HOT SPRINGS — Art aficionados and interested community members from all parts of the area crammed into a meeting room at the Symes Hot Springs Hotel in Hot Springs for the Hot Springs Art Society’s Art Gala, which was held on Saturday, Nov. 13.

The event is the organization’s main fundraiser for the year, and featured a wine, cheese and chocolate bar for attendees to taste, and a silent auction, consisting of several works of art from local artists, as well as arts and craft items from area businesses.

The fundraiser supports many of the children’s programs that the Art Society works to organize, such as bringing the Missoula Children’s Theater to Hot Springs.

The fundraiser also helps support some of the juried shows, and all of the different artist’s society projects.

The event itself has been going on for several years. And as long as Marla Robbins, head of the Hot Springs Art Society, has been involved, the event has been at the Symes. For Robbins, this has been a positive part of the event.

“It’s got a nice atmosphere,” Robbins said. “The lady at the Symes is a member of the artist’s society, and they really do a lot to support it and we really do appreciate their support.”

The meeting room of the Symes where the event took place was packed with interested people.

Though it verged on cramped, Robbins took the strong attendance as a sign that the event is taking hold in the community. The attendance was so good in fact that Robbins is thinking of adjusting the venue.

“It is growing and expanding, so maybe that’s something we’ll have to look at in the future,” Robbins said. “I think it’s one of those things where the more it’s around and the more it’s advertised, the more it grows.”

According to Robbins, there may come a time when the arts society will have to find a larger area, or possibly move it to a larger part of the Symes.

“You never know how that is going to work out,” Robbins said. “For now, it’s just such a nice place to have it and she’s so good about allowing us to have it there, and she does so much hard work putting it on.”

As far as obtaining donated items for the auction, Robbins tends to rely heavily on contacts she has made from working in the art world.

“I myself have been doing art shows for a long time, so I get to know a lot of people,” Robbins said. “The ones that I know personally, I send fliers to. We do a juried show each year, which, when you advertise that, you get new names.”

Robbins also relies on local businesses for donations. Robbins has been impressed with all of the support she has received from local businesses.

“There’s a lot of businesses that aren’t necessarily art-related that also donate, so there’s a lot of gift certificates, and just all kinds of stuff,” Robbins said. “People very often are surprised by how much they’ll help out.

There is not a reserve on items in the auction, because all of the items are donated. This means that despite any marked value on an item, the attendees determine the price.

“It just depends on what hits their fancy sometimes,” Robbins said. “It can depend a lot on our economy, which isn’t the best right now.”

The funds raised by the event help the Hot Springs Art Society support several events in the community, including several arts shows, theater events and a summer camp.

The summer camp is held every year during the month of July and provides area kids with the opportunity to study different types of art, including painting, pottery, woodworking and theater.

“It keeps them, hopefully, enjoying the arts and maybe it will have an effect on their future, and maybe they will continue with some of those things,” Robbins said. “It definitely helps keep them busy and off the streets.”

Robbins finds working with all the different artists and volunteers who make this event possible the most enjoyable aspect of it.

“We’ve had a lot of generous people that really put out a lot of effort,” Robbins said.