A new local business is aiming to give at least as much as it gets - to the benefit of local kids looking for a fun way to create functional art pieces in a fun environment.
The "One for One" program is a partnership between Basecamp Art Studios on Second Avenue in downtown Squamish, the Howe Sound Women's Centre (HSWC) and Big Brothers Big Sisters Sea to Sky (BBBS). For every arts and crafts session sold at Basecamp, the owners plan to donate one free class to either HSWC or BBBS for a child who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford it.
The concept, based on the model created in 2006 by the U.S. company Tom's Shoes - which donates a pair of shoes free to a needy person for every pair purchased - is the brainchild of Basecamp owners Michael Gunn and Nadi Shi.
It's not a limited-time, introductory offer. It's good for as long as Basecamp is in business.
"It's not just a promotion, but really something that we believe in -to be part of the community," said Gunn, who along with Shi -"my partner in business and in life," he says -opened the business on Second Avenue next to Cut 'n' Loose hair salon on Jan. 10.
"Art is such an outlet," Shi said. "It's such a way to express and connect, and we're told that in Squamish, if you're not into sports, there aren't a lot of places where kids can go and connect."
Shi and Gunn met two years ago at a yoga class in North Vancouver. Gunn has a background in horticulture and is a certified massage therapist in addition to some work in the sales and marketing field. Shi, who has daughters aged 6 and 8, is a yoga instructor and has created and sold her own jewelry and clothing designs at various festivals and fairs, Gunn said.
The idea of opening an arts and crafts studio "came on fairly quickly" after the pair moved to Squamish in October, he said.
"We really wanted to get up here and be part of a smaller community where you get to know people," Gunn said, "and we just noticed that there weren't a lot of options for kids, other than the rec centre."
For more info about Basecamp, visit www.basecampartstudios.com or phone (604) 848-5012.
