Art from the Attic sale returns with thousands of vintage, repurposed items

Thousands of art pieces were on display at St. Vital Centre on Oct. 6, 2024. (Dan Timmerman/CTV News Winnipeg)

If you were looking for a vintage piece of artwork, you didn’t have to go very far to find it.

An annual vintage sale known as “Art from the Attic” returned to St. Vital Centre Sunday, with thousands of collectibles and art pieces on display.

“I have a lot of wall space that needs to be filled, so I figured this was a good way to get some art at a reasonable price,” one shopper told CTV News. “It’s not mass-produced new things. It’s classic, older pieces that fit into the aesthetic of my house.”

The sale, now in its 10th year, acts as a fundraiser to support those in need.

“The money all goes to African grandmothers caring for children orphaned by AIDS,” said Jean Altemeyer, one of the event’s co-coordinators. “AIDS remains a huge issue in sub-Saharan Africa. It particularly affects women and the grandmothers have had to step in and take on roles at the stage of life that normally they would be the ones receiving support and care.

“So the cause is really important.”

Altemeyer said Winnipeggers donated pieces of art and other vintage items over the last few months for Saturday’s event. Collectors curated the items and appraised them to help find them new homes.

“This is the most pieces that we’ve had,” Altemeyer said.

Since the fundraiser began in 2014, the group has managed to raise around $300,000 for the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign.

“We feel very pumped to be doing a huge amount of work,” said Altemeyer.