Biz Buzz: New art gallery kicks off summer-long fundraiser to help local veterans
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IDAHO FALLS
Local art gallery teams with nonprofit to help veterans
IDAHO FALLS – A new art gallery opening in Idaho Falls will feature the work of local and world-renowned artists.
Eagle Rock Gallery fine art and portraiture opened June 6 at 804 Pancheri Drive with a gallery walk. Kathi Jensen, the owner of the gallery, tells EastIdahoNews.com most of the gallery features art that resonates with eastern Idaho.
“We have some contemporary art, but it’s largely things that speak to our area. We have a lot of western art,” Jensen says.
The gallery kicked off a summer-long fundraiser Wednesday with a ribbon cutting and open house. The gallery is partnering with the Military Affairs Committee to raise awareness of programs that benefit local veterans.
“We are combining with them because of our link to the veteran community as vets, and so we have a soft spot in our heart for the Military Affairs Committee and what they do for our community,” says Jensen.
The mission of the MAC, among other things, is to enhance the quality of life for active, reserve, retired and disabled military personnel and their families and the families of deceased military personnel throughout Idaho.
One of the things the MAC is currently working on, Jensen says, is establishing an American Legion Post for veterans who are low-risk offenders at the state penitentiary in Boise. This will provide programs to help them become functioning members of society again, Jensen says.
“By having them be part of a post, it reinforces their identity and builds up their self-esteem again,” says Jensen. “Upon their release, there is housing available for them. They can stay there up to a year so they can find work and get back on their feet.”
A similar program for veterans is in Pocatello.
Jensen, an award-winning photographer known for images featuring bald eagles, created a piece specifically for the open house. It’s entitled “The Look of Eagles,” and it was raffled off immediately following the ribbon cutting.
“It’s hugely popular at the shows I go to. We sell probably 99.95 percent of them,” Jensen says. “The eagle represents all that is courageous, noble and good in America. I was honored to recently learn that it will hang in the halls of Annapolis, along with my story.”
Jensen also created an emblem for the gallery, “God Bless America,” which is available for purchase in various sizes.
The gallery will feature work from other artists as well, like Roy Reynolds, known for his sculpture of The Fur Trader along the greenbelt in Idaho Falls.
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Cindy Clason, known for her wall art with old piano keys, will also be featured in the gallery. Other artists on display include Gloria Miller Allen, Marilyn Hoff Hansen, and Mary Ann Cherry, a renowned western artist. Daniel Borup, an up-and-coming local artist, will have work in the gallery as well.
Two more raffles will take place during gallery walks on July 11 and Aug. 1. Those who wish to participate can purchase raffle tickets. It’s $5 for six tickets, $10 for 15 tickets or $20 for 25 tickets. Businesses who donate $1,000 or more will receive a piece of art for their donation. The art on display is for sale as well.
“The artists that are in there, they all invest in (the cause). They rent their own space. But they get 100 percent of their sales,” Jensen says.
The gallery will continue through September and will culminate with a gala where there will be a live auction and dinner. All proceeds from ticket purchases or sponsorships for the duration of the gallery will be donated to the MAC.
“We are asking for the support of the community to help build this into an event that can raise substantial funds to help benefit veterans,” Jensen writes. “Many service members have sacrificed much. Anything we do is dwarfed in comparison to the sacrifices they and their families make every single day.”
Eagle Rock Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Learn more by visiting the gallery’s website or Facebook page.
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