The Kaatza Art Group is pleased to announce the unveiling of a dragon sculpture donated to the club by local stone carver Gus Galbraith.

Karola Schabernak of the art group said the club is very appreciative of Galbraith’s long time support.

“Gus is concerned by the fact that the provincial government is no longer giving grants to local art groups and, therefore, decided to donate a sculpture to the Kaatza Art Group, of which he is an honourary and lifetime member,” said Schabernak. “The Kaatza Art Group was honoured to receive the Utah alabaster stone carving of a mythical dragon in time for a Christmas raffle.”

Gus was born in Canada of Scottish parents and he grew up in South Porcupine, Ontario. Working part time as a coal bagger, sawmill worker, railway gang man and miner, Gus developed his first career as a professional hockey player.

At 21, a hockey accident in Scotland resulted in the loss of his leg. Nevertheless, he graduated four years later with a chemistry degree from Paisley Tech in Scotland. Returning to Canada, he began a 20-year career with Suncor Canada.

Gus was originally influenced in art by an early trip to Paris during his student days. A much later move to Fort McMurray, Alberta, sparked interest in Inuit and West Coast First Nations art and Gus completed his first carving in the late ’60s.

He moved to Vancouver Island in the late ’70s and began his fulltime dedication to sculpture. His growing list of projects in stone, wood, ceramic and ferrocement reflect his dynamic approach.

Gus has conducted workshops in Canada and the United States and made many television appearances. Requests for sculpture adjudications and speaking engagements have taken Gus from local schools to the lecture halls of the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand. His works are found in many private, public and corporate collections.

Raffle tickets for the draw are on sale through Kaatza Art Group members and they will also be on sale at the Honeymoon Bay Craft Fair on November 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Youbou Craft Fair on November 28 in the Youbou Hall, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The draw will be on December 11.

— Submitted