Fundraising for The Centre of Newcomers - Live Painting a Snowboard

We painted a snowboard for a silent auction of chickadees, Calgary's official bird, to illustrate the poem "Hope" is the Thing with Feathers by Emily Dickinson.

WHY CENTRE FOR NEWCOMERS?

We were approached by our cousin, who works as the vice president for the Centre for Newcomers in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for this project.

The Centre for Newcomers, as described by their about us: "Since 1988 the Centre for Newcomers (CFN) has been a key resource for immigrants and refugees of all nationalities in Calgary. A social profit organization, CFN views the integration of newcomers as a two-way process of experience, influence and impact between newcomers and the communities that welcome them."

He had heard about the snowboard that we had painted onsite for an online auction in support of the Creative City Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan during the Frost Festival in early 2025. That was the first time we had painted a snowboard and the live painting onstage during the Frost Festival garnered a lot of attention. The snowboard itself sold before it made to auction and was privately collected.

OUR FIRST EVER SNOWBOARD - FROST 2025

As our first ever snowboard, we chose a different method from our usual one. Typically, we are single character focused. A single pop art character presented in the middle of a bold colour with the foreground and background of the same hue. To try something new, as was fitting for this brand new medium, we decided to illustrate a quote. The Frost Festival snowboard had a Sun Tzu quote: "Know Yourself and You Will Win All Battles" and added a small Sun Tzu character facing a long dragon.

SNOWBOARD 2.0 CHICKADEE EDITION

For this snowboard we wanted to choose a different design and a different quote.

We have been mildly fascinated with the idea of chickadees since our 2021 residency at Sparrow Artspace, entitled "Birb" in which we explored the concept of chickadees and created and painted over 72 small wooden chickadees. The design was inspired by our love for birds in our daily lives.

I recently heard the quote: "How are we going to fall in love with the world if we don't pick berries?" and I felt that really resonated with the way that we pay attention to the flora and fauna around us, watching, investigating, googling, creating little narratives for how we imagine that they live their lives.

There is a smallness to hope that fits in the hairline cracks of the world. We must pry for it. Forage like a small chickadee for the specks of hope in the grass. Those kernels of imagination, fun, and play that lead us back to what we once loved. And what is hope but fun with wild abandon?

We chose the poem, "Hope" is the Thing with Feathers by Emily Dickinson because not only was it apt in reference to the chickadees, but it also encapsulated the concepts of giving back, immigration, hope in the face of adversity, migration, travel and much more. Also, chickadees are really, really cute.

Painting the artwork onsite was a treat, we got free food (YES!) and drinks and were able to paint while chatting with the attendees. We were surprised and delighted to recognize a few of the guests.

THE RESULTS - PRICELESS

By the end of the evening, the snowboard was donated to the charity auction. What made the night even sweeter was seeing the piece find a new home with one of our longtime collectors, who bid from Greenwich, Connecticut. After a safe trip across the border, the snowboard now lives with someone who has supported our work for years.