  
     The gala will have gourmet dining, open bar, live and silent auctions, and live music by Sparky Koerner’s Jazz Express band. The auction items include diverse artwork and contributions of gifts and services by local merchants. The league also will raffle a wheelbarrow containing bottles of wine, liquor, and snacks, key ingredients for a garden party, picnic, or other special occasion. The event’s emcee will be TJ Aulds, founder of i45NOW, an online digital TV news outlet covering the Galveston Bay/Clear Lake region.
    The all-volunteer, nonprofit Art League has held a fundraiser gala every year starting in 2015, and the GAL’s Board of Directors requests that civic-minded area residents get behind this year’s celebration as a way to support both the local arts community and regional programs that preserve natural habitats and save wildlife as well as draw tourists to the area. 
     Individual tickets start at $150, and tables for 10 cost $1,500 and up. Gala sponsorships, which include a table for 10, start at $2,500. Merchants can help out by donating goods, services, and gift cards for the auctions. 
     For tickets, please go on www.GalvestonArtLeague.com or call 409-938-1671. Tickets also are available in the Galveston Art League Gallery, 2117A Postoffice St. in downtown Galveston. The gallery is open from noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays and during Galveston ArtWalks. 
    Founded in 1914, GAL has a mission of promoting visual arts and arts education in the Galveston County region. The organization, which has never had a salaried staff member, depends on gala funds as well as corporate and individual contributions and GAL membership and sponsorship fees. (Many Art League members are not artists but join because they consider art to be an important resource for tourism and the community as a whole.)  
     GAL opened its low-commission gallery on Postoffice Street in 2008. The gallery doubled in size in 2019 and now exhibits roughly about 200 pieces – jewelry, paintings, photography, sculpture, and mixed-media works – in displays that change monthly. The league’s gallery serves its mission in two ways: by holding member shows and judged competitions that boost the careers of artists, and by organizing and hosting inexpensive classes for all ages. 
     To support GAL and learn more about league activities, including a calendar of events, please visit www.GalvestonArtLeague.com.          

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