Historic Saint John cathedral looks to art show for renovation money

Work is already underway to restore Saint John's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and an art show hopes to continue its previous success to help pay for the pricey renovations.

It's not cheap restoring an historic structure, especially one that opened in 1853.

Work on Saint John's first Catholic cathedral will cost around $10 million.

Thanks to art created by New Brunswickers, paying for the renovations should be easier.

This weekend, the Bishop's residence, adjacent to the cathedral, is holding its second annual art show and sale.

Its organizers hope to build off of last year's tremendous success raising money for the project.

In its first year, the art show raised $11,167 for the restoration project, money that will go into fixing leaks in the roof, repairing the sandstone walls and even the interior.

This year's show will feature nearly 250 pieces of art, from both local and provincial artists, amateur and professional.

Art show co-chair Denise Greene-Lui said this year they invited more artists, and asked each one to donate a 10 by10 piece of their work for sale.

Those pieces will be sold for $100 each, but Greene-Lui pointed out there's also something for art collectors.

"There's every price point, I mean from $2,400 to $100 to $60. So hopefully everyone will find something they like," she said.

The cathedral isn't the only thing under construction, as Waterloo Street is also currently undergoing extensive repairs.

But Greene-Lui said that shouldn't scare off anyone coming to the Bishop's residence.

"We actually have a fairly large parking lot on the other side of the cathedral," Greene-Lui explained. 

"Construction is a nuisance this year, but it's definitely needed on Waterloo Street, so it's just we'll have to bear with it."

The art show and sale is open to the public from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, and  from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.