ArtBridges provided service to people who called or wrote in for mentorship, connections, ideas, and collaborations. People and community served found connections and resources via self-help on artbridges.ca, or by reaching ArtBridges staff directly for service. Service requests are diverse and require time and attention. People reach us with special requests for help with finding resources, needs in mentorship such as: how to start an art program, where to find community arts initiatives in their area, how to fundraise, need for a letter of support, how to access free arts supplies, where to donate arts supplies, etc. We help connect people to those who may be able to help, or we directly assist & offer mentorship, based on our knowledge, and connections.

Examples include:

• Someone wrote that she had a carload of visual arts supplies, but didn’t know where to take them, ArtBridges matched her with MABELLEarts, a community-engaged arts organization in her area.
• Workman Arts used ArtBridges Map and Profile Directory to find community-engaged arts initiatives across Ontario for potential collaborations for their Scaling Project.
• Niagara-based arts and health groups with Brock University have been meeting to set up an “ArtBridging Niagara” chapter and are learning about the ArtBridges model.
• Centennial College started a new program of study: Arts Education & Community Engagement, and met with ArtBridges to discuss program ideas and to get help promoting it widely.
• ArtBridges wrote letters of support for community-engaged arts initiatives’ collaborative project ideas including: Thinking Rock Community Arts, Arts Network for Children and Youth; as well as for OCAD U’s proposed new Masters program in arts for social change.
• ArtBridges assisted the SSHRC, ASC! Project with a survey to all of ArtBridges community partners, as well as collaborated on a Big Data project with Simon Fraser University using ArtBridges’ online data.
• First major ‘ArtBridging’ with a museum. The Textile Museum of Canada wished to offer rug-hooking instruction and materials to women who haven’t had this kind of opportunity before. The community outreach would tie in with their current exhibit: Home Economics: 150 Years of Canadian Hooked Rugs. ArtBridges connected the Museum with a number of community-engaged arts initiatives that work with women in Toronto. ArtHeart, Workman Arts, Sistering and SKETCH are now all set up to receive introductory sessions in rug-hooking at the Museum, followed by four workshops on site at each of their studios. This is a wonderful example of ‘ArtBridging’ and more importantly- how more Museums and Galleries are engaging diverse communities beyond their walls.
• First long-term ongoing mentorship with a community partner, a start-up community arts initiative in rural ON: Arts Space Essex. ArtBridges regularly mentored Arts Space Essex through its project’s growth and development from inception for over two years.