A Grand Gathering

From Arts in Guelph- May/June, 2004

by Anna Contini

Each spring Community Arts Ontario (CA0) brings together artists from all disciplines, art organizations, community centres and community project organizers from all across the province. This year marks the 13th Annual CAO Conference, taking place in the Waterloo Region May 13 to 16, 2004, and aptly titled A Grand Gathering. The event is being hosted by the Waterloo Regional Arts Council in partnership with the City of Kitchener, the Cambridge Centre for the Arts and the Waterloo Community Arts Centre.

The theme this year is The Importance of Place. Workshops will focus on issues such as local pride and identity, creative cities, local and central issues, Ontario's regions, the mid-sized cities, rural areas, downtowns, neighborhoods, and watersheds. Other conference topics include Art & Technology, The Artists' Workplace and Contemporary Art and the Community.

The conference is an opportunity to explore our sense of community and exchange ideas with people involved with arts in communities throughout Ontario. Participants will be able to discuss ideas about the challenges and opportunities they face, particularly as they relate to funding, technology, community involvement and the environment. There will also be site visits to public art projects and art workplaces. Other features of the conference include a Marketplace enabling organizations to showcase themselves and their communities; a Silent Auction; and plenty of social and networking opportunities.

"Our message is that the sense of community is strong," says Conference Planner Jeff Ferst. "Creativity and art have a place in society and provide the vehicle for expression of the human experience. Through common experiences we can help our members build their sense of worth and importance in what they do for their communities."

For more information about The Grand Gathering CAO Conference, please contact the Waterloo Regional Art Council (519) 744-4552, ext. 3448.