 By Jen Grebeldinger
As another year of Timeraisers gets underway I’m looking forward to another year’s worth of Art Winner stories. It’s an amazing way to stay connected to the program and the type of community engagement the Timeraiser inspires.
At the end of every pledge period (the 12 months following a Timeraiser during which those with successful bids complete their volunteer time to earn their artwork) we gather a handful of stories to illuminate what these folks are up to - why did they take on the pledge, where did they volunteer, what did they do and what did they learn? Not only do the stories reveal the diversity of participants, but also the wealth and array of opportunities out there.The stories are, you could say, the highlight reel. But if you're looking for the nitty gritty details of how someone might carve time out of their busy schedule, where they would go to find a volunteer role that fits their interests and schedule, and literally how they go about getting involved, head on over to timedonor.wordpress.com. This is where 2012 Vancouver Art Winner, John Grant, is documenting his journey to fulfill his 100 hour pledge to win the piece, 560 Beatty, by the super talented Vancouver artist, Sarah Mulder.
In the first few entries John candidly recounts how he came to be an Art Winner, describes his efforts to connect with causes and how he found unexpected benefits. His stories highlight the power of Timeraiser - motivating busy young professionals to connect with organizations they’re excited about and hopefully establishing a lifelong relationship.
I look forward to following his journey and to reading his final entry when he’s reached his goal and is holding his art! His summary story will certainly make a great addition to our highlight reel.
Last night was a wonderful evening where over 200 Vancouverites came together to pledge and participate at the 5th Vancouver Timeraiser. We raised just over 3,000 volunteer hours! Many thanks to our national sponsors TD, Suncor and RBC as well as our partner in planning, Vantage Point. Nearly 100 people officially made the 20 hour pledge, and 25 successfully won artwork. This year we invested $10,000 in the careers of artists, bringing the Vancouver total to $67,000! Eli van der Giessen was our emcee for the night. He brought several art winners on stage to share their community stories. Nearly 15 people from last year completed their pledge and picked up their artwork last night. Thank you to Imagining by Marlis for photographing the evening (all photo credits: Imaging by Marlis).  Emcee Eli presenting artwork to a past artwinner |  Agency reps connecting with volunteers | | Here is a list of all the winners and the corresponding artwork. If you are on the list, contact Jen Grebeldinger to get started. Thanks again Vancouver. We can’t wait to start planning next years event. A special thanks goes out to all our volunteers for their help last night, especially those who helped pack everything up at the end of the night!
| | As a working mother of two young girls I found myself contemplating volunteering often, however the thought always ended in "I just don't have enough time". Inspired by the wonderful art, great energy and sprit of giving at the event I pledged 100 hours for a piece of art, which I ended up winning. Timeraiser was the kick I needed to make time in my hectic life to help others. I found a volunteer job that allows me to volunteer from home, which is a perfect fit. My hope is that at the end of my pledge year I will have fit volunteering into my schedule comfortably and will be able to continue on a long term basis!
| Playing for Time I and Boys Play Time II
| | Louise first came to Timeraiser as a volunteer photographer back in 2008. The concept inspired her to participate on a larger level in volunteerism, moving from adhoc occurances to commiting to long term assignments with a variety of not for profits. In 2011/12 the organisations that took up the majority of her time were the UBC Farm's Urban Farmer and Landed Learning programs and the leadership campaign for NDP House Leader Nathan Cullen. She manged to exceed her pledged time by March 2012 and intends to continue her volunteerism in the future
| Spanish Banks by Jennifer Harwood
| | Paula has been an active volunteer in the community but participating in Timeraiser provided an incentive to find a permanent volunteering opportunity. Timeraiser has helped Paula find a regular weekly shift at Vancouver Friends for Life. Friends for Life is an organization that enhances wellness in individuals living with very serious illnesses. Paula spends her volunteer time at the Diamond Centre for Living and finds her time there rewarding and fulfilling. Paula has also been able to give time to special events such as Voices in the Park and the Rio Tinto Dragonboat Festival. Timeraiser has provided Paula with the focus she required to achieve her goals in the community.
| Honesty by Julie WittenLand. Metal, Paint, and Nail Polish
| | I learned about time raiser from a few friends that attended last year. I bid and won a piece with 100hrs and chose to support imagine1day by event managing 1school1day. The event brought together 250 active Vancouverites at jack Poole plaza for one day of motion to support education in Ethiopia. I will be continuing on as a member of the organizing committee again this year with a goal to raise enough money in one day to build and support one school! Thank you for this opportunity to get involved in my community!
| Median by Ivan Oyarzun
| | Eric is very grateful to Timeraiser for helping him to connect with Take a Hike. Since January he has volunteered just shy of 300 hours working with at risk youth in an adventure based learning environment. In addition, he has volunteered at Britannia secondary school as a tutor and mentor through the Vancouver Homework Club Society, where he was recently employed as a youth engagement worker. Not only have these experiences enabled him to move toward his goal of teaching, but they have allowed him to become part of the community around him
| The Fruit Vendors by Lisa Graham
By Vanessa Choot On Thursday September 22nd, the Vancouver Timeraiser had 275+ attendees at its 4th annual event. This year's event was in a much more intimate location at the Waldorf Hotel. Two main rooms showcased local artists' work, among booths of non-profit organizations seeking skilled volunteers to support their cause. As I had already won artwork the previous year, I wasn't able to bid again this year. That being said, I spent most of my time chatting to other attendees and I was most interested to find out why they were at Timeraiser. For some, their reason was because of a love of art combined with a sense of community. Others, they were directly involved with the organization (an artist, a non-profit worker, a volunteer), or a +1 of a previous Timeraiser winner. There was no doubt, however, that the resounding theme for why guests attended this year's Timeraiser, was for Timeraiser's innovative "win-win-win" scenario. A win for the emerging artists who are paid fair market value for their artwork, a win for the non-profit agencies who can connect with enthusiastic volunteers, as well a win for the attendees, who have a chance to get a piece of artwork while volunteering for a cause they are passionate about. The results are in! Here are some key highlights from the event: - Over 275 people attended and 150 people made a pledge to get involved in the community
- 18 of the 19 pieces of artwork went for the maximum bid of 100 hours
- 4,340 volunteer hours were pledged, 24% of which were pledged by artwork winners
- 75+ community and corporate leaders were in attendance
- 27 non-profit agencies seeking skilled volunteers were in attendance
- $13,000 was invested in the careers of emerging and mid-career Vancouver-based artists
Timeraiser would like to give a special thanks to their coporate and community partners: WestJet, CIBC, PwC, Miss604, TD Bank, UBC, Vantage Point, and The Waldorf Hotel. See you next year at the 5th Annual Vancouver Timeraiser!
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By Vanessa ChootIn the weeks leading up to Timeraiser Vancouver 2011 we will be posting a series of artist interviews to spotlight artwork which will be featured at the upcoming event. Our third interview is with Lisa Graham whose piece “The Fruit Vendors” will be available to be bid on at this year’s Timeraiser in Vancouver. Timeraiser: How did you hear about Timeraiser 2011?Lisa: I heard about Timeraiser 2011 through my friend Marlis who did their event photography a couple years ago. Timeraiser: Where were you and what were you doing when you came across the fruit vendors in your photograph?Lisa: The Fruit Vendors photo was taken while on a three day boat trip through Halong Bay in Vietnam. Though we thought we booked a 'quality' all inclusive tour, we ended up on a cruise that didn't feed us very much. It is a common scheme there to underfeed the guests and then charge extra for preparing additional food bought from boats like the fruit vendors or the fish farmers we visited later on that day. Halong Bay a must see UNESCO site but if you plan to go beware of the tours! Timeraiser: When you are on your travels, what do you miss most about Vancouver?Lisa: On this segment of our trip I missed the honesty of our tour operators! At least in Vancouver you get what you pay for. Timeraiser Vancouver 2011 is happening on Thursday September 22, at The Waldorf Hotel. Tickets are now on sale for $20. Click here for more information and to purchase your ticket.
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