ART PARTY! A Fundraising Exhibition at Seymour Art Gallery

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Purple Pie Green I by Deb Chaney, 12" x 12" acrylics on canvas

I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be participating in ART PARTY!, a special fundraising exhibition at Seymour Art Gallery this May.

This vibrant community exhibition brings together an eclectic group of local artists, with all artwork priced at $100, $200, or $300. Proceeds from the exhibition will help support Seymour Art Gallery’s ongoing exhibitions, educational programs, and public arts initiatives within the community.

The opening celebration takes place on Saturday, May 16 at 5 PM and includes a silent auction, live music, and a joyful gathering of artists, collectors, and art lovers.

For this exhibition, I’ll be sharing seven paintings from my Love Is Love series—a body of work exploring connection, playfulness, emotional presence, and the simple beauty of colour relationships through layered abstract compositions.

There’s something especially meaningful to me about these smaller works. They invite a more intimate interaction and often resonate with both established collectors and young people just beginning their relationship with original art. In fact, during the gallery’s recent Start with Art exhibition, three of my paintings found homes with young collectors—something that felt genuinely meaningful.

One of the featured works in this upcoming exhibition is Purple Pie Green I, a playful and richly layered painting balancing cool turquoise, violet, deep berry, and soft passages of light. Like many works in this series, it emerged intuitively through layering, subtraction, movement, and responding moment by moment to colour and feeling.

The seven paintings included in ART PARTY! are all 12” x 12” acrylics on canvas.

  • All We Need is Love

  • Love is All We Need

  • Love is Love III

  • Love is Love IV

  • Love is Love VI

  • Love and Coffee II

  • Purple Pie Green I

The opening evening features a live performance by Afro-Canadian musician Sam Chimes. His improvisational blend of jazz and soulful hip-hop with live looping and vocal layering, promises to create a memorable atmosphere for the celebration.

I’m deeply grateful to curator Vanessa Black and the Seymour Art Gallery team for including my work in this exhibition and for their continued support of artists and arts culture within the community.

If you’re in the Vancouver area, I would love for you to stop by and experience the exhibition in person.

Exhibition Details

ART PARTY! A Fundraising Exhibition
May 16–May 30, 2026

Opening Event
Saturday, May 16, 2026
5 PM
Admission by donation

Gallery Hours
Tue–Sun 11 AM–5 PM

Seymour Art Gallery
4360 Gallant Ave
North Vancouver, BC V7G 1L2
Seymour Art Gallery Exhibitions

Illuminate: Champions for Change—Art, Connection, and Mental Well-Being

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There are moments in life when something arrives that feels deeply aligned—where your personal journey, your creative work, and a greater purpose all meet in the same space.

Being part of Illuminate: Champions for Change is one of those moments for me.

On April 30th, at Arts Umbrella on Granville Island, this special fundraising evening will bring together community leaders, organizations, and supporters who are committed to improving mental health and addressing loneliness in our communities. Hosted by Bit Happier in collaboration with the Stigma-Free Mental Health Society, the event is focused on something that touches all of us—connection, well-being, and the courage to speak openly about mental health.

 
Tickets
Auction
 

This cause is not abstract to me.

There was a time in my life when my mental health was at its lowest point. It was a period marked by deep struggle, and ultimately, it was through creativity—through making art—that I found my way back to myself. Art became a place of grounding, of expression, and of healing when I needed it most.

That is why supporting this event feels so important.

Bit Happier is doing meaningful work in the space of mental wellness, using creativity, technology, and community to address loneliness and help people feel more connected. Alongside them, the Stigma-Free Mental Health Society continues to create real impact across Canada, especially through their work with youth and education programs that reduce stigma and open up conversations.

Together, this evening is about more than fundraising—it is about bringing people together to illuminate what is possible when we care for one another.

As part of the event, I’ve donated an original painting to the silent auction:

Playdate in the City II, 20" x 20" x 1.5", acrylic and mixed media on canvas, from the Love is Love series, © Deb Chaney 2026

This piece explores connection in a very human way.

Each square within the grid began to feel like a person to me—distinct, contained, yet always in relationship with those around it. Some connect, some hold space, some move closer, some pull away. It reflects the subtle ways we influence each other while still maintaining our own sense of self.

At its core, this painting is about what it means to love authentically—to stay open, to connect, and to be in relationship without losing yourself in the process.

It is something I am still learning.

If this work speaks to you, I invite you to take part in the silent auction or attend the event. Your presence and your support contribute directly to initiatives that are helping people feel less alone in the world.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what this is about.

Connection.

Compassion.

And creating spaces where people can feel seen, supported, and well.

For more information on the evening's schedule and location, please visit my Events page.