An exhibition, 'Art Aid ghall-Missjoni 2013', will be officially inaugurated on Friday 8 November and will be open for viewing between 9 and 16 November between 9.30a.m. and 12.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. at the Dominican Convent in Rabat.

The Birkirkara Visual Art Group (BVAG), an official NGO, was founded in January 2010 with the intent of bringing together all artists practicing the visual arts in order to meet, share experiences and discuss their profession and hobbies as well as to promote the importance of Art and Culture.

The BVAG is also concerned with helping to improve the local talent as well as to raise awareness and appreciation of the treasures of our beautiful Island.

 The group, which is under the patronage of the Birkirkara local council, so much so, that many committee and members’ meetings are held at the council’s premises and our Group also features in the Council’s newsletters and website.

The Group had been initially aimed at Birkirkara artists but although attracted a good number of members, it had later been decided to extend the membership also to any prospective art lover and artist outside Birkirkara.

Every month the committee organises cultural tours such as to the Verdala Palace, Inquisitor’s Palace as well as visits to the studios of renowned artists. On a regular basis, we hold workshops for the members to present their works and discuss them with each other.

Each year the group organises an exhibition in aid of the Dominican missions in Albania. During this event all members exhibit their works and a percentage of the proceeds from any sale are donated to the Missions. In the previous exhibitions renowned guest artists were asked to take part. In the first one, John Martin Borg was the guest of honour whereas last year was the turn of Anton Calleja.

This year Jessica Debattista kindly accepted our invitation and, as in the previous years, will also be delivering a lecture/powerpoint presentation of her work which will also be held at the Dominican Convent’s Radju Marija Auditorium Hall on Saturday the 11 November at 7.30pm. All members and prospective members are invited to attend.

In the previous two events the group donated €5,000 to the Missions and we hope that this year will also be a success so as to continue in our aim of helping others through our works of art.