The Durham West Arts Centre is a 'hub' organization working to establish links with artists, arts groups and arts lovers. We want to meet and talk to the groups and individuals who are willing to help build the infrastructure for a permanent arts centre in Ajax-Pickering.
December 6, 2006, from left: David Stone, Allan Gibbins, Joan Wideman and David Green
Over 70 arts supporters celebrated the Trillium Grant and future of an Arts Centre. Media Kit
Notes for Presentation of the new DWAC Foundation,
Oct. 19, 2006, at DWAC AGM, by Justice David M. Stone
I want to talk to you about fire in your bellies. I'm not talking about what happens when you put too much crushed chilies & jalapeno peppers in your undercooked ground beef. I'm talking about what Escott Reid, the late Principal of Glendon College, wanted in Glendon's graduates.
Fire in your bellies.
Knowing there is hard work ahead, that it won't always be easy, that there may even be occasional disagreements with others you will be working with, but believing in your heart & your very intestines that it's for you to do.
There are 2 aspects to building an Arts Centre. They are equal in importance. One aspect is the money, research, blueprints, land, bricks & mortar. My assigned purpose tonight is to tell you about that aspect, before I mention the other.
This aspect is called the Durham West Arts Centre Foundation. Let me get one thing out of the way. Some people, including some politicians in another municipality and some members of the Arts community have accused the DWAC of not doing enough work toward building the new building and raising money for it, during the 2-year pilot project. Anyone who has built a genuine arts centre will tell you, you need to build audience while you build the building. And you need to do research. DWAC built audience and a reputation among other galleries. When the Art Gallery of Ontario launched the Group of 7 Project, DWAC was the very first partner listed by them. And by the end of a mere 2-year pilot project, when its first temporary home was sold out from under it, DWAC was getting over 30,000 hits per month on its website - 30,000 hits per month. After only 2 years! And you heard of Gary Faulkner's research throughout Southern Ontario into facilities and the planning and building experiences of so many other Arts Centres.
DWAC raised and spent several hundred thousand dollars, stimulating the local economy and arts scene. Only 28% of that money came from municipal grants.
Let me speak for a moment about the municipalities. Now as a Judge, I cannot and therefore will not say or be taken as saying anything for or against the local politics or politicians. Ajax supported DWAC with money for the pilot project, but then put strings on further funding that reflect their different vision, a local arts program with no employees nor dedicated building, and running its vision and program out of the recreation department!
No politicians or candidates from Ajax answered DWAC's municipal election questionnaire. But half of DWAC's members live in Ajax, and Ajax citizens will and must continue to benefit from DWAC programming. Again, 50% of our members are Ajacians, while Pickering and other communities have the other 50%. The citizens may yet lead their leaders. We look forward to Ajax's future involvement in our new Arts Centre. However, we cannot make it a priority time-wise to pursue their Council. The train is leaving, and we hope they will want to be on it.
One reason this building project will succeed is the unwavering support of the Millennium City , Pickering . No one can accuse Pickering Council of not supporting the Arts or DWAC. Of course, we need more funding, especially if Ajax does not financially support our programming. But when DWAC's history is written, Councilors:
Maurice Brenner
Kevin Ashe
Bill McLean
Doug Dickerson
Rick Johnson
Dave Pickles
& His Worship Mayor Dave Ryan
will be remembered for not only keeping DWAC alive in our dark hour, but giving us logistical aid and tools to grow.
But while all this was happening, the DWAC Executive and its Executive Director, Angie Littlefield, were building the infrastructure for the Foundation. When Mayor Ryan and his Executive-Assistant Mark Guinto pulled together what Angie Littlefield has called the dream team, we already had trust documents, actual charitable status separate from DWAC's, and a pending Trillium application to largely cover staffing and work space. DWAC had already done a huge needs analysis, the first feasibility study, retained experts and prepared the first blocking and stacking. All thanks to DWAC.
So unless somebody wants an argument, don't ever let me hear anyone say again, that DWAC, its Board and its Executive-Director did not do enough work on the building project during the pilot project.
This allowed us, the Foundation, to hit the ground running.
Tonight, we can finally tell you about the Foundation. We had to keep a low profile while the members were recruited, and until they had had their first meetings to get to know each other, check out our chemistry, and bond. The Durham West Arts Centre Foundation is a separate entity from the Durham West Arts Centre Inc. We will report annually at DWAC's AGM. We will not interfere in DWAC's program planning. But obviously DWAC will assist the Foundation in building the Centre that will house it and its art programming. We will communicate and work together.
Ladies and Gentlemen, together we are going to building an Arts Centre.
I would like to introduce your Foundation.
In alphabetical order, they are:
Allan Gibbins - President of Hubbell Canada , and a veteran community fundraiser, including with the United Way
Treasurer David R. Green, C.G.A. Part of the comptroller team, IBM Canada, & a Past President of Rotary
Ron Halliday of Coughlin Homes, an amazing man with a finger in every political and philanthropic pie, a genuine art collector, and one of DWAC's very first members
D. Patrick McNeil Sr. Vice-President, Ontario Power Generation, and another veteran fundraiser
Mike Ruta, News Editor, Ajax Pickering News Advertiser
Victor Sgro, Lawyer
Justice David M. Stone Interim Chair, and a conduit to DWAC
Joan Wideman Vice-President, Lenbrook Industries, a former President of the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade, and winner of the highest corporate community service award that Pickering Rotary can present.
John Wiersma Chair of Veridian, a person with a reputation for bringing disparate groups together, and another winner of that highest corporate community service award.
Although not a voting member of the Foundation, His Worship Mayor Dave Ryan is considered an Honourary Chair, having helped create the group and having attended every meeting.
Every one of these members has been involved in building at least one major public-use building! Every one has been involved in building fundraising. And every one of these people is committed to building an Arts Centre in West Durham!! The studies say that we can support a 1,200 seat performing arts centre. We plan to be an art gallery museum (in the sense that the AGO is, and contrasted to simply a place to hang only current local art). We will have Teaching/workshop space, and subsidiary services.
We will try and expect to build it within 5 years, for 2011, in time for the 200th Anniversary of the founding of Pickering Township, home to both Ajax and Pickering .
We have met 3 times to date. The creative juices of this group are amazing. Some details have to wait for the opening of our capital campaign. We already have a financial target and preliminary ideas on how to raise it. We have already identified one incredible possible building site, and have already walked on that land. Mayor Ryan has pledged $50,000 from the Mayor's Gala on November 25, 2006 for the Foundation. There's our seed money. Please consider attending that Gala. We are now at a point where anytime you spend time or money on something like the Gala, you are putting more money into the new Centre.
The capital campaign will start as soon as it is ready.
By golly, we're going to build an arts centre.
With the Foundation's contacts, we are also working to identify a centrally located classy new temporary home for the DWAC Gallery. We would plan to reopen by Spring.
BUT, there are 2 aspects to building the Arts Centre.
As I said before, we need to build audience so that we can fill the theatre and run great arts programming from the day we move in. To do this, while the building is being planned and built, we need an active Durham West Arts Centre, along with continued high quality programs. That programming will give the Foundation and building project more credibility, and vice versa. We all need each other.
The Executive-Director cannot do it all alone, nor should he or she, no matter how good he or she may be. But many directors of the Board have not been attending meetings. The constitution is being amended tonight to create a stronger Board. As we all know, many hands make lighter work. The table officers have not only kept the ship afloat, but continued with programming. But they need a strong and committed Board.
Do we want to build an Arts Centre for our arts, for our children and for the community, or not?
Do YOU want an Arts Centre?
We need 10 to 15 people who believe in what we have done and what we can do. We need 10 to 15 people who will not be denied. Who have fire in their bellies for their arts, and their community, and who will work for it. We all have day jobs, some of us in the arts, and we have other time commitments. But you know and I know that if you really believe in something, and know you won't have to carry the load alone, you can step up.
There's an old axiom that if you want something done, give it to a busy person. This is a time for people of vision, of creativity and of leadership. I know everyone in the room has the creativity. I believe you all share this vision. You've seen Angie make it work for the last 2-plus years. You don't have to be the Chair. But you need to step up now as a leader, as part of a team of leaders, each representing your own group or artistic discipline. Make sure your art is represented as we design and build.
You can be part of bringing the Arts of the world to Pickering-Ajax, and the arts of Pickering-Ajax to the world.
CATCH THE FIRE!!
Thank you
Durham West Arts Centre • c/o John Sabean at 928 Reytan Boulevard
Pickering ON Canada L1W 1Y7
tel: 905-250-9891 • website: dwac.ca • e-mail: info@dwac.ca • e-mail: foundation@dwac.ca