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
REPORT OF THE DURHAM WEST ART CENTRE FOUNDATION
For the Annual General Meeting, Oct. 16, 2007
The Durham West Arts Centre Foundation, Inc., hereinafter “the Foundation”, is a corporation born out of the Durham West Arts Centre Inc., hereinafter “DWAC Inc.” It is a separate corporation, and has its own charitable status. At the risk of oversimplifying, DWAC Inc.’s present role (now that it has proved in a pilot project that an arts centre is sustainable in West Durham) is most easily thought of as developing and running arts programming for the public, primarily in this Region, and developing audience for the new Arts Centre when it is built. Of course, that role will continue to evolve over time. The Foundation's present role is to study, conceptualize, design and build a new Arts Centre, and to raise the funding and develop the private and public partnerships necessary to make that happen.
The Foundation is made up of a group of people chosen for specific talents related to its role. Every Foundation member is required to be a member of DWAC Inc. At present, the officers and other members (or Directors) of the Foundation are:
I would like to recognize and thank for their efforts, three other members who served well in advancing the interests of the new Centre during the last year, but who have been obliged to step aside:
In addition, we have been greatly assisted by Gordon Zimmerman, who has not taken on a voting role, but has faithfully attended the last few meetings, and has provided us with his professional insights in architecture, planning, government processes, and development. Generously performing professional legal services for us, and completing our incorporation, has been Paul Przybylo, of Walker Head, Barristers.
In the last year, we have suffered for the lack of infrastructure. We share a Trillium grant with DWAC Inc., to the extent of one-third of the funding of $75,000 per annum for three years. It is clear that raising funds for Foundation infrastructure is less exciting for donors than is raising funds for so-called “bricks and mortar” in the new building. Nevertheless, we will soon have some office space and equipment at the new location of DWAC Inc. on Kingston Road, Pickering, and will also have an employee based there.
We have been working toward the following:
In aid of completing these tasks, we have begun dividing into small skilled working groups.
The size and complexity of this overall job of building a new Regional arts centre can perhaps be best pointed up, by noting that when we have completed the steps set out above, we will still be a long way from completing the building. Among other things, we will require the acquisition of the land chosen, the final designing of the building, major capital fundraising, bidding, letting the contracts, and oversight during construction. Determination of the final ownership and management practicalities and legalities will be a challenge for both DWAC corporations.
In the course of this year we have become aware of the progress of groups in Whitby and Oshawa to develop a new performing arts centre. Neither of those projects is on the scale of our proposed Centre, and it is generally understood that this Region cannot support more than one major centre. We see those other projects as complementing ours, in providing local medium-sized venues with whom we could share audience and a box office. Indeed, DWAC's former Executive Director, Angie Littlefield, made preliminary contact with the Oshawa group, in an effort to work together for mutual benefit. I expect to follow up with further contacts across the Region, and I hope that other Arts and political leaders throughout Durham will be able to get as excited as we are about our project. This really is a win-win-win for all corners of our larger community.
Members of the DWAC family must not think that this job is just so big that it is beyond us, or is a project for the distant future. The fact is that thanks to people like John Sabean, Edward Falkenberg, Angie Littlefield, David Green, and the versatile and politically astute Gary Faulkner, we have come a long way already. The support of Mayor David Ryan and the Council of Pickering has kept us financially in existence. The local media supports us. Our presence is explained and validated by DWAC Inc.’s programming, and next month’s Reading and Remembrance is bigger than ever. The members of the Foundation are very busy people, but they are all capable, and all committed to building an arts centre. As our mantra goes, “We are going to build an arts centre!” We, you and I, are.
On behalf of the Durham West Arts Centre Foundation, Inc.,
Justice David M. Stone,
Chair
Nominations for DWAC Board, 2007-2008
2006 Report by Foundation Chair
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