Community members are coming together to help Salt Spring artist Sav Boro after a boat fire left him without his home and without much of his artwork.
Boro’s houseboat at Burgoyne Bay went up in flames at 3 a.m. on April 23.
“Sav lost everything, including his 30 years’ worth of original paintings. Luckily, he was able to save his beloved Maine Coon cat,” a GoFundMe online fundraising page stated.
The $30,000 online fundraising goal is meant to help Boro purchase another boat or home and continue his artistic practice. A naturalist and wildlife as well as landscape artist, Boro has been a part of the community for 20 years.
“Sav started to paint at a young age in Kenya, where he was born and raised,” organizers stated. “He started a seven-year painting apprenticeship at the age of 18 and sold his first painting soon after at 20 years old.”
His boat was both his home and art studio, the fundraising page explained. Money raised will go to a new boat or other home for Boro, as well as art supplies and canvases, studio rental, basic supplies and the obligation for coastal clean-up of the boat.
Organizers are also asking anyone with an original Sav Boro painting on the island, and a willingness for prints to be made, to get in touch via kayah.ziraldo@outlook.com.
As of May 17, the fundraiser had raised $9,360 from 91 donors.
The GoFundMe page is found here.