Oct. 26 Galveston Art League Gala:It’s your chance to… PARTY ARTY by Mary Vinnedge

The Galveston Art League invites you to put your best fun forward at its gala being held 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, in the Grand Ballroom of the San Luis Hotel in Galveston. 
     The theme of the league’s fifth annual gala is The Nature of Art/The Art of Nature, and guests can wear cocktail attire – which most typically do – or something related to the theme. One busy painter and longtime Art League member plans to wear a butterfly costume, for instance. A non-artist member of the Art League promises to show up with a sea turtle T-shirt and bow tie under his more-staid jacket. 
    The Galveston Art League’s fundraiser galas – always laid-back parties with fine food and drink – will honor three conservation groups and their programs:

• Turtles About Town (a Turtle Island Restoration Network program).
  
• The Seawall Interpretive Trail (an Artist Boat project).
  
• FeatherFest/PhotoFest/FledglingFest (annual initiatives of the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council). 
  

     All three of these nonprofits raise awareness about environmental challenges and threats to wildlife, and they act to preserve habitat as well as native plants, birds, mammals, and other animals. They have incorporated art into their programs to educate about conservation and raise interest in best practices.   
    The gala will be a show of support for those causes while also serving as a crucial fundraiser for the Galveston Art League, which is operated solely by volunteers and has never had a salaried staff member. The nonprofit league was founded in 1914 to promote visual arts and art education throughout Galveston County and beyond. To that end, GAL holds judged competitions for area artists, it hosts low-cost art workshops and even free activities for kids and adults, and it showcases artists via gallery exhibits that change every month. 
     The 105-year-old organization’s gala is never dull. You can count on a fast pace being set by emcee TJ Aulds, founder of i45NOW, an online digital TV news outlet covering the Galveston Bay/Clear Lake region. 
     There’ll be a raffle for a wheelbarrow loaded with wine, liquor, and snacks; think of it as perfect fare for your garden party, picnic, or any ol’ bash. Dozens of auctions – live and silent – offer an excellent way to enhance your art collection, do some holiday shopping, or purchase products, gift cards, and services donated by area merchants. For instance, on the block are Kendra Scott jewelry, a tarot card reading, and 3-D art and paintings by well-known, award-winning artists such as Paul Tankersley, Leroy LeFlore, and Lee Johnson. (To contribute an auction item or to become a gala sponsor, please email gallery2117@gmail.com; we invite you to do your bit to honor Galveston County conservation groups and pitch in on behalf of the local arts scene.) 
     A live band, Sparky’s Jazz Express, will play during much of the gala, with guests hitting the dance floor as desired after their gourmet dinner. And finally, great conversation – plus the opportunity to make new friends and catch up with old ones – will flow all night along with wine or other beverage of your choice.
    To buy gala tickets, please go to www.GalvestonArtLeague.com or visit Galveston Art League Gallery, 2117A Postoffice St. in downtown Galveston. GAL Gallery hours are noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays and during ArtWalk. (And pick up some raffle tickets – $10 each or three for $25 – while you’re there; you don’t have to be present to win the raffle.) 
    If you have questions, please email gallery2117@gmail.com or call 409-938-1671.    

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