On Feb. 8, the first-year class of the college of medicine will put on their annual art show, the Med 1 Art Show and Silent Auction.

The show is a popular event at the College of Medicine, attracting faculty, alumni and members of the public. All artwork is produced by first-year medical students, who also provide silent auction items and entertainment. Each student contributes a piece of art, including painting, photography, sculpture and performance. Many local businesses and individuals have also made donations.

Every year, the students choose a theme for their artwork and a nonprofit organization to receive the proceeds from the event. In 2011, the show raised nearly $10,000 for Casa de Espera, an organization in Massinga, Mozambique that provides life-saving care to infants and pregnant women.

The theme of this year’s show is “nature” and the proceeds will go to Child Hunger and Education Program. CHEP provides a variety of community-based food services, such as child nutrition programs, community gardening and Good Food Boxes. Currently, CHEP is fundraising to build a grocery store at Station 20 West in downtown Saskatoon. The goal of the project is to provide affordable, healthy food to a neighborhood that has been missing a grocery store for over 10 years.

Some residents of Saskatoon’s core neighborhoods must choose less healthy food options from gas stations, convenience stores and fast food restaurants because there is no grocery store in the area. For a variety of reasons, people living in these neighborhoods are more likely to develop chronic illnesses like diabetes that are linked to poor nutrition.

U of S medical students hope that improving food security in downtown Saskatoon will contribute to the long-term health of the entire community. CHEP’s grocery store, called the Good Food Junction Co-op, will be locally organized and staffed by community members. Construction is already underway and the store is set to open in the summer.

[box type=”info”]The Med 1 Art Show occurs on Feb. 8 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Health Sciences Building, B-Wing. The show is free to attend, and coffee, tea and refreshments are provided.[/box]

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Image: Supplied