Toronto Arts Council welcomed incoming Directors Ayo Leilani (Etmet Musa) and Ana Serrano. Ayo Leilani is the Co-Founder and Director of Toronto based music and multi media collective/ label 88 Days Of Fortune, a member of feminist based electro dub hop group, Above Top Secret (fka Abstract Random) and a solo artist under the name Witch Prophet. She is serving as the co-chair of TAC’s Music Committee. Ana Serrano is the Chief Digital Officer of the Canadian Film Center and Founder of CFC Media Lab, the world-renowned and award-winning institute for interactive storytelling created in 1997, and joins the board as an At-Large appointment.

On reflecting on TAC’s mandate to provide funding to Toronto’s artists on behalf of the City of Toronto, Board Chair Susan Crocker noted that “this is a position of tremendous responsibility and trust. Our accountability to the city is far more than financial; our effectiveness is based on a  deep respect for the artists, arts organizations, and residents of the city.” Crocker thanked outgoing Board Member Devon Ostrom, and the rest of the board for being active, passionate participants in TAC’s work. “There’s a lot to be proud of and a lot to reflect upon as we work to achieve our 2025 Strategic Plan” she said.

Board President Nova Bhattacharya extended her thanks to the board of directors, committee members, and staff, led by Director & CEO Claire Hopkinson. She pointed out that in the last year alone, board and committee members had dedicated 25,000 hours to adjudicate a total of 2,461 applications. “The work we do has impact.” To view the full list of Toronto Arts Council’s 2016 Board of Directors, click here.

Kathleen Sharpe, Chair of Toronto Arts Foundation, echoed Crocker’s remarks by stating that “respect for artists underpins everything we do at the Foundation.” Sharpe thanked donors, sponsors, and board members for their financial contributions to the organization, and highlighted the success of the Mayor’s Evening for the Arts, Arts in the Parks, and the Creative Champions Network in 2016.

Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation also unveiled their 2016 Annual Reports, documents that highlight the incredible growth and impact of the two sister organizations over the last year.

To view the Toronto Arts Council’s Annual Report, click here.

To view the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Annual Report, click here.