www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, November 12, 2015 | 44 OAS Starry Night Gala Nov. 20 fundraiser for free art program continued from p.43 But OAS wants to expand COAP to include more charities and non-profit organizations in the community and that's why it's decided to put on its Starry Night Gala fundraiser next Friday (Nov. 20), to help keep its community program alive. "The hope is to raise enough money so that we don't have to have another fundraiser for a few more years," Smith said with a laugh. Tickets to the gala, which starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Harbour Banquet and Conference Centre, 2340 Ontario St., cost $100 and include access to silent and live auctions, a variety of prizes, food stations, and live music by jazz saxophonist Carson Freeman. Tickets can be purchased at the OAS office, 560 Bronte Rd., or at oakvilleartsociety.com. Over the years, OAS has become connected to many famous artists who have gone on to receive national and international recognitions. Wildlife artist Robert Bateman used to exhibit with the OAS, and continues to contribute a piece every year to the society's annual art auction and show. Former OAS member Susan Menzies is an Emmy and Gemini Award-winning animation colourist. Oakville artist Joyce Kellock, famous for her Kellock's Kids paintings, is still a member. Smith says the evolution of the OAS is largely due to changing technologies and the Internet, and how the society has learned to adapt. "(The Internet) has made a huge difference. You can reach out so much farther -- it's beyond your own borders," she said. "We now have, a couple times a year, international artists come in from the U.S., Europe, and beyond, and this is something we just started two years ago and it's proving to be very popular." While the local arts society puts on its annual Art in the Park event in Oakville and also holds art auctions and juried shows every year, Smith says the OAS doesn't just exist for the artists but for the community at large. During the beginnings of the Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, OAS took the money it raised from one of its annual art auctions and donated it to the hospital, according to Smith. Over the years, OAS members have donated paintings to the hospital and one of organization's teachers painted a mural in the children's ward. Smith says the OAS hopes to be just as involved with the new Oakville hospital, which is set to open next month. "It's extremely important to be out there in the community," she said. "The more you get art out there and something everyone can participate in, in some way, shape or form -- that's really important. "The thing about art, it's something you can do throughout your life... You can still be painting well into your 90s; unlike other activities," Smith continued. "I think it's another outlet for people to enjoy their whole life, people with disabilities can enjoy it just as much as people who are 100 per cent healthy." Reaching 50 years is no small feat, as Smith says there was clearly a need for the arts society back at its start and there's still a need for it now. "We offer a good variety of classes... and arts is an important part of life. It offers people a way of expressGeneral $8.50 | Children & Seniors $6.50 | All seats Tues $5.00 ing themselves, opportunities for creShOWTiMES fOR NOvEMbER 13 - 19, 2015 ativity and I think that's something NEW ThiS WEEK: LOvE ThE COOPERS, REMEMbER, human beings need," she added. D A V I D U S H E R A T S H E R I D A N Juno-award winning musician and author David Usher (at left), of Moist, recently gave a keynote address at Sheridan College's Trafalgar campus during its inaugural Conference of Scholars and Creators Sheridan Creates event. Pictured with Usher is Nicole Korstanje, who is holding a heart beat sensor, and guitarist Jonathan Gallivan. Korstanje's heart became the beat to the song Usher was singing. | photo by Riziero Vertolli Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog) Halton-based choirs honour veterans, emergency services and Armed Forces Five Halton-based choirs are joining forces in its Heroes: Salute to Service Concert Wednesday, Nov. 18. Organized by Oakville's 90-voice Tempus Choral Society, the concert will honour local police, firefighters, paramedics, doctors and nurses, and Armed Forces personnel and veterans. "This is a special concert to honour the efforts of vital public service providers who help make Halton communities safe and healthy places for us all," said Brian Turnbull, director of the Tempus Choral Society. "A concert of this scale is quite unusual, and I'm confident the audience will have a magnificent experience." It will feature the Halton Regional Police Chorus, Burlington Welsh Male Chorus, Craig Kielburger Secondary School Choir, and the Interlink Choir, with students from Emily Carr Public School, alongside the Tempus Choral Society. Each choir will present its own selections. The concert takes place at the Oakville Conference Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Rd., at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10 and are available from the participating choirs with a limited number available at the door. Proceeds will be donated to Oakville's Food for Life and Safetynet. The concert is made possible by a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation received by the Tempus Choral Society earlier this year. The three-year grant is also funding music education projects, such as a new children's choir and a jazz ensemble. · · · Tickets for Tempus' A Festive Noel Christmas Concerts are also now available. Concerts will be held on Dec. 4 (8 p.m.) and Dec. 5 (3 p.m.), at Clearview Christian Reformed Church, 2300 Sheridan Garden Dr., in Oakville. Tickets cost $15. Visit www. tempuschoralsociety.com. bURNT MOCKiNGJAY STARTiNG WEDNESDAY! Burnt (14A) Fri - Thu: 3:00 Fri - Thu: 5:00, 9:20 Hotel Transylvania 2 (G) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (PG) Thu: 7:00, 9:45 See Mockingjay ParT 1 and ParT 2! Wed: 7:00 Fri - Thu: 1:15, 3:30, 6:45, 9:10 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Double Feature (PG) Love the Coopers (PG) The Martian (PG) Fri - Tue: 12:40, 3:30, 6:20, 9:15 Wed - Thu: 12:40, 3:30 Fri: 1:15, 3:30, 6:30, 8:30 SaT - Sun: 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 6:30, 8:30 Mon - Thu: 1:15, 3:30, 6:30, 8:30 The Peanuts Movie (G) Remember (14A) Fri - Thu: 12:50, 7:15 Spectre (PG) Fri - Thu: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00 171 Speers Road, Oakville (at Kerr St.) | 905-338-6397 (MEWS) www.film.ca