Richmond Hill Arts & Culture Deserves Funding
Donation protected
It is difficult for Artists to take the time and expense to stand up against the Government who in Richmond Hill on Feb 12th CANCELLED Arts and Culture funding.
This Campaign is to support Artists who have to take a day off work or incur any other expense to attend a lengthy Council meeting on Feb 26th and be the NECESSARY voice for the Arts in Richmond Hill.
We are not asking for a lot.
This gesture will not only show us your support but also the Council of Richmond Hill who claims 'no one is calling them to tell them that art matters.'
Let me clarify that this Cultural Grant is for matching funds only which means artists still have to raise the remaining 50% of their budget.
The fact that we are still having (one-sided) discussions about the impact that arts and culture makes in society by the upper echelons of policy makers, may provide a reason why there is such low engagement with the arts in regional areas such as Richmond Hill.
The fact is that the federal and provincial arts councils have declared ‘regional artists’ a priority group because of this very attitude, lack of support and resources from Richmond Hill-esque communities.
These Richmond Hill Councillors are the very people who will go home listening to music (created by an artist), watch Netflix (created by an artist), read a book (created by an artist), take off their designer shoes and jewellery (created by an artist) yet not support the creation of art in their own community.
So back to the dark ages we regress where artists are second rate citizens who should’ve known better than to be artists and where roads and sewers reign supreme.
Do you think that people move to communities and start families and businesses because of the roads and sewer systems?
People are attracted to vibrant communities that offer a well rounded lifestyle and mix of activities, programs and experiences which are often CREATIVE in nature.
The fact is they’re hypocrites who want to cancel arts funding, instead spending on the increase of their salaries.
Greg Beros is the instigator of the irony as he sits as THE CHAIR of the Richmond Hill Public Library board - an institution filled with the works of artists.
I’d like to suggest that other than Beros resigning immediately for the greater good of society, that the Councillors, Mayor included, raise the rest of the funds themselves to top up their salaries which would only be 10% or so, not the unrealistic 50% they’re asking artists to produce.
I highly doubt the Councillors even read a single artistic proposal. If they had, they’d be thanking artists for selecting their community to enhance the attraction and liveability of their village-turned-city-yet-still-stuck-in-village-mode-‘city’.
Let me conclude by thanking the Village-mentality of Richmond Hill for provoking me to NOT pursue my arts practice here but rather my arts advocacy and activism.
I guess that meeting was inspiring after all.
This Campaign is to support Artists who have to take a day off work or incur any other expense to attend a lengthy Council meeting on Feb 26th and be the NECESSARY voice for the Arts in Richmond Hill.
We are not asking for a lot.
This gesture will not only show us your support but also the Council of Richmond Hill who claims 'no one is calling them to tell them that art matters.'
Let me clarify that this Cultural Grant is for matching funds only which means artists still have to raise the remaining 50% of their budget.
The fact that we are still having (one-sided) discussions about the impact that arts and culture makes in society by the upper echelons of policy makers, may provide a reason why there is such low engagement with the arts in regional areas such as Richmond Hill.
The fact is that the federal and provincial arts councils have declared ‘regional artists’ a priority group because of this very attitude, lack of support and resources from Richmond Hill-esque communities.
These Richmond Hill Councillors are the very people who will go home listening to music (created by an artist), watch Netflix (created by an artist), read a book (created by an artist), take off their designer shoes and jewellery (created by an artist) yet not support the creation of art in their own community.
So back to the dark ages we regress where artists are second rate citizens who should’ve known better than to be artists and where roads and sewers reign supreme.
Do you think that people move to communities and start families and businesses because of the roads and sewer systems?
People are attracted to vibrant communities that offer a well rounded lifestyle and mix of activities, programs and experiences which are often CREATIVE in nature.
The fact is they’re hypocrites who want to cancel arts funding, instead spending on the increase of their salaries.
Greg Beros is the instigator of the irony as he sits as THE CHAIR of the Richmond Hill Public Library board - an institution filled with the works of artists.
I’d like to suggest that other than Beros resigning immediately for the greater good of society, that the Councillors, Mayor included, raise the rest of the funds themselves to top up their salaries which would only be 10% or so, not the unrealistic 50% they’re asking artists to produce.
I highly doubt the Councillors even read a single artistic proposal. If they had, they’d be thanking artists for selecting their community to enhance the attraction and liveability of their village-turned-city-yet-still-stuck-in-village-mode-‘city’.
Let me conclude by thanking the Village-mentality of Richmond Hill for provoking me to NOT pursue my arts practice here but rather my arts advocacy and activism.
I guess that meeting was inspiring after all.
Organizer
Alex Karolyi
Organizer
