Community arts organizations from across the city gathered Wednesday, Jan. 27, to launch the new Neighbourhood Arts Network.
Toronto's first network dedicated to supporting art-making in neighbourhoods, the network is an initiative of the Toronto Arts Foundation in partnership with Art Starts.The vision for the Neighbourhood Arts Network, said Claire Hopkinson, executive director of the Toronto Arts Foundation, is to forge a transition "from where we are now" to a city where community-engaged artists, who are connected to each other, are connected to the broader arts community, to city agencies and institutions and to the public.The network will map current activities happening in communities, act as a referral for community residents seeking to revitalize their neighbourhoods through the arts, and assist with the development of neighbourhood arts hubs.It was established to serve the needs of community-engaged artists and community organizations and to act as a resource for neighbourhood residents."We are on the cusp of something great," Hopkinson said. "When artists engage with community, magic can happen."Newly minted Minister of Tourism and Culture Michael Chan, from Markham-Unionville, said Toronto is undergoing a cultural revolution and the network is an important part of that."We see it in the architectural transformation of our major arts institutions like the Ontario College of Art and Design, the expansion of the ROM, Frank Geary's redesign of the Art Gallery of Ontario," he said. "These developments have raised the city's cultural profile and given it world recognition."However, he said, this cultural revolution cannot be sustained without creative programs taking place all over the city."Community-based arts can be considered the lifeblood of Toronto's cultural renaissance," Chan said. "The Neighbourhood Arts Network represents a way to capitalize on the local arts scene."Hosted by Toronto hip-hop artist Dan-e-o and arts educator and clown Lisa Marie Diliberto, local artists, politicians, residents and representatives from community service organizations and businesses celebrated the official Neighbourhood Arts Network launch party at Harbourfront Centre's Lakeside Terrace.Membership to the Neighbourhood Arts Network is free in 2010 and open to both artists and individuals as well as organizations that develop, program or facilitate community-engaged arts such as libraries, community centres, social service providers, and business improvement associations.Visit www.neighbourhoodartsnetwork.org for more information.