STARVING ARTIST DONATES THOUSANDS TO SAVE BEAR

2016 UPDATE: The painting has been gifted to an angel patron back east who donated $25,000.00 to Raincoast Conservation Foundation. WHOOT!!!

How's that for an attention grabber or media headline?

I have always said that I would never part with my Jimmy Wright painting, Ursa Major...well, never say never, especially when it will help a worthy cause as close to my heart as it once was to Jimmy's: saving bears, or any wildlife for that matter.

Some of you already know (via Facebook) how I feel about trophy hunting. I find the lack of movement by our provincial government to stop this senseless and inhumane killing of bears in BC appalling, especially when the majority population is clearly against this type of hunting. That is why I have decided to gift my bear to save the bears.

Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, BC, and I are "on the hunt" for a Patron of the Arts and lover of wildlife; someone willing to make a substantial donation (as follows) to help halt the trophy hunting once and for all in our province. Ursa Major has been appraised by The Estate of Jimmy Wright at $25,000 to $30,000 and is "still highly sought after by collectors" (see below). And I will gift this one-of-a-kind earlier work to the first person to donate $20,000 CAN or more to Raincoast Conservation Foundation.

(Keep in mind that the painting is much more textured and detailed than the low res image file pictured here.) Along with Ursa Major, the donor will receive the written appraisal by The Estate of Jimmy Wright, a charitable donation tax receipt issued by Raincoast  for the value of the donation and a big bear hug from wildlife everywhere.

URSA MAJOR
by James Dee “Jimmy” Wright (1937 - 2008)
acrylic on canvas
57” x 49”

Which brings me to the reason for this post and the part I am hoping you will play. We would very much appreciate any help you can give in getting the word out there: by sharing this information with anyone you know who might be interested, or who might know someone who might be interested, and so on, and so on, and so on. I will also be posting this on Facebook and asking that you help by "Like"-ing and sharing.

Anyone wanting more information, or interested in making a bona fide donation, may contact me via email at patonplace@shaw.ca or Fred Gregory, Raincoast Conservation Foundation, at fredgregory@raincoast.org.

Thank you in advance for your assistance in helping with such a worthy cause