Kingston School of Art sees expanded programming thanks to $13k OTF grant
The Kingston School of Art has been awarded with a $13,200 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).
Local MPP Ted Hsu met with the team at Kingston School of Art’s Student & Staff Show Reception to learn more about how the funds, awarded over 6 months, helped the Kingston School of Art (KSOA) rebuild and recover from the impacts of the pandemic by increasing staff and developing new strategies for the future.
“For the last twenty years, the Kingston School of Art has brought fine arts instruction to the community through its affordable programming. I am pleased that Kingston School of Art has received this Resilient Communities Fund grant, allowing them to work towards pandemic recovery and building for the future,” said Ted Hsu, MPP for Kingston and the Islands.
The Student & Staff Show Reception at KSOA’s Window Art Gallery took place on Saturday, Apr. 15, 2023, and celebrated the achievements of the talented students and staff, while also serving to recognize the Ontario Trillium Foundation, who generously supported KSOA Programming this past year. The show itself features artworks by the KSOA Community, both adults and youth alike, and will be on display until April 28, 2023, according to a release from the organization. The reception was an opportunity to see firsthand the impact of the arts on the lives of people in our community, and the work of community organizations in helping people pursue their goals, the organization noted.
According to the release, this Resilient Communities Fund grant made it possible for KSOA to hire a Programs and Administration Assistant to support public programming. This allowed programming at KSOA to expand and grow to better serve the needs of the community. Furthermore, the Operational Grant funded additional services, such as increased cleaning amenities, the purchase of extra tables to further expand programming, and the purchase of computer software to streamline scheduling.
“We would like to sincerely thank the Ontario Trillium Foundation for supporting our work at Kingston School of Art. Our Resilient Communities Fund Grant allowed us to expand our programming these past few months, through the hiring of our Programs and Administration Assistant Emma Poley,” said Maddi Andrew, Executive Director for the Kingston School of Art.
Kingston School of Art is an independently operated, registered charity providing affordable art education to Kingstonians of all ages and stages of artistic development. According to the release, KSOA provides excellence in visual arts instruction, creative children’s programming, community arts exhibition opportunities through our Window Art Gallery, and employment opportunities for local artists.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grantmaking in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested nearly $209 million into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn more.