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(Posted 3:30 p.m., Nov. 9)
Annual
ARTini gala raises over $42,000 for arts endowment fund
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
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AOE Arts Council executive director Christine
Tremblay (right) poses with AOE president
Heather Jamieson and ARTinis & Appetizers
MC Stéphane Guertin during Thursday
night's gala. Fred Sherwin/Photo
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Orléans
glitterazi gathered at the Shenkman Arts Centre Thursday
night to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the AOE Arts
Council while raising money for the ARTicipate Endowment
Fund in support of local artists.
Over
350 business leaders, artists and politicians filled the
lower lobby of the arts centre for the 4th Annual ARTinis
& Appetizers Gala, making it the biggest and most successful
to date.
The
guests enjoyed lavish food provided by local caterers
such as Passion et Cuisine, Epicuria, Grenfell Catering,
Top of the Hill Bakery, and Bowich Best Organic Sandwich,
while being entertained by MC Stéphane Guertin,
The Pollcats Jazz Ensemble, fiddler Natalie Harrison and
Dominic D'Arcy.
Patrice
Moh-Elloh, executive chef at the French Embassy, was also
on hand to serve up some magic.
The
ARTicipate Endowment Fund was established in 2006 using
funds provided by the Ontario provincial government and
the Shenkman Foundation. Over the years other donors have
stepped forward, and together with monies raised through
the ARTinis & Appetizers Gala, the fund has a balance
of over $4.7 million.
Interest
revenue generated by the fund is used to help support
local artists, In 2001, more than $64,000 was dispersed
to a variety of local performing artists and arts groups.
This
year's event was presided over for the final time by AOE's
founding executive director Christine Tremblay who is
stepping down after more than 25 years at the helm.
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ARTinis & Appetizers MC Stéphane
Guertin takes guest Jen Messer for a twirl
during a musical interlude at the annual gala
Thursday night. Fred Sherwin/Photo
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Tremblay
has nurtured, guided and led the east end arts cooperative
since it's inception in 1987 when it was called the Gloucester
Arts Council and operated in the cramped confines of the
Cyrville Community Centre One of the missions the Gloucester
Arts Council took on was to advocate for a community arts
facility in the east end. The effort stalled during amalgamation,
but was quickly taken up again by the council which changed
its name to Arts Ottawa East in 2004.
Tremblay
quietly kept up the pressure on the new city council and
was the driving force behind the creation of an historic
alliance between Arts Ottawa East and the Orléans
francophone cultural group MIFO which finally convinced
the city to build an east end arts facility that eventually
led to the construction of the Shenkman Arts Centre.
Helping
to make the arts centre a reality is one of Tremblay's
proudest accomplishment, but guiding the Gloucester Arts
Council through amalgamation and its eventually metamorphosis
into Arts Ottawa East, and eventually the AOE Arts Council,
will be her most enduring legacy.
"At
the time there was a feeling that we might lose our identity,
but in hindsight it actually made us stronger," says
Tremblay, who stood at the vanguard of the city's arts
community when it's municipal funding came under attack
during the new city's infancy.
Although
Tremblay is stepping down as the AOE's executive director
she is by no means retiring. She is already working on
two initiatives, one is the creation of a city wide endowment
fund similar to ARTicipate, and the other is the creation
of regional arts council networks in the east, south and
northern parts of the province.
"I'm
going to miss a lot of things about the job I'm leaving,
but I'm going to do a lot of new things which is very
exciting," says Tremblay.
The
AOE Arts Council currently has over 85 member arts organizations
and artists, representing over 20,000 individuals.
This
year's ARTinis & Appetizers Gala was once again sponsored
by Place d'Orléans. Gold sponsors included Trinity
Develop.m.ent, Transcontinental Media and Ottawa At Home.
Silver level sponsors included Mr. Gas, Sobeys, Dust Evans
Grandmaitre Lawyers/Avocats, Richcraft Homes, Myers Orléans,
Forum Equity Partners and the Shenkman Family Foundation.
For
more information in the ARTicipate Endowment Fund visit
www.articipate.ca/en.aspx.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)
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THE OTTAWA SCHOOL OF THEATRE presents an all ages production of Treasure Island in the Richcraft Theatre at the Shenkman Arts Centre. Showtimes Thursday, April 18 and Friday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets $20 for adults. Students and youth 25 and under $10. To purchase visit 
TAPROOM 260 presents Michael Ben-Shalom live from 8-11 p.m. at 260 Centrum Blvd. For more information visit 
TAPROOM 260 presents The Underground live from 8-11 p.m. at 260 Centrum Blvd. For more information visit 
CLASSIC PIANO RECITAL – Orléans pianist Emily Hou will be performing works by Chopin, Mozart, Rachmaninov and Liszt at Kanata United Church as part os the Beaverbrook Community Concert Series. The recital will start promptly at 3 p.m. Kanata United Church is located at 33 Leacock Dr. in Kanata. For more information visit 
THE ORLÉANS BREWING CO. Trivia Night from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Call (613) 834-9005 to reserve your spot. The Orléans Brewing Co. is located at 4380 Innes Rd. near the Innes Road McDonalds.
