Calgary Arts Development is pleased to release its annual Report to Community for 2008 and to welcome several new board members and the appointment of a new Board Chair.

Titled From Vision to Impact, the report outlines key achievements and activities carried out by the organization in 2008. Calgary Arts Development’s 2008 report to community also provides details on our strategic plan for 2009-11, information on 2008 investments in Calgary’s arts sector and profiles on each of the arts organizations supported by Calgary Arts Development in 2008. The full report is available here. 

Joining Calgary Arts Development’s board of directors are: D’Arcy Levesque, Vice-President, Public, Government and Aboriginal Affairs at Enbridge; Hannah Stilwell, co-founder of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks now a performer, teacher and choreographer who works in digital marketing; and Meg van Rosendaal, former general manager of the Olympic Plaza Cultural District. 

Founding Board Chair Mary Rozsa de Coquet, a well-known arts philanthropist and head of the Rozsa Foundation, will be retiring from the Board after several years of service and tremendous dedication to the organization. Peter Boyd, the President & CEO of Arcis, will be stepping into the role of Board Chair. Peter has deep roots in the arts community through his long-time corporate support of many local arts organizations, and he is also a member of the Canadian Art Foundation’s National Advisory Board.  

Calgary Arts Development's 2008 activities included:

• Successful hosting of the Juno Awards in Calgary, Canada’s top music awards celebration. An estimated 100,000 people participated in the month-long, city-wide celebration of local and Canadian music leading up to the Juno Awards, and the national media spotlight and economic impact of the event ($11.3 million benefitting Calgary and Alberta) underlined this success.

• Calgary City Council increased its investment in Calgary Arts Development, strengthening our impact in the community over the next three years (2009-11) by creating new support for arts organizations, festivals and strategic initiatives including $3.75 million in direct grants to Calgary artists and arts organizations, strategic marketing of the arts sector and the implementation of long-term strategies to support art spaces.

• An innovative new granting program focused on public and artistic impact has been developed to support Calgary’s non-profit arts sector and ensure maximum returns on municipal investment in the arts.

• Much progress was made on the implementation of our Art Spaces Strategy and Capital Plan, presented in 2007. The launch of a new Arts Space Investment Process brought forward 16 projects that together present a compelling vision for the future of Calgary as a leading cultural destination. We are now positioned to help Calgary move into an extended build out of new arts spaces that will add to Calgary’s reputation as an exciting and dynamic contributor to Canada’s cultural landscape.

Click here to read Calgary Arts Development's 2008 Report to Community.

Click here to read Calgary Arts Development's 2008 Finanical Report