Art Evening to Raise Funds for WHS Branches School Camp

10 March 2014

Art Evening to Raise Funds for Longest & Largest WHS Branches School Camp

An evening of art, hors d’oeuvres and an art auction on Friday (March 14) at Queenstown’s Memorial Hall, hopes to raise enough funds to cover the extra costs incurred by what will be the longest and largest Branches School Camp in its 46-year history.

“All our camps have a name and this year’s camp will probably be ‘Camp Big’, it will be our biggest camp ever. We’ll have around 160 students, and with more students we need to stay an extra day to make sure they all have the chance to try everything. So this year Branches will be 13 days,” says Ken McIntyre, Branches Camp Co-ordinator.

Normally students spend 12 days at the Branches High Country station, sleeping in tents, living without power or mobile phones/computers and learning survival skills. The Branches Trust subsidizes the camp to ensure that it is an experience that remains available to all our children.

“That extra day and the higher numbers all add up, so we’re trying to raise as much as we can. We’re lucky Queenstown artists have been so supportive, providing some stunning works of art to auction on the night. We’ll also have jewellery, pottery and prints as part of a silent auction. There’ll be music provided by some of the High school students and local entertainers and an exhibition of some of the art work from the high school too. It’s going to be a fun night starting at5.30pm,” says Alison Walker, Branches Trust Secretary.

Peter Beadle’s just completed a painting of an old Shearers hut at the Branches and Simon Morrison-Deaker (who went to Branches camp in 1988 when he was at school) is working on something specifically for the auction. Other artists providing work include Ivan Clarke, Jeri Elliot, Rachael Errington, Ro Bradshaw, Sue Wademan and Susan Cleaver. Tickets are $20 and include a complimentary drink and nibbles.

Ken McIntyre hopes as many people as possible will turn out to support the art evening but can’t be there himself; he’s on a school camp at Greenstone with Wakatipu High School’s year 9’s - helping train them up for next year’s Branches.

ENDS

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