The Winnipeg Art Gallery’s annual Gallery Ball took place a week ago. SML was on hand to photograph the second half of the event, which was, quite simply, an amazingly executed event experience. The decor was clock/time themed (When the clock strikes six) in honour of the WAG’s feature exhibit at this time, Christian Marchand’s The Clock, which is an award-winning video installation made available through the WAG’s partnership with the National Gallery of Canada.

The floral centrepieces were of particular interest, with floral designers from around the city going above and beyond to create a unique concept for the particular gallery space they were tasked with. The dinner takes place inside the main gallery spaces on the third floor, and offered guests the unique experience of dining in the company of many fine examples from the WAG’s collection. Works on display ranged from Renaissance-era art, to the Group of Seven, to post-modern oeuvres of various descriptions.

The dinner was beautifully prepared by Storm Catering, but the real show-stopper in this photographer’s opinion was the elegant dessert buffet, featuring desserts from many of Winnipeg’s well-known purveyors of patisseries and sweets par excellence. Of particular note were the very cool desserts by the Prairie Ink, which included clock-stamped mini macarons or whoopee pies (I couldn’t tell which) nestled on top of what appeared to be a chocolatey delight, or sundial-inspired petit fours that looked to die for. I also was impressed by the sweet and salty popcorn bonanza prepared by Cake-ology that featured a giant fondant popcorn bag and individual portions presented in little take-out containers. Parlour Coffee was on hand in an adjoining room, turning out their patented and oh-so-tasty espresso-based coffee beverages which could be fortified with liqueurs, but really, I am not sure espresso of that calibre needs any assistance.

Here’s a description of what the Gallery Ball raises funds to support, directly from the WAG website:

“The Ball raises funds for youth programming at the WAG, a staple in our community for over 75 years. Children’s creativity and imagination flourish at the Gallery through WAG Studio, Summer Art Camps, Family Programs, Birthday pARTies, the Student Art Board, and school programs. We celebrate children’s art with the annual Through the Eyes of a Child exhibition and with interactive activities and contests offered year-round. Funds raised by the Gallery Ball go directly to support all these worthwhile programs for young people—encouraging the leaders of tomorrow to realize the power of art in life.”

It was a pleasure to work with the Gallery Ball committee and WAG staff on this event. I hope it helped raise lots of money for all of the important youth programming initiatives the WAG undertakes throughout the year.

TAP

When EPH Apparel co-founder Andrew Parkes – who is a fellow 2003 grad from St. Paul’s High School – approached me in March about working together to build a set of commercial photography for their new retail outlet, there wasn’t much left to discuss except the where and the when.

For those of you who have missed this great Winnipeg success story, EPH Apparel is a bespoke men’s suiting company offering custom suits, blazers, shirts, and accessories at prices on par with or better than many off-the-rack competitors. They started out as an online outfitter, as well as offering fittings at different locations throughout Winnipeg. They’ve succeeded in building up a brand/label drawing orders from all over Canada (if not North America) and a dedicated following on social media that might make some big brands jealous.

It was a pleasure working with Alex, Andrew, and Maciek and the rest of the EPH Apparel team on this project – I hope your foray into the brick-and-mortar world of retail proves as great a success as you’ve seen so far.

Make sure to check them out at 291 Garry St., on the web at ephapparel.com or on social media.

UPDATE (10/27/13): Check out EPH Apparel’s business profile on the Downtown Biz website

TAP