Toronto Arts Council Foundation members decide to change its name to Toronto Arts Foundation and elect one new Board member
At last evening’s Annual General Meeting, the members of Toronto Arts Council elected five arts and community leaders to join its 29 member Board of Directors. There was no change to its team of officers: John McKellar, C.M., Q.C. Chair, Karen Tisch President, Richard Fung and Jini Stolk Vice-Presidents, Mark Opashinov Secretary and Randal Levine Treasurer.
New Board members elected last night include: Martha Burns (well-known stage and television actor who has appeared at Stratford and Shaw Festivals and for three seasons on ‘Slings and Arrows’), Ruth Howard (Artistic Director of Jumblies Theatre and creator of large scale art and theatre projects), Linda Lewis (Chair of the School of Fashion at Ryerson University and founding President of the Design Exchange), Priscila Uppal (poet, writer and professor at York University) and John Van Burek (founding Artistic Director of Théâtre français de Toronto, director and translator of over 100 plays, workshops, operas and special events).
Earlier in the evening, Toronto Arts Council Foundation, the sister organization of the Toronto Arts Council, agreed to file supplementary letters patent to change its name to Toronto Arts Foundation. As chair of the Board, Diana Bennett, explained it, the name change will help reinforce the foundation’s commitment to becoming the City’s primary arts foundation and creating opportunities for philanthropy in the arts. “We want to make all Toronto aware that investment in our city through the arts has the potential to transform neighbourhoods, engage youth and create change.”
One new TACF Board member was elected to join its 14 member Board of Directors. Frances Price has volunteered for numerous organizations including Creative Trust (for which she chaired the Development Committee), the AGO, Planned Parenthood, Branksome Hall School, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation, The St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation and, currently, the York University Board of Governors and Foundation and Roy Thomson Hall.
Claire Hopkinson, Executive Director of TAC and TACF said that “I am delighted at the prospect of working with all our Board members. Particularly in these volatile economic times, artists and arts organizations in Toronto continue to prove the importance and impact of arts programming and investment”.
For more information, please visit www.torontoartscouncil.org
Toronto Arts Council (TAC) is the City of Toronto’s funding body for artists and arts organizations. Since 1974, Toronto Arts Council (TAC) has played a major role in the city’s cultural industries by supporting a very broad range of artistic activity. From the emerging artist to the most established, from celebrated institutions to arts that challenge convention, TAC is typically the first funder to offer support. Today, TAC grants lead to exhibitions, performances, readings and workshops seen annually by over 7.5 million people. Through its ongoing funding, TAC cultivates a rich engagement between artists and audiences. It is proud to reflect Toronto’s vibrancy through the diversity of artists, arts communities and audiences that it serves.
Toronto Arts Council Foundation (TACF) was incorporated in 1995 as a sister organization to Toronto Arts Council (TAC). It has a two fold mission: to increase awareness of the value that artists and arts organizations bring to the City of Toronto; and to increase resources for the arts. In addition to administering programs which further the above goals, TACF enables individuals, foundations and corporations the opportunity to support a broad spectrum of initiatives and arts disciplines in the City of Toronto through tax-deductible contributions.