Thank you to everyone who made our first annual Black & White Gala such a success!

We had never tried to pull off such a big fundraising event before and were curious about how it would turn out. the goal was to create a truly elegant evening that would make people really take notice and leave happy.

As it happened, it couldn’t have turned out any better.

It all started when they came through the glass doors of our new entryway and were handed a glass of sparkling wine. Is there any better way to start an evening?

Magic of Trevor Moore – Co-MC of the evening with Ken Sauer – had people in shock most of the time with cocktail magic while local Flautist Miriam Hak contributed to the ambiance with her music.

we had 45 excellent silent auction items, including a framed colour print of second street Medicine Hat which was donated by local artist and founding Friends of Medalta Board Member Jim Marshall. A good number of visiting artists to the Shaw Centre’s artists’ in residence program donated pieces as well. It was a diverse selection which was very well received.

One of the highlights of the evening was the Live Auction which followed dinner. The highest bid of the evening was for a new piece by Les Manning, titled Polar Bare. It’s a stunning piece from his new body of work and was made specially for the Black & White Gala. Competition for the piece was intense with the winning bid coming out at $2,700.

One of the most talked-about pieces was a 36 piece dinner set. The set was designed by local artist Maureen Newton, illustrated on historic Hycroft dishes. Maureen – whose father was a well-respected dinner set designer in England before moving to Medalta in the 1950′s – worked with Medalta to infuse her design onto the dish set through a new method which was introduced to us through a recent Medalta residency, lead by Laura McKibbon. The winning bid for this set was $1,650.

For a first-year event, sponsorship was also exceptional and we want to again thank everyone who stood behind us. we look forward to next year’s event.

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In 1986, a group of volunteers came together to save Medicine Hat’s newly-designated National Historic Site. Medalta Potteries – which had sat virtually abandoned since the 1950′s – was receiving national attention at the same time it was being threatened with the wrecker’s ball.

It would have been a sad end to one of Medicine Hat’s most important entities but these volunteers refused to let it go without a fight. With its National Historic Site designation, they saw its potential to become a cultural and artistic centre within Alberta and started down the long road of turning that ambitious vision into reality.

Now in 2011, as we celebrate our silver anniversary, we can proudly say that much of their vision has been achieved. Medalta has transformed from a liability to a hub of community creativity. Thousands of students visit each year and get their hands dirty through our education programs. Professional visiting artists working in our studios engage the community through art shows, ceramic art classes and volunteerism and thousands of tourists visit each year to walk the same factory corridors as their hard-working ancestors.

Indeed, 2011 is a turning point for us. Our education, artistic and community programming has made huge steps and it is important for the cultural health of our city to continue to grow these programs for everyone.

So on Saturday, October 15, you are invited to the first annual Rotary Black & White Gala, supporting the Historic Clay District. Proceeds from the event will be directed towards these growing programs, which benefit our entire community. The event itself will be first class. Masters of Ceremony Dr. Ken Sauer, along with the Magic & Comedy of Trever Moore, will lead the evening which features a five-course dinner and wine pairing by the Cypress Club, Connaught Golf Course and Paul Howe liquor stores.

Immediately following dinner is a short five-item Live Auction, lead by Auctioneer Rick Porter. A silent auction will also be held, with items pulled throughout the evening.

Volunteers are needed – if you would like to help, please visit the volunteer section of our website for more information and to register.

2011 Event Details:

Saturday, October 15, 2011
MEDALTA, in the Historic Clay District (713 Medalta Ave SE)

Cocktails: 5:30pm
5 course dinner with wine pairing: 7:00pm
Live Auction: Immediately following dinner

Live auction: 5 items
Silent auction: approximately 50 items

Ticket price: $100 + gst
To reserve tickets, contact Quentin Randall at 403.529.1070 or via email at quentin@medalta.org
Only 200 tickets will be sold