Bayview Framing and Art is hosting a special event to raise funds for famine relief in Somalia. Vancouver Island artist Theo Dombrowski will donate 100 per cent of the profits from his paintings sold during this event to the Red Cross.
“In addition, every penny I can send to the Red Cross before September 16 will be matched by the federal government, so purchasers’ dollars will go twice as far in Somalia.”
Dombrowski points out another feature of this exhibit.
“Anyone buying any of the original works in this series will take home a painting familiar to thousands of Islanders.”
Why? These paintings appear in several bestselling books written and illustrated by Dombrowski. Heritage House has published three titles in the Secret Beaches series and will soon publish a fourth. These books guide readers to the little known beaches of Vancouver Island and, in the next volume, the southern Gulf Islands. Dombrowski’s paintings and photographs illustrate each of the books. The Secret Beaches books are available at Salamander Books on First Avenue.
Dombrowski, a talented and versatile painter, is more excited about using his skills to aid those suffering in Somalia.
“To purchase one of these oils or watercolours is not just about buying original West Coast art. It’s about having the satisfaction of saving lives in a very real, concrete way,” said Dombrowski.
The artist’s generosity does not stop there—he also donates his royalties from book sales to Doctors Without Borders and the Georgia Strait Alliance.
“I’m grateful to Bayview Framing and Art not only for doing such a beautiful job of framing many of these paintings, but also for offering the exhibition space.”
The paintings, currently on display at the gallery, 421 1st Avenue, can be seen until September 16.