April 2 , 2007

MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT INCREASES PROVINCIAL ARTS ENDOWMENT FUND
Larger Fund Will Create Opportunities To Showcase Ontario Arts And Culture

PORT HOPE — Arts and culture organizations, as well as artists across the province, will benefit from a $10 million grant to the Ontario Arts Endowment Fund, Culture Minister Caroline Di Cocco announced today following a tour of Port Hope’s historic Capitol Arts Centre.

The Arts Endowment Fund is administered on behalf of the government by the Ontario Arts Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation established in 1991 to encourage and facilitate private giving to the arts in Ontario. Since it began in 1998, the Fund has provided over $20 million to over 250 not-for-profit arts organizations in 70 communities across Ontario.

“The McGuinty government recognizes the important contributions artists and cultural organizations make to Ontario communities,” said Minister Do Cocco. “This $10 million boost to the Fund will create more opportunities to showcase the work of Ontario’s artists in our galleries, on our stages, and in our streets.”

The $10 million in new funding was part of the Ontario budget presented by the McGuinty government two weeks ago. Other arts and cultural initiatives in the budget included funding increases to the Ontario Arts Council and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The McGuinty government has also introduced the Status of Ontario’s Artists Act which, if passed, would recognize artists’ contribution to Ontario’s economy and sense of identity.

“This is great news for Northumberland-Quinte West,” commented Lou Rinaldi, MPP for Northumberland-Quinte West. “This is an important funding announcement. Our communities are rich in history and cultural attractions, and we take tremendous pride in celebrating and sharing them,” stated MPP Rinaldi.

“The enriched Arts Endowment Fund will be of greater support to communities that want to promote themselves as cultural tourism destinations,” added Di Cocco.

“The cultural renaissance that we’ve seen unfolding in Toronto demonstrates the public hunger for arts and culture,” said Ontario Arts Foundation Chair Dr. Murray Frum. “This could signal the beginning of a province-wide renaissance of similar magnitude.”

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Contacts:
Mark Thompson, Minister’s Office, (416) 325-4071
Guy Lepage, Communications Branch, (416) 314-3497