Why do we need an Art Center? By Sandra Taylor Hedges

Why do we need an Art Center? This is a question many people have asked me when I talk about the need for one in Cornwall to serve the region. After all we have a small city Art Gallery downtown; a couple of schools with a set up for stage plays and other performance art; why we even have a few taverns for the musically inclined to perform and make a couple of dollars. Yes, that is true but these are merely band aide solutions to help to fulfill a need that is not being addressed. This region needs a home for the area Artists to congregate, show off their talent to the locals and visitors to Cornwall, as well as teach and mentor the future young Artists of our area. The last reason is in my opinion the most important of them all, teaching and mentoring the next generation of artists. I know this as I have had the pleasure of teaching art to children who have no interest in sports but excel at painting and drawing but there are many more whose parents can’t afford to pay for private classes even though they know that they have a gifted child. Instead they have a board kid walking the street and maybe getting into trouble.

We the tax payers of Cornwall have been supporting sports in Cornwall with Hockey arenas and Baseball fields but seem to have issue with spending money on the other equally important aspect of Human development and that is creative intelligence. The Governments of Ontario and Canada say they support the arts but cut back on funding to the schools to provide quality Arts centered programs for the students who are gifted in these areas. Creative intelligence is as equally important to our society as math skills, maybe even more so. If you don’t think that’s true just look around you, everything you wear, live in, drive to work in, the food you eat, your computer, the colour of paint on your walls, patterns on your sheets these things were all developed by a creative person. The movies and television programs you love, the music you listen to, the beautiful photos on your new calendar are all made possible by creative people and Cornwall is full of them. Oh, and let’s not forget our beautiful new arena under construction in town a creative person designed it.

You can stand on the corner anywhere in town and toss a stone and you will probably hit one of us creative souls. There are hundreds of us.

You want to bring people to Cornwall to spend their money? Then support the Arts because while they are here looking at the artwork, taking in a play or sipping a beer listening to a local band they will be shopping, sleeping, buying a meal and filling up with gas before they leave.
Who needs an Arts Center? We do!!

Written by Sandra Taylor Hedges
Appeared in the Local Seeker: http://theseeker.ca/newsite/

$1400 raised in first SCAC fundraiser!

$1400 was raised for the Seaway Cultural Arts Committee on Friday January 7th 2011 at La Maison. Nearly 200 people were in attendance. Bands that played were Hereos Fall, Sooner or Later, and Kings bishop, plus there were acoustic sets by A Moonshine PunchOut, Chaz Coletrain, and Kenn Taylor. Thanks to everyone who played, the venue and staff, music fans and art supporters, and of course the volunteers. Also special thanks to Rodney Rivette. It was a full house that night. Also a $1000 drum kit was offered as a donation that night to the Seaway Cultural Arts Committee for use in the future arts center! In other news, our membership keeps growing, and we have about 300 supporters. We are preparing to get incorporated as a non profit group, and we are setting up sub-committees to research near by arts and culture centers.

The SCAC Executive

Who are the executive members of the Seaway Cultural Arts Committee?

Sandra Taylor, who is President of Focus Art, has been teaching painting and sculpting for over 17 years both privately and with the YMCA in the Toronto area, for St. Lawrence College Continuing Education program, and at an Adult Education Center on the Mohawk territory, and for 4 years in her studio which is now in Cornwall, Ontario. She was the recipient of the Academic Council Award for highest proficiency of her graduating class at St. Lawrence College.

Jason Setnyk is a local school teacher, freelance journalist, author, photographer, and artist. He is the founder of Rock for Charity and he is active both politically and socially.

Michael Petrynka is active in amateur theatre, and he has done stage shows for Vagabond Theatre, Glen Productions, and now the Seaway Valley Theatre Company. His roles included set construction, directing, and acting.

Caroline Legault has an extensive background of experience including being a Project coordinator for Franco-Ontarian games in Cornwall, and project coordinator for the Centre culturel du conseil de vie française de Cornwall. She was also a Marketing consultant for CHOD FM 92,1, and Communications and public relations consultant for L'Association Canadienne Française de l’Ontario. She also has experience as an office administrator.

Rodney Rivette is a musician, promoter and owner of his own productions company. He has been involved with many different charitable and community organizations. He is one of the founders of Cornwall Winterfest. Rodney has been a touring musician for almost twenty years.

Jeff Burnet is an event promoter, he has been active in Cornwall for over 20 years, and he is the founder and owner of Alkaline Entertainment, booking famous acts to Cornwall such as Blue Rodeo, and festivals such as Corn Stock.

Steven Restinetti is a Process Engineer and he is the lead guitarist of local rock band the Trench Town Oddities. He has played lead guitar for over twenty five years and has been a touring musician for more than twenty years. His other skills and areas of interest include computers, event co-ordination, research, and visual graphics.

Mission Statement and Vision Statement of the SCAC

Vision Statement of the Seaway Cultural Arts Committee:

The vision of the Seaway Cultural Arts Committee is to organize the arts and culture community and all interested parties into a united front; to help better meet the needs and goals of the arts and culture community in Cornwall Ontario and the surrounding areas; to develop the necessary infrastructure to support the arts and culture community well into the twenty-first century.

Mission Statement of the Seaway Cultural Arts Committee:

The goal of the Seaway Cultural Arts Committee as a non profit group is to organize, research, fund-raise, lobby, and create a multiple purpose arts and culture centre in Cornwall Ontario Canada.