NEWS & UPDATES We are Hiring! 21st June, 2011 CommUnity Arts Space is facing a difficult task in finding a replacement to Britta Martini-Miles who has been the driving force behind the organization for almost 5 years. Britta has accepted a new challenge in the business world and our Board of Directors wishes her all the best in that endeavour. Her dedication and drive will be missed, and we take this opportunity to thank her on behalf of the Oakville arts community for her relentless and successful lobbying toward the dedicated arts space that will be a creative hub within Oakville's Queen Elizabeth Park Community Centre; when doors open in 2012. This new facility is being built by the Town of Oakville to be a welcoming, vibrant and dynamic public space intended to inspire and develop active living and cultural and artistic interests. CommUnity Arts Space and the Oakville Arts Council have been working closely for the past year and are now committed to merge their operations and resources with the goal to help the various local groups, representing the broader arts and culture community, in building their capacity under a strong and united voice. Therefore, we will be hiring a "Membership & Development Director" (click on link below to see posting). Britta will be involved in the selection process with her colleague Megan Whittington, the Executive Director of the Oakville Arts Council, to find the best possible candidate for this new position. If you are interested in the exciting challenges ahead for the Oakville Arts Community, have the passion, drive, knowledge and experience to help the local arts groups, we encourage you to consider and apply for this position by the June 30th, 2011 deadline. CUAS and OAC join forces 17th June, 2011 Two arts-based organizations that have, at times, been at odds with each other are merging. It was announced this week that two of Oakville’s leading arts umbrella organizations, CommUnity Arts Space (CUAS) and the Oakville Arts Council (OAC), are uniting. “It is gratifying and exciting to see the integration of our two dedicated and passionate arts organizations who have individually worked so hard to benefit the artists, arts groups and residents of Oakville,” said Victoria Behune, president of OAC, in a press release. “Together, we can ensure we are able to help all of our members accomplish their goals while also helping to make Oakville a culturally vibrant community.” According to the release there were months of negotiations, after consultations were done with local arts groups in May of 2010. The full merger is expected to be accomplished in October 2012. However, the two entities are already pooling resources and manpower, where appropriate. Each organization will maintain separate board structures and identities for the duration of their respective Ontario Trillium Foundation grants. Until then, the boards of both organizations will be separate, but will include members of the other organization. CUAS board members Bill Smith, Jean Gandubert, Alex Bystrin and Kevin September join the OAC board and Danielle Simpson and Stacey Sinclair from the OAC will take positions on the CUAS board. Resources will be pooled where appropriate and communication from the organizations will be integrated. “The CUAS board looks forward to working closely with the OAC as we move towards the eventual merger in October 2012,” said Bill Smith, CUAS president. “We wish to thank both Britta Martini-Miles and Megan Whittington for their hard work in finalizing the arrangements. Having a unified voice will benefit all arts groups in Oakville by assisting them to grow and prosper.” “Thanks to the tremendous support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, our members' desire for a united arts sector and the dedication and diligence of both the OAC and CUAS boards of directors, we have been able to align resources and continue the valuable work of building artistic capacity and strengthening community engagement in arts,” said Megan Whittington, executive director of the OAC. The blended organizations will support the Town in the successful development of Queen Elizabeth Park Community Centre to meet space and artistic needs of local arts and cultural groups, assist in capacity building and continue the programming and membership services currently offered by the OAC. In addition, they will coordinate and grow the annual For the Love of the Arts festival. “The merger will help focus the talents and energies of both organizations on the things that really matter: providing support and leadership to members,” said Britta MartiniMiles, Executive director for CUAS. “This is a great opportunity to better understand what our community needs from their leadership organization and with the Town preparing to open Queen Elizabeth Park, a multi-purpose community centre with 56,000 square feet in arts space for Oakville, the timing is perfect.” Article from the Oakville Beaver, June 17th 2011 Arts Leadership strengthened through unity 1st May, 2011 We are pleased to announce that, after months of negotiations and revised proposals, the Oakville Arts Council (OAC), in collaboration with CommUnity Arts Space (CUAS), have expressed a joint intention to align OAC and CUAS resources related to our respective Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) grants to support the Town of Oakville in capacity building at Queen Elizabeth Park Community Centre (QEP). Our goals include: 1. to align CUAS and OAC's organizational resources to support the Town in the successful development of QEP to meet space and artistic needs of art and cultural groups. 2. to pledge resources towards building capacity and success of QEP to support the groups' interests whilst being supportive of the overall vitality of the facility. This Memorandum of Understanding is the beginning of a united arts leadership, so that our joined and complementary resources can better support the growth of the arts sector in Oakville. We are thrilled to bring you this announcement today, as it clearly demonstrates the work of two groups coming together on your behalf to strengthen the arts sector in Oakville. For more than 30 years, the OAC has been your arts advocate, promoting the welfare of arts in Oakville for all arts disciplines, ensuring that our community remains vibrant and diverse. For the past seven years, CUAS has been working to further the support and advocacy for a physical space for the community with specific provisions for arts and music groups. Today, we are stronger as a united voice supporting the not-for-profit arts groups’ interests at QEP. Through the generous funding of the OTF we are able to: 1. Enhance organizational capacity through the development and implementation of a new membership model designed to increase the number of participants, creators and consumers of arts and culture in Oakville. (OAC OTF grant) 2. Support partner groups in the development of a shared grassroots-based cultural community hub in Oakville, a facility that is vibrant, diverse, creative and accessible to a range of arts and cultural groups in the community. (CUAS OTF grant) So what are next steps? 1. The Memorandum of Understanding will be signed on May 12th and posted on the Oakville Arts Council website the next day. 2. Throughout the Summer/Fall, we will be holding various stakeholder consultations, researching best practices, and developing a new membership strategy (based on your needs and feedback). The first stakeholder consultation is with our not-for-profit arts groups and will be held on Sunday, June 5th from 2 – 4 p.m. here in the auditorium of the Oakville Public Library (120 Navy Street). Refreshments will be served. If you are a representative of an arts and cultural group, please click here to register! We sincerely thank you for your continued support of the arts in Oakville. As always, we encourage feedback and support. On behalf of the Oakville Arts Council & CommUnity Arts Space. http://www.oakvillearts.com/Default.aspx?pageId=911967&eventId=318489&EventView Mode=EventDetails CUAS receives another 2-year Trillium grant 27th November, 2010 The organization co-ordinating the wishes of local arts groups for the construction of a new cultural and community centre says a grant it recently received is a benefit to all the groups it represents. Oakville-based CommUnity Arts Space (CUAS) held a reception ceremony for the twoyear, $130,000 grant it received from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) at the Oakville Galleries in Gairloch Gardens Friday, Dec. 10. CUAS is supporting local cultural groups by co-ordinating an effort for the construction of the soon-to-be-opened Queen Elizabeth Park cultural and community centre. In attendance at the reception were members of the various arts groups, with musical entertainment by the local band High Rendition Jazz, comprised of high school students, packed into a room. “The reason we are here today is to acknowledge the grant that the Ontario Trillium Foundation has offered to the community of Oakville. Lots of you have accompanied this topic for many, many years,” said Britta Martini-Miles, CUAS executive director, to the group. She said the location for the reception was chosen for two reasons: one to show the beauty available in Oakville, in this case a venue sitting in a garden on the shore of Lake Ontario; and the other to show the need for a venue by packing a small room with the many people interested in the arts. Martini-Miles thanked Town Council for providing the $28 million space to the community, and Trillium for funding the co-ordination of the various arts groups over the years. However she said there is still much work to be done if the new centre will become the community hub that many hope it will become. The Province collects the funding for the Trillium Foundation, but the grants are administered by a separate body, comprised mostly of volunteers. “This time I think you (Trillium) hit a home run because the need for this venue in our community is tremendous,” said Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn. He said the creation of such a space in the community is an important issue, even for himself who is not a performer or an artist. “I come from a very musical family myself and I’m completely talentless, but I make a fantastic audience so I certainly have an appreciation for arts and music,” he said. He said the QEP centre has been a dream for a long time and is nearing its realization. “It’s my pleasure here today to announce the grant, but to congratulate the Trillium Foundation for making what I think is an excellent decision. It’s going to mean a lot to our community.” The executive director of the Oakville Arts Council, Megan Whittington, thanked the various groups involved in helping to establish the new centre. “We have a really exciting journey ahead. It’s been an interesting journey so far and I’m wishing us all the best in getting to where we need to be for this community,” she said. Presenting the actual grant was Bill Allison, an Oakville resident and a volunteer with OTF. He said this was one of some 1,500 grants being handed out this year in Ontario to non-profit groups, which range in the types of work they do, including the arts. “The arts add to the life and vitality of any community and Oakville is certainly no exception. It has a thriving arts scene and a forward thinking one as well, developing new ways of engaging arts, artists and art groups with creative collaborations,” he said. “Each grant we make is done with the idea that in the end our grantees will have made their community healthier and a more vibrant place as a result.” The grant money will be used to pay for two part-time positions, help provide professional educational support from outside of the community and more. QEP is expected to open in the fall of 2011. The 144,000 sq. ft. facility is the renovated former QEP High School and will feature both a community centre and space dedicated to arts and culture. Article from the Oakville Beaver, December 17, 2010 QEP – [queue] Notes 14th April, 2010 What’s happening? Be in the loop. Click here for Q - [queue] Notes Second Edition April 14, 2010 Click here for Q - [queue] Notes First Edition December 2009 pdf download QE Park Planning Continues 18th January, 2010 Potential user groups, local residents, and the community were invited to attend an Open House Public Information Meeting on February 4, 2010 where the latest space renderings were displayed. Operations Consultants, Ginder Consulting and Claire Tucker- Reid, contracted by the Town of Oakville, will be contacting various community groups throughout February for information on their current and future scheduling, programming, and rental rate requirements. Initially, focus group meetings are scheduled with the various arts and cultural disciplines. This will be followed by a survey to ensure all of the groups' information is captured. CUAS has already provided the consultants with comprehensive data compiled over the past two years. The final report is expected in June. QE Park Community Centre Breaks Ground 20th September, 2009 Oakville Beaver Article with quotes from our Executive Director, Britta Martini-Miles Council approves Shared CommUnity Centre for 2011 20th April, 2009 After the Committee as a Whole with 7 of 12 councillors present, endorsed option 3 for the re-purposing of the fomer Queen Elizabeth Park high school as a shared community centre for arts, cultural and other recreational purposes, Council officially ratified the preliminary design for Option 3 on Monday, April 20th, 2009. With Council's approval in hand, more detailled design concepts will now be developed to ensure that the community centre suits the requirements of Oakville's citizens and community groups. For more detail click on following link: From Opportunity a Possibility to Reality 16th April, 2009 On April 15, in front of a packed audience in Council Chambers, the Committee as a Whole, with 7 of 12 councillors present, endorsed the plan to maintain the former Queen Elizabeth high school in Bronte in its entirety of 140,000 sq. ft to develop a shared community centre within the facility. Community representatives of Oakville’s arts and cultural groups and many non-affiliated members of the public cheered as councillors unanimously voted in favour of renovations and upgrades to the former school building to comply with modern efficiency and safety requirements but to otherwise keep internal renovations basic and future rentals low. The aim is to give numerous Oakville community groups ready access to multi-purpose rooms and some specialized spaces, such as a small theatre and rehearsal rooms, three-dimensional art and studio spaces, and others, to allow the groups to offer affordable programming to Oakvillians of all ages in one contained space. The centre will also provide physical recreational spaces such as a pool, gyms, in addition to a café and meeting place, offices, senior and youth lounge and storage for the Town. Once the plan is formally ratified by Council on April 20th, staff will be given directives to engage the architectural consultants, community groups, and public, to plan the spaces in more detail. Parking, maintenance of outdoor spaces, outdoor lighting and operational issues will also be studied and discussed. It has been a long time coming since Community Arts Space (CUAS), formerly known as Music and Art Shared Space (M.A.S.S.), first started appealing to the Town of Oakville in 2002 to address the needs for a physical meeting and work space of some 40 local music, arts, and crafts organizations. The groups engage individually in a variety of classes and programmes with low membership and programme fees to make their discipline accessible to a wide array of Oakvillians, enriching the life of participating individuals and Oakville in general. The groups lack a joint physical space to rehearse, practice, teach, create and display, to coordinate their programming, events and memberships, and are thus limited in their access and growth. This is where the former QE Park School comes into play. QEP, a 140, 000 sq ft 1970s school close to Third Line, was purchased by the Town of Oakville in 2004 and has since been used for aquatics and recreational programmes with about 2/3 of the building under lock and key due to disrepair and uncertain future purpose. Council received plans for the partial or full demolition of the building and new construction of an approx. 60,000 sq. ft sport centre with a 3000 sq ft allocation to arts and culture for approximately $33 million. Provided with detailed studies, surveys, research and appeals, the Town came to recognize the significant space needs and civic value of the local arts and cultural community, and engaged community groups and the general public in discussions about a changed design for a complete yet low-cost renovation. This “Option 3”, priced by architects at about $24 Million, retains the entire 140,000 sq ft. facility to allocate around 55,000 sq. ft to arts, cultural and other community groups alongside the traditional function of a community centre with pool and gyms. This space will host youth and adult orchestras and choirs, painting workshops, individual studio spaces, wood carving and sculpture, ceramics, and fabric arts studio; potentially a glass blowing and metal work studio, jewellery studio, storage facilities for risers and specialized equipment, and of course many multi-purpose rooms. There will be public gallery space displaying local art, a social space and café for visitors, afterschool programmes, and senior activities, with tremendous potential for vocational training and continuing education programmes. The opportunity for Oakville: Low cost - short time frame (doors open in 2011) Apply Province’s stimulus money to the renovation cost Gain a “2 for the price of 1” community centre plus storage for less than the other options Incubator: encourage growth and interconnectivity (youth/seniors/multiple disciplines) Potential Model for future school conversions Creative re-purposing of Public Spaces Wide appeal and community support due to diversity Vocational opportunities/trade implications Educational outreach HDSB/Sheridan College CommUnity Arts Space and its many member groups celebrated last night but are aware that this is the time when the real work begins. “It has been a long labour and now we have to raise this child to maturity”, states Britta Martini-Miles, Executive Director of CUAS. “A refurbished QEP is providing Oakville with an opportunity to create unique partnerships and a space of learning, entertainment and community. It is not the answer to all of Oakville’s needs such as a larger performance space or a professional gallery space, but it is a start. Let’s get to work.”CommUnity Arts Space is grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for financial support of their vision, to Mayor Burton to honour his election promise of making space for the arts, and to the staff and council for recognizing an opportunity, creating a possibility so that a Creative Oakville becomes a reality. ARCHIVED ARTICLES QE Park development options revealed 20th January, 2009 Report in the Oakville Beaver Several members of Oakville's arts and culture community were in attendance on January 13 as the Department of Recreation and Culture presented QE Park development design options to the Community Services Committee. Approval was received to bring these options to local residents and the broader community. Public Information Meeting - Development of Queen Elizabeth Park Community Centre Thursday, February 5, 2009, 7 - 9 p.m. Town Hall, South Atrium 1225 Trafalgar Road CommUnity Arts Space held a follow up meeting on January 15 with stakeholders to further discuss option 3, the preferred design, allocating 54,000 sq. ft. for arts and culture use. An Advisory Committee was also launched to work with CUAS and Town Staff regarding space allocation, specialized upgrades, operations, and programming. Contact us if you would like to be involved in the Advisory Committee or be kept informed on CUAS meetings. Re-purposing of QE Park - Rally for Support 7th November, 2008 Oakville Beaver Report Britta Martini-Miles thanks Mayor Burton for his support at CommUnity Arts Space Reception Gifts to the Mayor: "A peanut" - A reminder of how little the Town has spent on local arts and culture in the past 15 years - this peanut is also an eraser: empowering Mayor Burton to erase this unfortunate past and support the arts better in the future. Photo: Britta Martini-Miles thanks Mayor Burton for his support of the QE Park project. Photo courtesy of Michael Ivanin/Special to the Oakville Beaver CUAS hosted a reception to secure support for the proposed re-purposing of QE Park High School as Oakville's first creative community centre: a multi-purpose community centre with special provisions for Oakville's many arts, musical, literary and cultural groups. Representatives from partner organizations, key supporters, town staff, and council were invited to Towne Square Gallery on November 6th, 2008 for the screening of a short film on the project directed by local filmmaker Bob Fleck, which voices the need for a physical space for arts and culture in Oakville. Guests were then able to network and enjoy exquisite appetizers by The Painted Elephant, and discuss the potential QE Park offers as a first re-purposed creative and social space for Oakville. CUAS' Executive Director, Britta Martini-Miles, restated the urgent need for a shared work space, within easy access to the community, without frills but with special provisions for the local guilds and groups to allow them to further develop their artistic skills and to offer affordable programmes to Oakvillians of all ages and backgrounds. She urged council to engage the community in a practical approach of "need matching" to ensure that the centre serves a range of community groups with compatible needs, minimizes expenditure to keep rents low, and allows access by 2010. CommUnity Arts Space, representing a multitude of local arts, literary, musical and cultural groups, also committed to Council that they would be available to partner with the Town in the process of re-purposing QE Park. Mayor Burton, Kevin Flynn M.P.P, and Town Council were in attendance including; Keith Bird, Mary Chapin, Allan Elgar, Alan Johnson, Roger Lapworth, Fred Oliver, and Ralph Robinson. CommUnity Arts Space wishes to thank the following for contributing to the success of this event: Bob Fleck Creative Fairfield Inn by Marriott Oakville Audio Oakville Today Regazzi Wines & Spirits Selection Inc. Robert Patterson Teresa Biagi-Gomez The Painted Elephant Towne Square Gallery QE Park Potential 29th August, 2008 Wednesday, August 27th was a great day: 60 + representatives of local arts, music, and other CommUnity groups came to QE Park school to share information on their space needs for teaching, rehearsing, performing, meeting, interacting, displaying…. The Mayor welcomed the groups, stating that he just received an additional $7.4 Mill from the Province to address urgent capital needs within Oakville; the community project at QE Park "could well be the target for these extra funds" he continued… Architects made detailed notes of space, storage, meeting and other needs such as parking, access, ventilation etc. to provide the basis for a preliminary space plan A public consultation is planned for late September/early October Decision-making within council, which the Mayor described as strongly supportive of the idea to put QE Park to good use such as the CommUnity Work Space, is expected within the month of November Detailed design phase anticipated for 2009 Here is what you can do now: o o o Send your space requirements to us at CommUnity Arts Space (CUAS) so that it can be added to the many already completed by other groups to work out compatible and divergent space needs. Contact us for a template to assist you. Support Mayor Burton in his expressed vision for a Creative Oakville, email or write to him (Mayor@oakville.ca), better yet WRITE a letter of support for QE Park as a CommUNity Work space to the Mayor at Corporation of the Town of Oakville, P.O. Box 310, 1225 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, ON L6J 5A6. Each letter makes a HUGE difference. Support this idea, raise awareness amongst other groups and general public: write to the local papers, write to your ward councilors to get wide-spread support for the Mayor's vision and a first home for A Creative Oakville soon. For Culture lives here - now it needs a Home... Report in the Oakville Beaver For the Love of the Arts Festival 1st May, 2008 Oakville Today original article CommUnity Arts Space is gearing up for its 4th Annual For the Love of the Arts Festival and is pulling out all the stops. Particularly exciting is the announcement that the fledgling organization has attracted the patronage of Canadian tenor Michael Schade. Schade, who was born in Geneva but now calls Oakville home, is in demand all over the world, performing recitals, operas and concerts as well as studio recordings. His recording of Daphne (Decca) with Renée Fleming was nominated for a Grammy in 2005 and his recording of St. Matthew Passion (Teldec), conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt won the 2002 GRAMMY for Best Choral Performance. In January 2007, he was named a Kammersänger by the Austrian government, the first Canadian to be so honoured. Originally bestowed by the royal courts, the title "Kammersänger", or chamber singer, is awarded to distinguished singers who have made a significant career in Austria. Britta Martini-Miles, Executive Director of CommUnity Arts Space, is very excited to have the dynamic, world-renowned artist actively support the quest for a new arts and culture centre. Jokingly citing her “great charm and perseverance” as the drivers to get Schade on board, Martini-Miles credits Oakville Suzuki for the opportunity, as Schade has appeared in concert here with Suzuki and during fund-raising events for the new Oakville hospital. The first For The Love of the Arts festival was held at Town Hall, in February 2005, with participation from a core of Oakville artists, artisans and groups, attracting 800 visitors. The festival has grown each successive year, to include more artists, more groups and attracting even more visitors, making it one of Oakville’s ‘must do’ events of the year. Annually supported by local businesses and corporations, this year’s sponsors include: Oakville Today In Oakville Laser Networks Budd’s Mini Oakville Legend Creek Moonshine Café Kerr Street BIA “We couldn’t do any of this without their generous and unfailing support,” says Martini- Miles. “I can’t thank them enough for making community building and Building for Community a reality in Oakville.” CommUnity Arts Space has also received provincial support through grants from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. CommUnity Arts Space is currently accepting applications from performers and artisans to participate in the June 14th event. “Booth spaces are going quickly so I urge people to contact us quickly in order to reserve a location.” Contact www.communityartsspace.ca to book your spot and to learn more about the festival and CommUnity Arts Space. Currently, registered groups include Artworks, Balletomane, BurlOak Theatre Group, Emma Smith, Halton Youth Symphony, Intrada Brass, Klaudia's Music Studio, Masterworks, Mona Pykala, Oakville Galleries, Oakville Suzuki Flute Orchestra, Oakville Suzuki Orchestra, Painted Elephant, Sarah Wilson, Stephanie Flynn Designs, Sculptors & Woodcarvers Guild and World of Threads. The For the Love of the Arts Festival takes place Saturday, June 14, from 11 am to 6pm at White Oaks Secondary School, located at 1330 Montclair Drive in North Oakville. Michael Schade new Patron of CommUnity Arts Space 3rd April, 2008 Michael Schade's voice has been hailed as ringing, exceptionally elegant, silken, translucent, sensuously ethereal, glorious, and dynamic. The Mozart tenor of choice on international stages in Europe and North America, he is equally at home in New York, Vienna, Paris, Los Angeles, Toronto, Salzburg, Dresden, Tokyo and London. His passion for his artform embraces recitals, operas, concerts and recordings. In January 2007, Michael was named a Kammersänger by the Austrian government, the first Canadian to be so honoured. Originally bestowed by the royal courts, the title "Kammersänger", or chamber singer, is awarded to distinguished singers who have made a significant career in Austria. We are honoured to have a singer of such significance and acclaim support us in our endeavour and give young aspiring musicians something to aspire to...maybe "made in Oakville"... For more details see www.MSchade.com MASS returns as CommUnity Arts Space 8th February, 2008 The Oakville Beaver Music and Art Shared Space (MASS) is back - but with a new name and revised mandate. Now known as CommUnity Arts Space, the volunteer organization is still working towards the goal under its former name of having an arts centre built in Oakville. But that vision has expanded, according to executive director Britta Martini-Miles. CommUnity Arts Space has emerged with a refined mandate and broader support base to further their support and advocacy for a physical space for the community with specific provisions for arts and music groups. "We are excited to re-launch as CommUnity Arts Space. The name change is a reflection of what we have heard from the community," said Martini-Miles. "We have talked to so many groups and people and what we have heard is the overwhelming need and desire for a centre in Oakville that embraces all aspects of the creative and cultural community." The group was formed in response to the challenge faced by arts, music and craft groups in finding appropriate space to rehearse and perform. Through research and surveys the idea of a shared space emerged. The group is working for the inclusion of designated rooms for individual lessons, rehearsal space for large choirs and orchestras, built with sound proofing and according to acoustic needs of music groups, special flooring for dance, and ideal lighting for the display of paintings and photography, storage facilities and equipment rooms. The interested groups reached consensus on a vision for a facility which would attract and accommodate the creative and artistic communities of the Town. The building would bring about a cross-pollination of varied disciplines and interests which would catalyze the growth of the creative energies of the community. The Board of Directors of CommUnity Arts Space and Martini-Miles, have successfully revised its specialized mandate emphasizing the critical need for a physical arts space in Oakville. This refined mandate has been endorsed by the Oakville Arts Council and is supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. "The Ontario Trillium Foundation will continue to support the organization financially for a further two years so that the group may build expertise on the existing communal space needs, and advocate for the building of a new cultural community centre," said Chris Stoate, CommUnity Arts Space Board Chair. "Such a facility could initially also be used by other community groups: youth programs, senior citizens programs, literacy groups, private and corporate rentals, linkage to schools (music/art/cultural diversity) and afterschool programs, so as to help with its financial viability." As the Town of Oakville has commissioned a cultural review by an external consultancy, any Town funding for new facilities is on hold until results are in. To fundraise for the future building, CommUnity Arts Space invites the local arts community to contact the group to indicate their interest in participating in the group's fourth annual Community Arts Festival in early June. Having presented the first festival near Valentine's Day, this event has previously been called "For The Love Of The Arts" and has been held at Oakville's Town Hall on Trafalgar Road. However, the date and location of the festival will change this year. Any local groups, individuals and arts-based businesses, eager to showcase their talent, to promote cultural and artistic interaction, and to help fundraise for a space for the arts, should contact Martini-Miles at britta_martinimiles@hotmail.com. Include in the email a preferred date of the following options: June 7 or June 14. For more information, contact Martini-Miles at 905-815-0551. New Managing Director hopes to help make MASS 23rd March, 2007 Music and Art Shared Space (MASS) started as a dream. And if you ask the local group's new managing director, that dream is on its way to becoming a reality. "It's now about implementing the dream, it's about shaping it," said MASS' newly-installed Britta Martini-Miles. "I'm very excited. I mean, how could you not be? It's a wonderful thing to be working on." The mother of three joins MASS as its managing director after working with the Suzuki Music Association since moving from South Africa a year ago. MASS' goal is to create a centre for the arts for the many cultural and artistic groups struggling to find performance, practice and display space in Oakville. So far, the group has been given a Trillium grant to create its game plan - a business and feasibility study. They're now looking for a place to create the facility, and have been talking with Sheridan College about the possibility of MASS' dream facility being built there, Martini-Miles said. "I think to put a centre at Sheridan would make a lot of sense - it's a win-win. It’s prime location for us, the Town Hall is right there, so it would tie everything together very nicely, and Sheridan would benefit from having it right there." MASS is also working with the Town, which Martini-Miles says has been supportive. "They have given us a strong endorsement that they want to support us for this." MASS has also received support from the Oakville Arts Council and the Community Foundation of Oakville as well as from other private individuals and companies. Martini-Miles emphasizes the project MASS has in mind is by no means small in scale. "It's not well-intended and well-meaning artsy folk that got together to build themselves a little clubhouse," she said. "This is broad-based, we're building a facility for everyone." A facility not only to show talent, Martini-Miles says, but also to cultivate it. "This is how you create and maintain talent. It's important that you have a centre somewhere. Co-existence of different cultural groups, craft groups, music groups - that's how you create a community. That's how you create a hub." Neighboring communities like Brampton and Mississauga, the managing director noted, already have such a facility. "We do have to have it. There is definitely a sense that Oakville is due." Resource development, fundraising and looking at possible options are all in MASS' game plan now. Its board has been restructured to reflect all groups and interests necessary after Susan Obermeyer, MASS' former executive director, stepped down to devote more time to her family. MASS will also be renamed and will develop a new logo soon to reflect these changes. "Up until recently it really was a volunteer-driven concern," said Martini-Miles. "That is not how you build buildings. This project is enormous." Don Pangman is the board's new resource development officer. "He's building a really huge support network from both private and corporate sectors," said Martini-Miles. "It's not going to be the one building that's going to fix it all. That's impossible," she added. "But Oakville has been starved in this area for a number of years and it's time to get to work on addressing some of those needs." MASS plans to launch its fundraising campaign in the fall, and hopes to have the building open by the fall of 2009.