Bruce House - Art of Giving - Feeling like Santa.

Linda Truglia Coordinator of Volunteer Services Bruce House talking to Patrick John Mills

Shannon Lee Mannion helped so so so much.

Mathieu Laca paintings

Installing two Vanessa Coplan

Installing 3 of Carmela Marrese art works

I LOVE YOU. oil on canvas. painting by Patrick John Mills.

Large painting done by Carmela Marrese and Daniel Nadeau

Medium size painting done by Patrick S. Greene... (will be taken to the Residence)

Staff and Bruce House was so excited

Installing paintings

Painting by Naomi Athena Guzman Poole

(staff so so so happy to have something beautiful in her office - smiles that big = Thank you)

Today was a fun day. Shannon and I had the joy to feel like Santa.

This morning Shannon came over to my house / gallery. We loaded up her van with 30 plus art works and drove over to Bruce House.

Art of Giving - Bruce House

Every year. For the month of December. The gallery has the Art of Giving. The gallery takes 0. Yes Zero commission of sales on sales. 100 % of all sales go directly to the artists. At the end of the month each artist is asked to donate an artwork. Some artists are very generous and give large and multiple works. Saddly some artists fail to contribute.

The Art of Giving is something I believe strongly in. December is the retail month of the year. And for the entire month of December the gallery donates everything. It is not easy to do this. But the dream is to help artists, celebrate community, and give art to wonderful people.

with love

Patrick John Mills

This year (4th year) the Charity to recieve 30 or so art works was Bruce House.

Founded in 1988, Bruce House is a community-based organization providing housing, compassionate care and support in Ottawa for people living with HIV and AIDS, based on the belief that everyone has the right to live and die with dignity.

We achieve our mandate in part through our House Program for people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) who require high levels of care and support and through our Independent Living Program, which provides rent-geared-to-income housing units and apartments for PHAs, along with support such as counselling, coaching and family support, as required.

We encourage you to browse through this site to discover more about our programs and services and to find out ways that you can get involved. Thank you for visiting.

http://www.brucehouse.org/

when I returned home several of the staff sent me really kind emails... here is one of many.

Patrick, I wanted to thank you for what you gave us today. Not only did you donate some incredible art, you gave us your heart and your time. These are invaluable, and I wanted to make sure to thank you for the intangible. It is inspiring to be in the presence of people who are so generous in spirit.

I came home and looked at the art I have in my home a little differently tonight, as I come from a family of artists and am so fortunate to have art my Grandfather left me from his days as an artist in Saint John, New Brunswick.

I also wanted to pass along the site of my friend, Ariana Sauder, who's art has always blown me away. She is in her early twenties and so talented. http://arianasauder.carbonmade.com/

I realize there are so many artists out there, but thought she might be worth a look.

Take care, and thank you again.

Jill (from Bruce House)