Arts conversation examines Windsor’s cultural future

By Y. Murad Erzinclioglu

Arts leaders from throughout the community gathered to discuss culture in Windsor.

The Windsor Arts Conversation hosted by the Ontario Trillium Foundation was held at the Windsor Pride Community office on Pelissier Street Oct. 10. The meeting picked back up on a conversation held 18 months earlier which asked artists and cultural organizations: “What are Windsor’s cultural needs?”

Sanjay Shahani, program manager and strategy lead for the arts sector at the Trillium Foundation said the event is an opportunity to both inform artists and gather information on community needs.

“There is much more awareness of what people are doing which also presents opportunities to work together,” said Shahani. “There have been some very interesting collaborations that have come about since the last meeting.”

Since then Trillium has given grants for various projects in the city. The artist residencies project is running in conjunction with Broken City Lab and the Windsor Arts Council bringing artists to different spaces in the city to work on site-specific projects over a six-week period. Organizers also noted the Free 4 All Walls downtown mural project that has brought more than a dozen international street artists to the city.

Cathy Masterson, head of cultural affairs at the City of Windsor agreed that the talk is a way for her to connect with artists and organizations as the city prepares for the launch of their own stream of micro-grants. The cultural micro-grants will launch as a pilot program this November and inject over $80,000 into locally based projects over the following 12 months.

“I hope that connections made through events like this can help share that information – that we are serious,” said Masterson. “We have made a number of commitments to the cultural industry here in Windsor and we really value and see everyone working together to move all of the projects ahead.”

Program Manager at Broken City Lab, Joshua Babcock, was one of several arts leaders to attend the meeting. Their Civic Space located on Pelissier Street is funded by the Trillium Foundation and has been the birthplace of several cultural initiatives since opening last year. Babcock said the meeting is a good way to bring together organizations that don’t often connect.

“I hope to learn more about other organizations that are working in the city,“ said Babcock. “I feel I never quite know enough about what’s going on, there are always surprises. I’m interested in hearing about what people are planning for the future.”

Organizers hope the next arts conversation will delve even deeper in to the city’s cultural needs and is scheduled for April 2014.
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CUTLINE: Cathy Masterson, head of cultural affairs at the City of Windsor talks about the city’s upcoming contributions to the cultural industry at the Windsor arts conversation held at the Windsor Pride Community office. (PHOTO BY//Y.MURAD ERZINCLIOGLU)