The Thomsons of Durham (March to Sept. 2005) which will feature 6-10 Tom Thomson originals and two works by four of his siblings, will literally place the Durham West Arts Centre on the map. This show will be one of 27 across the province that is part of the Art Gallery of Ontario's 85th Anniversary Celebrations of the first exhibition of the Group of Seven. The Durham West Arts Centre will be part of a provincial publication and a provincial profile for the arts. This exciting local show featuring the 30+ years that the Thomsons lived in Claremont is being developed with the Pickering Museum Village and relatives of Tom Thomson.

We have approximately 65 individual/family members and 3 corporate members.

We have hosted the Durham West Winds, lichen writers and poets, Oshawa Senior writers, the Nick Cuda Duo, the Ethnocats, the School Alliance of Student Songwriters, the Writing Fairy Dorothea Helms, the acting coach Anthony Chrysostum, Satie for Children with Cathy Laskar-Allamby and Ennio Paola, sculptor Dorsey James with a full roster of upcoming events that include music, the spoken word, lectures and children's programs. Our Dec./Jan. Exhibition will feature works by DWAC members who are artists. This show will put us at over 100 artists represented in 2004.

With the help of project manager Gary Faulkner, we are working towards bringing together the vibrant local arts community to share data and to build a cohesive arts lobby in Ajax-Pickering. And of course, we would be remiss if we did not thank the PineRidge Arts Council newsletter editors Cathy and Lou Schnippering and PineRidge webmaster/photographer Mary Cook for their extraordinary support, not only of DWAC, but of all the arts in the area.

We have also been very fortunate that the Trillium grant allowed for a support position for the Centre. April Polak, president of the PineRidge Arts Council and DWAC Program Committee Chair has been doing an outstanding job as a part time arts centre assistant. She and Terry Green, another Director of the Board, will be working on consulting the local arts community on their needs and looking at sustainable arts centre models across the province. Gary Faulkner, who started as Project Manager on a one year grant position, has sent out his survey of the arts community to be able to demonstrate their economic impact on the region. He is also working on a focus event to benefit artists and art groups in the area. Then there's Chantelle, our co-op student from Pine Ridge secondary school, who like everyone else at the Centre, supports its day to day operations but also has some of her own projects such as the Youth Council and the Enviro Monsters for Earth Week 2005.