The Sweetest Little Thing 2023

The Owens Art Gallery and Struts Gallery present:

The Sweetest Little Thing
Fundraising Art Auction

Start bidding today on artworks donated by artists from across the country and beyond!

Live event: Valentine’s Day
Tuesday, 14 February 2023 @ 7:00 PM
Owens Art Gallery
Sackville, New Brunswick
Pay-What-You-Can Admission. Capacity is limited.

Artworks from: Patrick Allaby, Gisele Amantea, Bruce Barber, Jennifer Bélanger, Rémi Belliveau & Paul-Édouard Bourque, mea bissett, Ranz Bontogon, Roch Bourque, Chris Boyne, Talysha Bujold-Abu, Tara Bursey, Magali Charron, Braden Chetwynd, Herménégilde Chiasson, Ella Christison, Jon Claytor, Melanie Colosimo, Clara Congdon, Kaeli Cook, Paula Cowan, Emily Critch, Lacey Decker Hawthorne, Tonia Di Risio, Linda Rae Dornan, Chris Down, Dave Dyment, Alexandrya Eaton, Erik Edson, i’artiste en canoe, Libbie Farrell, Michael Fernandes, Dawn George, Jamie-Lee Girodat, Daisy Graham, John Haney, Chase Harper, Emma Hassencahl-Perley, Lydia Haywood-Munn, Ashley Hemmings, Paul Henderson, Thaddeus Holownia, Yoko Homareda, Barb Hunt, Micah Lexier & Jon Sasaki, Sherry Lynn Jollymore, Myung-Sun Kim, Title King, Sarah Kinney, Adriana Kuiper, Alexandre Larose, Sophia Lawrence, Nicole Aline Legault, Susan Lindsay, Nora Livesey, Maddie Lychek, Deborah Margo, Autumn Martin, Kellie Mattatall, CL McLaughlin, Kevin Melanson, Kathe Merilovich, Lucas Morneau, Alana Morouney, Melissa Morris, Mitch Morris, Andrea Mortson, Bridget Moser, John Murchie, Sharon Owttrim-Fraser, Roula Partheniou, Lydia Paterson, Graeme Patterson, Jade Pinder, Sylvia Ptak, Jacob Puffer, Donna Rawlins Sharpe, Kerri Reid, Arianna Richardson, Jerry Ropson, Sue Rose, Jamie Ross, Joshua Schwebel, Yvonne Singer, Suzie Smith, Bex Steinberg, Angela Thibodeau, Diana Thorneycroft, Anna Torma, Karen Trask, Stuart Trenholm, Navarana Tretina, Elizabeth Vanderleelie, Chad VanGaalen, Donna Wawzonek, Tara Wells, Rhonda Weppler & Trevor Mahovsky, Stephen Williams, Shaheer Zazai, and Istvan Zsako.

The Sweetest Little Thing is the most important annual fundraising event for the Owens Art Gallery and Struts Gallery. Every dollar raised goes directly to supporting programming at both galleries. This year, we are thrilled to announce the return of the beloved live-and-in-person event! We can’t wait to welcome you back to the Owens this Valentine’s Day to celebrate art and community. While the event will be a little different than before the Covid-19 pandemic, it is sure to feel as warm and fuzzy as always. You can expect a chance to gather in your fanciest dress, to snap a photo in the Instant Lovin’ Photo Booth, and to partake in some dancing. Mount Allison’s Flame snack cart will be serving hot chocolate and apple cider in the quad outside. While there won’t be a cakewalk this year, there will be a raffle for an epic cake donated by Cranewood on Main Bakery and Café and other fabulous prize packs. Since masks continue to be mandatory at the Owens and Struts, we will have extra-special pink, magenta, and red KN95 masks to keep us looking festive. Masks will be available for free in both child and adult sizes. Corsi-Rosenthal boxes provided with the help of Dave Thomas.

This year, bidding will take place entirely online, ending on Tuesday, 14 February at 10:00 pm AST. Artworks will be available to preview in-person beginning 7 February at the Owens.

This event is made possible thanks to the generosity of local, national, and internationally recognized artists who have established connections with our galleries and who are part of our community.

As you look forward to seeing your Sackville friends, take a moment to listen to the 2023 Sweetest Little Thing Jingle, written this year by indie-pop quartet Caged Animals, and let Izzy Francolini’s graphics and poster design put you in the mood to dress up! Share photos of your favourite Sweetest Little Thing memories, your 2023 outfits, and the works you are most excited to bid on by tagging us @OwensArtGallery and @StrutsGallery, or use the hashtag #SweetestLittleThing. Follow these tags to see what others are wearing, sharing, and loving. If you want to relive The Sweetest Little Thing memories, these videos capture the fun of the night from years past. You can also listen to past Sweetest Little Thing Jingles on SoundCloud.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for behind-the-scenes access, live event updates, and to share The Sweetest Little Thing love from near or far.

Images (top): All images are details from larger works. Top row (left to right): Angela Thibodeau, Pendent in oil, 2023; Kerri Reid, Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya as Monica Vitti, 2023; Rémi Belliveau & Paul-Édouard Bourque, L’Empremier Live at Beaubassin B-roll, Henri Beau (Évangéline)/P.-E.B (1970), 2023. Bottom row (left to right): Emma Hassencahl-Perley, my heart is yours to keep, 2023; Andrea Mortson, Growth, 2020; Suzie Smith, Glitchy Test, 2023.
Image (middle): 2023 Sweetest Little Thing graphics designed by Izzy Francolini.

We would like to acknowledge that the Owens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University, and Struts Gallery are located within the traditional territory of Mi’kma’ki, the unceded ancestral homelands of the Mi’kmaq. Our relationship and our privilege to live on this territory was agreed upon in the Peace and Friendship Treaties of 1725 to 1752. Because of this treaty relationship, it is to be acknowledged that we are all Treaty People and have a responsibility to respect this territory.

Owens Art Gallery
Mount Allison University
61 York Street Sackville, NB, E4L 1E1 • 506-364-2574
owens@mta.ca
www.owenstartgallery.com

Struts Gallery
7 Lorne Street, Sackville, NB, E4L 3Z6 • 506-536-1211
info@strutsgallery.ca
www.strutsgallery.ca

The Owens is partially accessible. The stairs from the entrance nearest the University Chapel have a handrail. There is also ramp access at this entrance, however, the ramp is steep. The stairs to the entrance off York Street have a handrail, but no ramp, and are covered with temporary wood treads. The main floor of the Owens is wheelchair accessible. Our second-floor gallery and gendered bathrooms are located in the basement and are not accessible. Two flights of stairs lead to each of these floors. LED lights are used throughout the building. The Owens welcomes guide dogs and other service animals. The closest accessible parking spaces are located on York Street across from the Owens. For detailed information on construction disruption please visit our Accessibility page.

If you have any questions about your visit, please email owens@mta.ca or call (506) 364-2574.