This month marks a special unveiling for Flin Flon’s NorVA Centre: a glossy new floor for the art gallery and studio space.
Mark Rowe, who co-owns the building that houses NorVA, completed most of the work himself over the holidays.
The work included levelling the floor, installing plywood over the existing tile, and priming and painting the plywood a thick, glossy cream.
The previous tile floor at NorVA harkened back to the days when Johnny’s Confectionary was resident in the building.
Both Rowe and Mike Spencer, manager at NorVA, estimated the floor was 35 to 40 years old.
Broken and peeling tiles and an uneven surface were frustrating for resident artists, visitors and students attending workshops in the space.
The resident artists of the NorVA Centre, who rent the open-concept space, seem to be thrilled with the results of the renovation.
“I think it looks much bigger and brighter now,” says resident artist Karen Clark.
For NorVA artists, this renovation is a particular cause for celebration, as the new floor was partially funded through a community art initiative called the One Square Foot Exhibition and Auction.
The event was held in September during Flin Flon’s Culture Days celebrations.
Resident artist Ron Watt coordinated the fundraiser, inviting artists from Flin Flon and beyond to contribute paintings, photography and multimedia pieces to the auction, with one caveat: each piece of artwork had to be exactly one square foot in size.
According to Spencer, nearly 100 pieces were donated to the auction and exhibit. Proceeds from each piece sold at the auction were split evenly between the artist and NorVA.
Thanks to the generosity of the artists, and the community members who bid on the artwork, NorVA raised a $2,400 from the initiative.
These funds helped cover the tab of the new floor, which cost $5,800 to complete. Rowe and Greg East, the building’s other co-owner, covered the remaining cost of the project.
