CMAF Report to the Community 2013

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.
Keen volunteers, Journey
Hames and Heather
Allisonhames ready to dig in
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
“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 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
[email protected]
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
Alberta Foundation for the Arts
Bremner Engineering
CAHCS
Canadian Rockies Public Schools
Chateua Canmore
Clique Hotels
Communitea Café
Conerstone Theatre
Delta Hotel
Donna Lavery
Eleanor Benham
Long & McQuade
Old Thyme Candy Shop
Panago Pizza
Rob Lavery
Rotary
Safeway
Members of Montuno West, ready to perform
Sobey’s
St Johns Music
Starbucks
Subway
The Drake Inn
The Summit Café
Tourism Canmore
Yamaha
Our Volunteers
Eleanor Benham
Jade Boisclair-Rondeau
Ian Brown
Elizabeth Green
Sherri Hlavenka
Jackie Hlavenka
Judy Ireland
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
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.”
-
Vic Lewis instructors showing the
students how it’s done
John Steinbeck
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
Alberta Culture
Alberta Foundation For The Arts
Alpine Book Peddlers
Alpine Insurance Inc.
Beamers Coffee Bar
Bow Valley Basics
Bow Valley Foundation
Café Books
Canmore Dollar Store
Canmore Rotary Club
Clocktower Boutique
Communitea Café
Department Of Canadian Heritage
Georgetown Inn
Impression Design
Jk Bakery
Mountain Fm
Rocky Mountain Soap Co
Stella’s
Tin Box
Town Of Canmore
.
“Every child is an artist. The
challenge is to remain an artist
after you grow up”
-
Thanks to Bart
Robinson for these
pictures of artsPeak
2013
Pablo Picasso
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.
With thanks for this image
to Dea Fischer
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!
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.
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?
Residents and Visitors


Our Community
Artists and Arts Organizations



Performing groups
Exhibiting groups
Dabblers and professionals
Schools and students

Middle school options program, arts field
trips, after school programs
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



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

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Other Local Facilities

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Galleries, Miners’ Hall, CCHS, Seniors’ Centre,

Banff Centre, Cornerstone Theatre, artists’
studios, CAG, dance studios, coffee shops, bars… 
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
More art appreciators and audiences
More skilled participants for existing programs
New groups form and use existing facilities
Centralized marketing opportunity
Coordinated and/or combined events, workshops and
communications
Canmore Community Arts Centre

Children, teens, adults, seniors
People who would like to try something new,
amateurs looking to improve skills
Conference groups

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How did we get here?
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
2012
Advisory
Committee
2013
CMAF and Town
finalize plans
What would the Arts
Centre look like?
Finalize the plans




Independent not-forprofit 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






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.
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, online arts hub and social
media connections
Open the Arts Centre,
spring 2015