photo by Cara StHilaire
Happy New Year! Bonne Année!
We are back at the office of ArtBridges/ToileDesArts, and getting reoriented. The coffee is made…and poured.
I admit it’s like looking at a giant canvas all nicely gessoed and holding a palette of paint and just standing there thinking…”where do we begin? what’s our first move? …where did we leave off? what matters? It’s a new year…what do we want to set out to do? to achieve?” Yes… ArtBridges has a strategic plan, yes, we have goals, objectives and strategies…yes, we have a mandate to fulfill, but it is a new year, after all.
Lisa and I were sitting and talking about this, when the phone rings…it’s Shirley Hunt from Focus on Nature, an amazing program in Guelph that offers children the opportunity to learn photography and use cameras out in natural settings. Shirley is going through the same thing…asking herself big questions, like “is it time to apply for charitable status?” while managing the small things like hanging a new calendar on the wall. She has just launched a new website, we’ll blog about it later this week!
…So, after time with friends and family, and getting the flu (twice!) it’s time to reignite engagement with arts activities across Canada in rural, inner-city, northern and remote communities.
Here are ArtBridges/ToileDesArts top priorities heading into 2011:
- Continue to profile and highlight community arts/arts for community engagement/arts for social change projects, organizations, programs and resources across Canada.
- Get more contributions from you! …events, photos, issues, stories, conferences, workshops, ideas, needs, training opportunities… to share on the ArtBridges’ network. We look forward from hearing from you and welcome submissions and contributions!
- Find out what’s going on in the field across Canada as it grows and share findings.
- Evaluate. What is the impact of work in this field (community arts/arts for social change/arts and community engagement)? People continue to ask us. We think the impact will be found in the sum of the parts, the collection of stories, testimonials, art, photos and media from across the country that combined, highlight the enormous benefits to communities across Canada.
- Be a connector. Call us! We may know of someone somewhere who can assist with your idea or need.
Happy new year, Bonne année! Onto painting that canvas…
-submitted by Seanna Connell, Project Director, ArtBridges/ToileDesArts
