FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2003

SAINT JOHN WOMAN WINS HERZL KASHETSKY PAINTING
'To White Or Not To White' Raises Thousands of Dollars in Raffle

A Saint John woman is the winner of To White Or Not To White, one of the most unusual paintings ever created by acclaimed local artist Herzl Kashetsky.

“I couldn't believe it,” says Trich Collins, a graphic designer who lives in uptown Saint John. “I was very surprised and very pleased. It's a wonderful painting.”

To White Or Not To White is a large, modern artwork consisting of varying shades of white. Kashetsky volunteered to create it for the Saint John Theatre Company’s recent production of Art, a play by Yasmina Reza.

The fascinating painting, which attracted a great deal of attention while displayed at the Imperial Theatre and the Saint John Arts Centre, was raffled off. Collins found out she was the winner after a draw last Saturday.

“It has structure that isn't defined,” Collins says. “It's abstract yet seems precise. I love that. It almost looks like layers of velum paper bound together to form a secret code. Its charm is only limited by the viewer's imagination.”

The money raised by the raffle will be evenly split between the two organizations involved, the Saint John Arts Centre, formerly known as the ABEC, and the Saint John Theatre Company.

“The proceeds will help us to continue to offer a wide range of programs in the arts, including the visual arts, performing arts, and music,” says Hal Killam of the Saint John Arts Centre. “These would include, but not be limited to, painting classes, performances by emerging young artists and theatre arts classes for children.”

Collins, a long-time Saint John Theatre Company volunteer, is looking for the perfect place to hang her prize.

“I'll hang it somewhere prominent in my home,” she says. “To White Or Not To White was created to help raise funds and awareness for the arts in Saint John. For me, this increases its beauty and the happiness it brings me to now own it.”

The Saint John Theatre Company is a volunteer organization that presents three high quality productions at the Imperial Theatre each year. The Saint John Arts Centre has almost 100 volunteers and plays a vital role in supporting the arts in the city.

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