When the team at SNAP, the Queen Mary Park gallery and printshop, started planning their annual party and fundraiser, they knew they wanted to create a place of respite for guests. What they’ve created goes above and beyond, offering not just a night of escape but a journey into the subconscious.
The event’s theme is The Dream Parlour — meaning guests can come in pyjamas or something much more surreal — and it starts at noon, for all the daydreamers out there.
The afternoon is a family affair and will include holiday movie screenings, where parents can plunk their kids down for a little festive distraction. The members-only exhibition will be open for viewing (the sale doesn’t start until the evening), and guests can screen print ornaments and specially designed colouring sheets, which can also be coloured in.
The event will also have party staples — hot chocolate, a Polaroid photo booth, a silent auction of artist-donated work — and as it gets dark out, things really start getting going. In the evening, dreamers can indulge in a beverage at the bar or have their dreams interpreted. And if guests want to go big, they can get a tattoo (yes, a real one) from one of two tattoo artists that will be on site for the evening.
If that wasn’t enough for you, there will also be a costume contest and a Mario Kart tournament, complete with a real-life trophy. (There’s real crossover potential if you’ve got a Yoshi costume you’ve always wanted to debut.)
Print Affair serves as a fundraiser for SNAP, but it’s also a chance to celebrate the organization’s community, with a day of festivities and the members’ print exhibition and sale. It’s a great opportunity for emerging and established artists alike to share and sell their work — and a great chance to buy something for that art lover in your life.
This year, the event will also serve as the launch for the Growth Gallery, SNAP’s new community gallery. The inaugural exhibition, on display starting this Saturday, will feature work from their members’ print exchange.
All in all, the evening is a testament to SNAP’s presence in the city and its enduring legacy as a hub for artists, printmakers and all the dreamers out there.
Go to Print Affair: The Dreamhouse on Nov. 29 from 12 p.m. – 11 p.m.
