Canmore Community Arts Centre Report to the Community for the year ending December 31, 2013 Canadian Mountain Arts Foundation P.O. Box 8521 Canmore AB T1W 2V2 403-609-2626 MountainArtsFoundation.com

Vision As members of the governing board of the Canadian Mountain Arts Foundation, we envision a day when:

Bow Valley residents participate widely in the arts and appreciate them as a vital part of their daily lives; and

Canmore is broadly acknowledged – regionally, provincially and nationally – as a creative community that actively engages in and celebrates the arts.

Operating out of the Canmore Community Arts Centre, we pursue our vision through: Education, Service, Engagement and Celebration

Mission The Canadian Mountain Arts Foundation is a catalyst and a resource for creating, connecting and promoting the arts in Canmore and the Bow Valley.

Goals for 2014 Grow the arts to build our community and enrich our lives

Build a strong mix of skilled and dedicated Board, staff and volunteers,

Renovate the Canmore Community Arts Centre into exciting, high demand community spaces,

Develop a sustainable mix of government, corporate and individual donations,

Develop the Centre as a well-recognized and respected brand in Canmore

Produce well-received programming, in line with community needs and desires,

Launch the new website, and its major services to artists and the community.

Message from the President

On behalf of the CMAF Board of Directors, I am pleased to present this annual report to the community. The Canadian Mountain Arts Foundation (CMAF) is indebted to the Town of Canmore for believing in the importance of a community Art Centre, for financially supporting it, and for charging CMAF with the responsibility of developing and governing the Art Centre. I'd also like to thank the past two Art Centre committees under Dea Fisher and Carole Stark for their amazing effort in creating the foundation from which CMAF now works. Thanks also to Chris Bartolomie, Supervisor of Arts and Events for her consistent and outstanding support. In 2013 CMAF hired our first employee, Karen Antrobus, as Interim Project Manager. Karen has done a fantastic job of advancing the Art Centre project in all aspects. The Board is grateful for the dedication, commitment and passion she brings to the work. Thank you, Karen.

The CMAF Board deserves a huge thank you for the countless hours of volunteer service over the past year. Their ongoing commitment to the development of the Art Centre is exemplary. Thank you all. And of course, all non-profit organizations also depend on the efforts of community volunteers. We are grateful for their time and efforts this past year.

In 2014 renovations on the Arts Centre building will begin, we will update CMAF’s website, we will continue to consult with user groups and fundraise, we will hire an Executive Director and Programmer, and continue the creative work of developing a community Art Centre which will open in 2015. This is a big, exciting project. Stay tuned! Respectfully submitted Priscilla Janes - President

What we accomplished in 2013

Attracted five new members to the Board, each with a specific portfolio, to help create the Arts Centre.

Updated our official charitable objectives to include governing the Arts Centre.

Brought volunteer design/ build professionals together with Town administrators to select an architect and work with

arts stakeholders on the building design and finalized construction drawings.

Developed and implemented financial policies and procedures to ensure the responsible stewardship of financial

resources.

Worked with local visual and performing arts groups to create a detailed equipment list and budget.

Collected feedback on the Art Centre’s plans from nearly 200 community members.

Refined our program and staffing, to create a three year budget, which was approved by Town Council.

Submitted $250,000 worth of public grants, and planned the 2014 private fundraising process.

Kicked off our new communications strategy; e-newsletter, social media, web site and printed materials

Designed a new website for development in 2014.

We used the Canadian Mountain Arts facebook page and monthly newsprint column to advertise over 60 local arts

events and performances, arts job postings and calls for submission.

Produced the artsPeak Festival and Vic Lewis Band Festival Maintained the Cultural Calendar, the Cultural Directory, and both community pianos.

Talking with you Hundreds of community members attended our open houses this year, or came in to learn about our plans for the Arts Centre. The biggest question was, “When can I start?”

The Volunteers A huge thank you to the volunteers. You make all the good things happen! You have donated nearly 2,000 hours to help build the Arts Centre this year. This has included highly skilled and experienced hours from lawyers, accountants, engineers, fund raisers, designers, communications specialists, educators, performers and artists. It has also included ‘all-hands-to-the pumps’ hours in sorting files, cleaning storage sheds, organizing open houses and facebook updates. Your dedication and your passion are inspiring every day.

The planners and builders Our dream team on design/build also includes Kevin Hines, Barb Ellard, Jon Frolick, Stephen Hanus and Gary Buxton And this project could not exist without the volunteers, Councillors and Town staff who worked on committees in 2011 and 2012 to get us started. A huge thank you to Brenda Caston, Carol Picard, Carol Starke, Chris Bartolomie, David Foxcroft, Dea Fischer, Hans Helder, John Borrowman, Karen Antrobus, Kathleen Matheson, Keltie Patterson, Martin Finnerty, Melanie Busby, Michele Decottignies, Rob Murray, Stephen Hanus and Vi Sandford! There are literally dozens more volunteers who have helped organize open houses, sort through our store room and participated in planning sessions. And finally, we have, throughout this project, stood on the shoulders of giants. Past CMAF Board members and volunteers have, over the years, built CMAF’s reputation for excellence in events and festivals both in the community and with funding agencies, to the point where we could take this project on.

Thank you all!

If you’d like to join us, we are always excited to meet new people. You can reach us at 403-609-2623 or info@moutainartsfoundation.com

“Volunteering is the

ultimate exercise in

democracy. You vote in

elections once a year,

but when you volunteer,

you vote every day

about the kind of

community you want to

live in.”

- Mountain View Arts Society

The Board of CMAF Priscilla Janes – President Carol Vorster – Vice-President Lynne McLeod – Treasurer Lisa McDowell – Secretary Bart Robinson – Communications Melanie Busby – Fundraising Pam Roberts – Design/Build Kari Woo – Director at Large John Borrowman – Council representative Chris Bartolomie – Town Liaison

Keen volunteers, Journey Hames and Heather Allisonhames ready to dig in

What is the Community Arts Centre going to be?

Your place to learn, try, watch and celebrate all things art. It will be your one-stop information source for community goings-on in the arts, and how to become a part of it … a vibrant, welcoming hub for the whole community.

Who is the Arts Centre for?

Children who want to try something different after school, on half day Fridays, with mom and dad, or at summer camp. Fun things to make with buttons, socks, paper, beads or clay. Mad scientist adventures, art outdoors, cardboard box palooza.

Beginners who want to try something new. Throw clay on the wheel, fuse glass, drum, act, make jewelry, form concrete, create paper, bind a book, make a mask, sew costumes, write your novel.

Artists who want to share your skills with the community, grow new artistic skills or want professional development. Opportunities to teach, exhibit, perform and collaborate.

Seniors looking to get together with old friends and make new ones, while learning to do that thing you’ve never had enough time for before. Paint, quilt, felt, write your autobiography, make jewelry or stained glass.

Teens who wants something fun to do on a Friday night, even if it is parent approved. A movie, guitar summit, band competition, writing music, social dance.

Every one who wants to watch a favourite performance. One act plays, films, spoken word, music of every variety, a quilt show, arts showcase, or participate in a community art project.

The Arts Centre is for you

With thanks for images to Canmore Movies, Gorgeous Glass and textile artist Sandra MacGillivray

Floor plan for the Canmore Community Arts Centre

Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you

everywhere. - Albert Einstein

The Vic Lewis Band Festival Named to honour a Canmore pioneer who introduced

band music to Bow Valley students in the 1940’s...and who taught them for over twenty years, the Vic Lewis International Band Festival has earned a reputation as one of the best non-competitive music festivals in Alberta. Over 800 students in junior high and high school bands perform for adjudicators, participate in workshops, listen to faculty recitals and give public performances during the two days and two nights of the festival. Many of the faculty also joined Montuno West’s public performance.

Thank you to everyone who made the 2013 Vic Lewis Band Festival a success Vic Lewis Festival Coordinator Tracey Wilkins

Our Sponsors Delta Hotel Sobey’s Our Volunteers Alberta Foundation for the Arts Donna Lavery St Johns Music Eleanor Benham Bremner Engineering Eleanor Benham Starbucks Jade Boisclair-Rondeau CAHCS Long & McQuade Subway Ian Brown Canadian Rockies Public Schools Old Thyme Candy Shop The Drake Inn Elizabeth Green Chateua Canmore Panago Pizza The Summit Café Sherri Hlavenka Clique Hotels Rob Lavery Tourism Canmore Jackie Hlavenka Communitea Café Rotary Yamaha Judy Ireland Conerstone Theatre Safeway Clare Jarman Donna Lavery Bobby Lavery Lisa Lee Sean Matthews Zack Matthews Nicole Nikel-Lane Suzanne Perkins Carol Picard Fran Ramsden Jean Samis Mika Sawicki Steven Scott Theresa Stainsby Sam Wade Robin Wade

CMAF Board Members of Montuno West, ready to perform

CMAF Board

“I have come to believe that a great teacher is a

great artist and that there are as few [great

teachers] as there are any other great artists.

Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts

since the medium is the human mind and spirit.”

- John Steinbeck

Vic Lewis instructors showing the students how it’s done

artsPeak- Canmore’s annual celebration of the arts

artsPeak is Canmore's premier arts event, an exciting, high energy celebration of the arts, where performances, exhibits and workshops fill Canmore’s downtown venues, for a solidly packed weekend of festivity and interaction. This dynamic event gathers the community together to experience the diversity of cultural production in the Bow Valley, and to participate in a wide variety of free workshops, with some of the Valley’s best artists.

Thank you to everyone who made artsPeak 2013 a success Artspeak Coordinator: Christine Elmgren Our Volunteers Afton Aikens Jordan Allisonhames Heather Allisonhames Journey Allisonhames Mackenzie Allisonhames Lili Alves Lauren Bennett Kaeli Benoit Lynn Borrowman Alison Carter Marcia Church Adriana Doyle Linda Dunbar Jon Frolick Amy Jeunet Jon Krohe James Louden Gerry Mcauley Juli Ohsada Fran Ramsden David Rapaich Joy Rapaich Deborah Sears Tom Thompson Alice Wiersma Erin Winter-Krohe CMAF Board

Our Sponsors Clocktower Boutique Alberta Culture Communitea Café Alberta Foundation For The Arts Department Of Canadian Heritage Alpine Book Peddlers Georgetown Inn Alpine Insurance Inc. Impression Design Beamers Coffee Bar Jk Bakery Bow Valley Basics Mountain Fm Bow Valley Foundation Rocky Mountain Soap Co Café Books Stella’s Canmore Dollar Store Tin Box Canmore Rotary Club Town Of Canmore

.

“Every child is an artist. The

challenge is to remain an artist

after you grow up”

- Pablo Picasso

Thanks to Bart Robinson for these pictures of artsPeak 2013

Our Community Grand Pianos One of the Canadian Mountain Arts Foundation’s more

unusual achievements has been the acquisition of not

just one, but two grand pianos for community use.

The first, a beautiful 7-foot Mason and Hamlin grand,

was purchased in 1997 following a CMAF fundraising

drive championed by Julie Kehler, one of the CMAF

founders. To help raise the necessary money, each of

the piano’s 88 keys was auctioned off for $100. The

piano is housed in the St. Michael’s Church Hall in

Canmore and is available to groups and individuals for

rehearsals, performance and instruction. It was

featured in a performance this autumn, by celebrated

Czech pianist Boris Krajny.

The second was newly acquired in 2013 as a

generous donation to the Foundation from

Canmorite Jeff Kovitz and his mother, Muriel, of

Calgary. When Muriel decided to move from

Calgary to Vancouver and realized the piano – a

1911 Heintzman & Co grand that she was given

at the age of 6 – would have to stay behind, Jeff

suggested donating it to CMAF. The Foundation

arranged for the instrument to be housed for a

five-year term at the Canmore Community High

School where it will serve the high school music

program and a variety of community groups. Jeff

donated funds to ensure the piano could be

moved to its new home and minor repairs made.

CMAF acknowledges and greatly appreciates the

spirit of arts support shown by Julie, Jeff and

Muriel. The grand pianos are important assets

for the performing arts community, and we

encourage all Bow Valley residents to assist with

the upkeep of the instruments by donating to the

Foundation.

Music lovers in Canmore thank you!

Donations and donors

We have had tremendous support from government, service organizations and private individuals this year. We could not have come this far without you! Many of you have contributed directly to one of our projects or festivals, where we have listed you above. Others, like Rick Green, have contributed directly to CMAF to let us use the funds in the area of greatest need.

Thanks you Tom Duncan for this beautiful 1950s Leclerc loom! Many of you have told us about tools, supplies and equipment you’d like to donate. We have to store it all until construction is done, so we are grateful to those who are able to keep these items until construction is completed.

Ruth and Eric Stalder came in to set the loom up. They have also offered to get it running smoothly when the Arts Centre is done. Community weaving project, anyone?

Our audited financials will be available in June. In the meantime, here are a few facts that may be of interest.

The Town of Canmore provided funding for the architectural and planning process for the Arts Centre in 2013. We are extremely grateful for this. It was a strong endorsement of the work of two years of volunteer committees.

This year our volunteers contributed nearly 2,000 hours of their personal time towards building the Arts Centre and 500 more to keeping our operations and festivals running We began using our facebook page to provide free marketing to arts events in June. By years end we had advertised over 60 community arts events via facebook and print media. Although our main focus is on building the Arts Centre, we look forward to helping with significantly more events this year. Bring them on!

With thanks for this image to Dea Fischer

The Canadian Mountain Arts Foundation is a registered charity and gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the following donors in helping to build the Canmore Community Arts Centre Three Sisters Level of Supporters, Grotto Mountain Level of Supporters $100,000 and up $5,000 - $19,999

Mount Rundle Level of Supporters, Ha Ling Level of Supporters, $50,000 - $99,999 $1,000 - $5,000

Jeff Kovitz

How will the Arts Centre support and enhance our Community and Community Arts Groups?

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Schools and students Middle school options program, arts field

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Town of Canmore Children’s art, newsletter, art events …

Teaching studios, courses and expert instructors for school arts classes

After school programs Chance to display work to appreciative audience

Coordinated and/or combined events, workshops and

communications

Other Local Facilities Galleries, Miners’ Hall, CCHS, Seniors’ Centre,

Banff Centre, Cornerstone Theatre, artists’ studios, CAG, dance studios, coffee shops, bars…

More art appreciators and audiences More skilled participants for existing programs New groups form and use existing facilities Centralized marketing opportunity

Artists and Arts Organizations Performing groups Exhibiting groups Dabblers and professionals

Residents and Visitors Children, teens, adults, seniors People who would like to try something new,

amateurs looking to improve skills Conference groups

Rentable studios to teach, rehearse and perform in Professional development and new skill development Website, social media, newsletter and physical space to

advertise courses and events, in any local venue Gathering space to meet, collaborate and spark

Single place to look-up arts programs, events and tickets Try out a wide array of new arts activities Community building through community art projects Films, movies and informative lectures Gathering space to meet and be inspired

How did we get here?

2014 CMAF and Town build Arts Centre

Build the Centre Town manages

construction CMAF creates program

schedule, advertises courses and hires staff

Continue to fundraise Unveil new website,

course booking, on-line arts hub and social media connections

Open the Arts Centre, spring 2015

2013 CMAF and Town finalize plans

Finalize the plans Develop final floor

plan with architect Update capital and

operating budgets Fundraise Ramp up

communications Build relationships

with a host of community groups

Develop internal management process for finance, HR etc.

2012 Advisory Committee

What would the Arts Centre look like? Independent not-for-

profit Board, with close Town relationship

Draft course list, floor plan, capital and operating budget

Nearly 200 additional people and dozens of other arts centres consulted

CMAF selected as the group to run the Arts Centre

2011 Task force

Does Canmore Want a Community Arts Centre? Over 300 members of

the public and arts organizations consulted. Answer an overwhelming “YES”

Over 70 courses requested, including film, pottery and painting/ drawing

The old library building was dedicate for use as the Community Arts Centre