By By ERIN VER BERKMOES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - It may be bad luck to open an umbrella inside, but the Niles Art Association is hoping that their "It's Raining Umbrellas" fundraiser will bring them some good luck.
On Saturday April 2, from 4-7 p.m at the Fisher Gallery at 306 E. Main St. the Art Association will be celebrating its third anniversary as an organization and its second year in their gallery with a fundraiser.
The umbrellas that are featured at the gallery have been painted by members of the Art Association, and their hope is to have 30 umbrellas by the time the event takes place.
The artists were given the freedom to paint anything they liked on the umbrellas. With the completed ones there is already quite a range of styles.
Some of the featured designs include, flowers, grapes, Chinese symbols, a sun peeking out of the clouds, fish and landscape scenery.
There will be be a silent auction during the event, in which people can purchase one of the umbrellas. The funds generated from this auction will go to the the Niles Art Association, to start a scholarship fund and to do other community projects.
In the past the association has had fundraisers such as a chair auction which was in conjunction with the Niles Downtown Development Association. They have also have had a Christmas show, and participated in the Hunters Ice Festival with a show themed "Something Cold."
Their "Mystery Painting" at the Ice Festival sparked a lot of interest in the gallery.
The art association plans to have at least four themed fundraisers this year, some of which will be in conjunction with what the Downtown Development Association is doing.