Arts Notes
The view from the other side
Aengus Finnan shares his perspective on transitioning from artist and administrator to OAC officer.
Aengus Finnan, Touring and Audience Development Officer, joined the Ontario Arts Council after eight years as a touring songwriter and an additional eight years as a festival founder and arts administrator. Like other OAC officers, he has experience on both sides of the granting divide, including a turn sitting on a community and multidisciplinary arts jury. We thought we would ask him to share his thoughts on what he wishes he had known earlier in his career. Here are some extracts from a conversation he had with Kirsten Gunter, Director of Communications.
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Aengus Finnan, Touring and Audience Development Officer.
(Photo: Daphnée Nostrome) |
KG: When you arrived, you jumped into our processes very quickly, having to assemble and run two panels. Were the logistics the biggest challenge for you or were there other aspects that were a complete surprise to you?
AF: Starting a role like this is like jumping onto a moving freight train. Everything works on a cyclical timetable with set deadlines. There were no surprises in that regard, just a lot of things to learn. In the past, as an artist and administrator applying to the OAC, the four-month turnaround time between the grant deadline and announcement seemed like a lavish amount of time. Now that I’m on the other side of the process it is amazing that it actually happens that quickly. Within that timeframe I am struck by the amount of care, concern and accountability there is at each stage: from the logging and review of hundreds of applications in the office, to the assembly of juries and from the in-depth reading and assessment of every file to grant review reports presented by each officer to the other OAC officers and directors, before being presented to the Executive Director and board for final approval.
KG: It’s hard when people don’t get funding. I remember one former officer telling me it was heartbreaking how often she had to tell people it was a good application but there just wasn’t enough money to fund it. She went back to being an artist. The officer role is very rewarding but I’m sure there are a lot of stressful moments on those grant denial days.
AF: Certainly the most challenging aspect is managing the response to denied applications, and even the reaction to some awarded grants that were less than requested. It is a constant practice of patience, polite support and consistent explanation. I think the peer assessment process is quite potent. It means that an awarded or denied grant has not been determined by an OAC officer but by a jury of discipline-specific peers from the community. I certainly appreciate, as a past applicant, how deflating and frustrating it is when you don’t receive a grant, particularly if you were banking on it. Grant applications are intimidating in and of themselves, and combined with unsuccessful attempts can feel like a burden.
I think one of the biggest misconceptions out there is that if you’ve been turned down once, you will never get funding. The reality is that there is a tremendous demand at each program deadline, and limited resources. Unfortunately not all applications can be funded; not because they are not good but because there is only so much money. Denied applicants are certainly encouraged to enquire about the results of their application and to reapply.
The grant application process is actually an opportunity, whether or not you are successful, to sit down and articulate what it is that you are going to do and put together a plan. Having to write down who you are, your credentials, what are the resources that you will need and the timelines is important. Those are basic planning skills for any project, whether you’re opening a restaurant, building a house or planning a tour. I think there is a lot of merit in putting together a work plan, including the final report process. You have to reconcile what you were going to do and what you did, including the budget. It is a really important professional development process for all artists to engage in since most artists are driven by their artistic pursuits, not necessarily by a background involving bookkeeping, marketing, grant writing.
KG: The whole notion of public funding of the arts is important. Is there something that you wished you’d known as an artist that you know now?
AF: Definitely. I wish I had seen how truly supportive the OAC is in terms of the challenges that artists face. This organization places a profound value on the development and stability of artists and organizations. So many artists I know (and I was one of them) continually ask the question “why am I doing this?.” This doubt is further fed by a strange guilt around why we are staying home to work on a song. How does it help society day to day? If there is one thing I wish we could dispel it is that self-inflicted questioning of self-worth and the worth of our art that holds many artists back from applying.
The reality is that many artists work at other day jobs or contracts to underwrite their artistic endeavours, be it working in a restaurant, a bank, or drywalling. Ultimately, if you’re going to have to find money elsewhere to fund your art, then you might as well be working on a grant application; at least then the focus is still on the artistic work, and the administrative skills develop over time.
So, it is a very personal mission to let as many artists and organizations know, especially those who have not yet applied, that the OAC is here to support them, and that the staff are here to demystify the process.
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Download slides from the online information session about the Northern Arts Program
In early June, we held a number of webinars on the Northern Arts grant program for artists located in northern Ontario. Topics discussed included eligible projects, grant writing tips and how grant decisions are made.
If you would like to review the contents of the webinar, please download PowerPoint slides of the presentation.
Upcoming webinar for media artists
We will be holding a webinar for media artists on September 28, 2010, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. If you are interested in attending this online information session,
please sign up hereTop
Get your copy of OAC’s grant survival guide
This document provides tips on how to prepare an Ontario Arts Council grant application. You can
download a PDF version 
or request to have a copy of the booklet mailed to you.
E-mail
info@arts.on.ca or call OAC toll-free in Ontario at
1-800-387-0058. In the Greater Toronto area, dial our main line,
416-961-1660, to request your copy of the guide.
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Alan Walker appointed executive director of the Ontario Arts
Foundation
Alan Walker joined the Ontario Arts Foundation as executive
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Alan Walker, Executive Director,
Ontario Arts Foundation.
(Photo: Daphnée Nostrome) |
director at the end of June 2010, following
Janet Stubbs' departure. In 2009, Alan retired from the Toronto Dominion bank, following a 30-year career. Alan has worked in the wealth-management and trust business, counselling individuals and families on trust, estate and philanthropic planning.
Alan brings extensive experience as a volunteer, board member and chair at not-for-profit organizations in Toronto, including his work with a foundation supporting a school for children with special needs. He brings a keen appreciation for the arts, and has worked with many organizations, including the Art Gallery of Ontario and Youth Employment Services Toronto’s YES Art Auction. Alan is a member of a Toronto church choir, the Toronto Estate Planning Council and STEP Canada. He also holds a degree from Queen`s University.
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2010 recipients of Premier’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts
Ontario paid tribute to its most outstanding artists and arts organizations on June 11, 2010 at a reception to announce the recipients of this year’s
Premier’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts.
The awards are divided into two categories, the Artist Award and the Arts Organization Award . This year’s recipient of the Artist Award is Ken Gass, founder and artistic director of The Factory Theatre. The award for new or emerging individual talent, selected each year by the winner of the Artist Award, went to Natasha Mytnowych, artistic director of Theatre Revolve and Company Theatre Crisis. Guelph Jazz Festival received the Arts Organization Award.
The winning artist receives $35,000 and selects a new or emerging artist to receive a prize of $15,000. The winning arts organization is awarded $50,000. Every short-listed finalist receives a framed certificate and $2,000. The Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts is managed by the Ontario Arts Council.
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Lokki Ma honoured with the 2010 Pauline McGibbon Award
The Honourable Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture presented the Pauline McGibbon Award to Lokki Ma on June 28 at the 31st Dora Mavor Moore Awards. Read the press release.
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OAC grant recipient and visual artist Shary Boyle receives three-city tour as part of major award win
In 2009, Shary Boyle won the
Gershon Iskowitz Prize at the Art Gallery of Ontario in recognition of her contribution to Canadian art. The award includes a $25,000 prize and major exhibits of her work in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Congratulations to Shary Boyle on this major accomplishment!
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Staff comings and goings
We are pleased to welcome Randi Apple to OAC. Randi takes over for Carolyn Gloude as Executive Coordinator. Congratulations to Vivian Goffart , who is now OAC’s SharePoint Administrator, and Carolyn Gloude, who has moved on to the role of Awards Administrator, a post previously held by Alexandra Breede. Many thanks to Alexandra. We wish her all the best on her future endeavours.
Congratulations to Associate Arts Education Officer and Northern Arts Program Officer Christina Akrong on the birth of her daughter! Christina will be on maternity leave until July 2011. In her absence, Visual and Media Arts Officer Carolyn Vesely will act as Interim Northern Arts Program Officer.
A warm welcome to Music Program Assistant Jessica Deljouravesh, who has returned to the music office after maternity leave. And our thanks to Shawna Caspi, who stepped in as Interim Music Program Assistant while Jessica was away.
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Upcoming professional development workshop for craft artists
Lisa Wöhrle, Associate Officer in Visual and Media Arts and Craft, will be heading to the
Tom Thomson Art Gallery in
Owen Sound on
Saturday, September 11, 2010 for
Craft Practical, a one-day workshop. Lisa and fibre artist
Lorraine Roy will present a
panel on grant writing.
Organized by the Ontario Crafts Council and the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Craft Practical is a workshop for artists and craftspeople who want to learn about managing the business side of their arts practice.
Curators, arts administrators and artists will discuss a number of agenda topics, including Craftsperson as Small Business, Digital Image Preparation, Grant Writing, and Curating Craft Exhibitions. To sign up, or for more information, visit http://craft.on.ca/programs/symposium.
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