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Untitled Document
Greetings from Peter Caldwell
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Peter Caldwell
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Since my appointment as Director & CEO of the Ontario Arts Council was announced last October, I have had the good fortune to travel extensively before taking up my responsibilities on February 6, 2012. With this perspective, I have never been more appreciative of the vibrant arts and cultural communities of this province than I am now. These travels reinforced for me Ontario’s reputation as a highly desirable place to live, work, study, invest in and visit – a reputation that is tremendously enhanced by the arts.
I want to thank all of you for the warm welcome I have received. I’m excited by the opportunity to lead such a vital organization. The Ontario Arts Council plays an important role in strengthening, supporting and advocating on behalf of our arts sector. I look forward to meeting and reconnecting with many artists, arts administrators, government colleagues and arts supporters over the coming months.
All the best,
Peter
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Martha Durdin Reappointed Chair of the Ontario Arts Council
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Martha Durdin
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Martha Durdin has been reappointed Chair of the Ontario Arts Council by the Government of Ontario until February 9, 2015. Martha was named to the Board of Directors of the OAC in 2004, appointed Chair in 2006 and first reappointed in 2009. During her tenure, OAC’s funding has increased by $20 million, bringing the Government of Ontario’s total investment in the Ontario Arts Council to over $60 million per year. Martha has also played a key role in the delivery of funding initiatives such as the Government of Ontario’s three-year Arts Investment Fund launched in 2010. Her work in the arts community includes past board positions with Opera Atelier and Factory Theatre. In addition to the OAC board, she is a director with Business and the Arts in Canada, the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, the Runnymede Health Centre and The Writers' Trust of Canada.
Read the press release here.
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Albert Alexanian Reappointed to OAC Board
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Albert Alexanian
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Albert Alexanian has also been reappointed to OAC’s board, until February 3, 2015, by the Government of Ontario. The Hamilton-based board member was first appointed in February 2009.
Read the full bio.
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John Brotman Bids Farewell
On January 24th, John Brotman, former OAC Executive Director, bid a fond farewell to the Ontario’s arts community at a public event held at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto.
The following quotes are from his farewell speech. You may watch the entire speech on our YouTube channel.
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Martha Durdin, Chair of the OAC Board of Directors says a few words about John Brotman.
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“I cannot tell you how much I’ve enjoyed my years at the Ontario Arts Council, not least because I’ve been able to experience work of such interest and quality by Ontario’s artists. From my early days in OAC’s music office through the past decade, I’ve been privileged to attend, watch, listen, see and discuss your work, and I – and my wife Sara – have grown hugely in understanding because of that. In my time at OAC, we have always tried to respond fully to the work of the arts sector, and I have always felt this to be a reciprocal relationship.”
“What is less known is how creative and intense are the lives of artists and organizations in more remote parts of Ontario. From my own early experience in northern Alberta, I’ve been conscious of how artists need to feel connected with their colleagues and with support systems in the larger centres. My OAC colleagues know how often I go on about the arts I’ve experienced in northern Ontario and in the east and the southwest, how often I bewail the difficulty of alerting people in Toronto or Ottawa to all that amazing work.”
“I see this as a huge challenge facing all of us – the challenge of finding ways for the public to share and engage in all that great activity throughout the province and to highlight the work of contemporary, indigenous, culturally diverse and francophone artists with the same focus given to the celebrity commercial culture we find ourselves in. We all have a role to play in that endeavour, and I want to acknowledge the efforts that many of you put, at substantial cost, into presenting and touring in order to share your work with others.”
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New Aboriginal Arts Award
The Ontario Arts Council recently launched the Ontario Arts Council Aboriginal Arts Award. The $7,500 award will celebrate the achievements of Aboriginal artists and arts leaders in Ontario. Beginning this year, the award will be presented annually to an Aboriginal artist or Aboriginal arts leader in Ontario to honour his or her significant contributions to the arts.
Nominate an Aboriginal artist or Aboriginal arts leader before April 2, 2012.
Read the press release here.
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OAC Embarks on Equity Planning Process
Following the internal equity audit that OAC undertook last year, we have begun developing an OAC Equity Plan, which will provide us with a blueprint for implementing equity goals over the next three years. In December, OAC’s board approved the following vision statement, which will underpin the plan as it is developed.
OAC Equity Vision
We are inspired by and value Ontario’s artists, who help shape our thriving and diverse society and express the richness of our stories, histories and cultures. Therefore, as a public agency, funder and employer, OAC will lead and be responsive and inclusive in supporting diverse artists, artistic practices, arts communities and our own organization.
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Community Arts Councils Convene from Around the Province
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Community arts council leaders working together.
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This past November, more than 30 arts council leaders from around the province participated in Convening for Learning: Community Arts Councils Networking for Change over two days at Toronto’s Currie Hall.
Community arts council leaders discussed current trends, practices and challenges within the sector. Participants showed enthusiasm and commitment to furthering the development of arts and culture in their communities. Facilitated by Alan Kay of The Glasgow Group, the event laid the groundwork for new partnerships and future conversations.
This was also an opportunity to discuss the report findings of Fostering Arts at a Local Level: A Review of Community Arts Councils in Ontario. This survey of community arts councils in Ontario looked at the number and types of councils that exist throughout the province, the contexts in which they operate, the roles they play in their communities and the range of activities they undertake in response to their region.
Read the report.
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