Rob Jung poses with Weeping Willow sculpture at City Hall prior to it being moved to the Mount Pleasant Cemetery. (Facebook/Rob Jung's MetalArt)

By Angie Rolheiser

NEOSS art auction

Melfort sculptor spearheading online art auction for charity

Aug 27, 2020 | 12:56 PM

A Melfort sculptor and artist is using his influence in the Saskatchewan art community to help raise funds for North East Outreach and Support Services (NEOSS)

Rob Jung, who’s ‘Weeping Willow‘ piece can be seen at the Meditation Garden in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery, is no stranger to helping out local charities.

“I came up with Weeping Willow hearts to give everyone a chance to have a piece of my larger sculptors,” Jung said. “Basically, I was taking $2 from each heart and would donate it to different charities and the first happened to be NEOSS.”

The sales of the hearts allowed Jung to donate around $340 to NEOSS, as well as six hearts to the organization.

Jung is currently working on another piece called the ‘Weeping Willow Family Tree’ that will tie all of the sculptures together and will have a Weeping Willow Heart attached to it. The Willow Tree piece will be put up in Melfort when it is completed.

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The Willow series is meant to give hope, a sense of belonging, and safety. Also, the ability to let go of pain and suffering and grow new, strong and bold.

“Weeping Willow is an angel who is sitting in a way to depict sadness and loss and it really connects with a lot of people,” Jung said.

This past winter, Jung sculpted Disability who is a huntress and archer with a bow at full draw and wearing a blindfold depicting blindness.

“It’s ability despite disadvantage,” Jung said.

This fall, Jung will begin work on ‘Weeping Willow Addict’ to go along with the Willow series.

Weeping Willow at Mount Pleasant cemetery was the first larger sculpture by Jung but he had done many smaller pieces prior to that.

“I had never done a full figure person and you don’t ever know if it will sell or even work out but it seems to be working out well,” Jung said. “I plan to do a lot more along the way.”

Jung is now collecting art pieces from artists around the province for NEOSS that will then be auctioned off online in September.

“I started the Facebook Group ‘Art of Saskatchewan’ and there are lots of talented artists on there but with what is going now with COVID, if you put your stuff in galleries you aren’t being seen,” Jung said. “The auction is also another way to help Saskatchewan artists be noticed.”

Art pieces can be donated before or on Sept. 3 to NEOSS, so staff can have the online portion set to launch by mid-September. Any and all skill levels are welcome to contribute to the auction.

“I hope that this will be something we can do through our Saskatchewan Art Community to help artists and support a good cause,” Jung said.

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angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser