During my first week as Director & CEO of Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation in January this year, I hit the ground running with a deputation to Economic & Community Development Committee to emphasize vital importance of the arts – and public funding for the arts – for the city. It was an introduction that signaled our organizations’ drive and responsibility to serve Toronto’s arts communities with transparency, trust and openness: the pillars that form the foundation of our many relationships.  

I’ve gotten to know and collaborate with many city staff who know the value of the arts, and, thanks to our collective efforts this year, continue to seek ways to help us better achieve our mandate with more impact. I’ve also gotten to know our incredible boards of directors who give their time and passion to helping us empower artists through funding and initiatives; so many inspiring artists and arts leaders whose drive to create and produce make our city better; and the many audiences I’ve met around the way, left engaged, thoughtful and connected after experiencing powerful art.  

In addition to feeling inspired by our work and the possibilities ahead, Artscape’s insolvency in late summer highlighted the precariousness of arts infrastructure support in our city. There’s a lot of work we need to do to help artists and arts organizations. Temporary fixes simply will not do. If the city’s response to step in during this situation signaled anything, it’s that they are willing partners and supporters of the cause for maintaining permanent artist live/work space.  

I feel incredibly confident in the future of our organizations and our ability to support artists of all disciplines, backgrounds and approaches, in all corners of our city. As we finish the year we’re entering 2024 with renewed vigour, conviction and vision; We are Toronto’s Arts Council and Toronto’s Arts Foundation, and we’re here to serve.  

Highlights in 2023 include:  

For Toronto Arts Council: 

• Continued our advocacy work to center the arts during the Mayoral by-election, resulting in reaffirmation of Mayor Olivia Chow’s commitment to increase investment to TAC during Arts Day at the City.  

• Collaborated with the City on the development of a new culture plan and contracted Monumental to begin this work, which so far has involved many TAC and Foundation staff during eight community consultations. 

• Welcomed Devyani Saltzman to both boards, including as President for TAC.  

• Grants staff managed over 77 days of adjudication meetings, assessing 2,629 applications with requests of $45,906,400. 

• Helped fund outstanding art: we recommended 911 grants to artists and arts organizations with a total value of $23,703,007.  

• Worked with funders across Canada to launch the new CADAC system and streamlined our own operating applications to be more accessible. 

• Through the work of our internal access working group, improved the accessibility of our online application system, TAC Grants Online, by working with a blind consultant and participated in accessibility training for online meetings. 

• Began a SSHRC funded research project with Toronto Metropolitan University on newcomer integration focused on TAC’s Newcomer & Refugee Artist Mentorship Program. 

• Welcomed Caitlin Loney, Administrator, Grants Support to the team. 

• Celebrated Sarah Miller-Garvin in her new role as Interim Program Manager, Theatre, covering for Elahe Marjovi’s parental leave.  

• Presented our annual work to the City’s Economic & Community Development Committee, effectively communicating TAC’s strong connection to the arts community, leadership in equity and inclusion and the impact of our work and ability to respond to the challenges faced by Toronto’s artists and arts organizations. 

• Welcomed incoming board members Councillor Alejandra Bravo and Sally Lee and thanked outgoing member Ana Serrano.  

For Toronto Arts Foundation: 

• Recognized and celebrated the achievements of outstanding artists and arts organizations through our various awards, distributed throughout the year. A total of $133,000 was distributed to award finalists and recipients.
  • In April we named the recipients of five awards at our annual Mayor’s Arts Lunch: Nia Centre for the Arts received the $20,000 Arts for Youth Award, Oluseye Ogunlesi received the $10,000 Breakthrough Artist Award, R.I.S.E. Edutainment received the $10,000 Community Arts Award, Naomi Johnson received the $10,000 Margo Bindhardt and Rita Davies Award and Joy Lapps received the $10,000 Muriel Sherrin Award.
  • In May we gathered at the City of Toronto’s Newcomer Day to celebrate six newcomer artists: filmmaker Halime Akturk, media artist Faisal Karadsheh, multidisciplinary artist Vladimir Kanic, visual artist Leila Refahi, visual artist Chico Togni and sculpture and installation artist Lana Yuan each received $2,500 as part of our Newcomer Artist Award.
  • Through our Newcomer Space Award: dance artist Irina Lerman, multidisciplinary artist Azadeh Pirazimian, sculpture and installation artist Helio Eudoro Rodriguez Junior, visual artist Chico Togni, visual and community artist Kseniya Tsoy and sculpture and installation artist Lana Yuan each received $500 cash and $2,000 in credit to be used for sharing studio or exhibition space at Akin.
  • In June, Kae Murphy was named the recipient of the $10,000 Emerging Jazz Artist Award.
  • In October Sandra Laronde received our $20,000 Indigenous Artist Award and named Kehew Buffalo as the recipient of the $5,000 mentee prize.  

• Continued to connect artists with industry professionals through our Mentor in Residence program, managed by our Neighbourhood Arts Network. In total, we worked with 17 multi-disciplinary mentors who contributed over 160 mentorship hours, providing support to 145 mentees. 

• ArtWorksTO, another program managed by our Neighbourhood Arts Network in partnership with the City of Toronto, OCAD U and The Remix Project, provided opportunities for 12 youth media artists who are Indigenous, Black and People of Colour and/or 2SLGBTQ+ to gain professional experience, skills and network in the media arts industry. $48,000 in industry contracts were awarded to the cohort. 

• Arts in the Parks continued to engage audiences with free, accessible, high-caliber art of all kinds throughout the summer and fall months. A total of 847 artists brought 267 events to 36 parks across the city, bringing together approximately 69,450 audience members through unique and memorable arts experiences. 

• Arts board volunteers continued to gather and learn effective governance practices through our Creative Champions Network workshops. A total of 5 workshop sessions took place throughout the year, inspiring 188 arts champions to serve their arts organizations better and more effectively.  

• Gathered with 80 artists, policy makers and arts workers through our two-day Emergence symposium this spring. Through 23 workshops, panels and sessions we dug into the importance of creative exploration and play for the well-being of artists and audiences and focused on the potential of the arts to inspire and support climate action. 

• In November, our Mayor’s Evening for the Arts raised over $950,000 to support our initiatives. Building on the momentum of this great turnout, real estate development firm Castlepoint Numa stepped forward with a challenge to help us reach our $1M goal, committing to match all gifts up to 25K until December 31, 2023. 

• Welcomed incoming board member Sage Paul and thanked outgoing member Terry Nicholson. 

Internally, we:  

• Restructured the organizations following a two-day staff retreat in the summer, with expanded or changed roles for many, to improve efficiency and impact. We are excited to approach our work with renewed energy and strategic alignment 

• Celebrated Kadija De Paula and Andrew Suri as they transitioned into new roles within the organizations 

• Bid farewell to Susan Wright, Deputy Director, after 24 outstanding years of service and championship 

• Welcomed four new members our teams, including Selina McCallum, Clau Souza, and two new members of our leadership cohort, Dane Bland and Rupal Shah. 

 
2023 was filled with great accomplishments, but my colleagues and I at Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation are committed to doing even better in the coming years.  

2024 marks the 50^th anniversary of TAC. As we look back on what we’ve built over the years, we’re looking forward and envisioning a Toronto that fully embraces, supports and celebrates its artists as integral to building the city and world we want and need.  

Thank you for your amazing support to date, and we’ll see you in the new year. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season! 

Best,  

Kelly Langgard,  

Director & CEO 

Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation