The Great Northern Arts FestivalSA国际影视传媒檚 29th year was a perilous one in some ways, with funding challenges almost pulling the plug on its signature summer event, but spirits are high going into the organization's 30th anniversary and local vendors must be happy with the cash that came in at the recent Christmas craft fair.

SA国际影视传媒淎t least $150,000 changed hands,SA国际影视传媒� said Marie Horstead, executive director of the Great Northern Arts Society.

ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 on par with previous years for the event, which does not serve as much of a fundraiser for GNAF itself.

SA国际影视传媒淲e make a few grand off it just through administration, but really all that money goes from individuals to vendors and those vendors go home with it,SA国际影视传媒� said Horstead. SA国际影视传媒淔or some people, they go home with $10,000 and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 a really important part of their income for the entire year.SA国际影视传媒�

A wine and cheese fundraiser, which also served as a chance to show off the communitySA国际影视传媒檚 art exchange projects in an auction, served as HorsteadSA国际影视传媒檚 last hurrah with the society. She led two summer festivals in her tenure and will be leaving her position in mid-December.

SA国际影视传媒淲e have an amazing new executive director whoSA国际影视传媒檚 going to be coming in that I think a lot of people will recognize,SA国际影视传媒� said Horstead. SA国际影视传媒淚 know she will be wonderful and I feel very comfortable handing over the festival functions to her.SA国际影视传媒�

The wine and cheese fundraiser is an annual event for adults to get together, eat cheese, drink wine and bid on auction items, which included donations from artists as well as collaborative canvases created by community members.

SA国际影视传媒淚 start with blank canvases, people sign up, I put them into teams of three or four and then the canvas gets passed around anonymously,SA国际影视传媒� said Horstead about the art exchange program, which has been running for three years. SA国际影视传媒淧eople add to it as it goes along and so the end is surprise product for everybody.SA国际影视传媒�

Lori Armstrong and Mark Jeffery took part in the exchange for the first time this year.

SA国际影视传媒淲e tried to use different materials every time,SA国际影视传媒� said Armstrong, who described her artistic style as very eclectic. SA国际影视传媒淲e did a lot of collage, painting and glitter. We had a lot of fun experimenting, playing around and making art with other people.SA国际影视传媒�

Jeffery said it was more fun than he thought it would be.

The wine and cheese fundraiser once brought in some big-ticket spenders for GNAF, but with the slumping economy it has become more of a modest revenue source.

This year, the auction raised $3,480.