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ArtReach wants to celebrate you- our family, and we need your help to do it! Did ArtReach help you launch your first song? Exhibit your first painting? Shoot your first film or photo? Write your first poem? Secure funding for your project? We want to hear from you about how ArtReach has helped to support, launch, or platform your artistry or organization. We are currently accepting one-minute video submissions from anyone whose life or work has been influenced by ArtReach, and want to hear exactly what it is that makes YOU ArtReach! Video Notes: If using a camera phone videos should be filmed vertically. The beginning of the video should begin or end with with my name is (insert your name) or we are (insert group name) and I Am/We Are ARTREACH! Videos will be featured on our Instagram stories regularly so include your Instagram handle to be tagged Please send in your submission with your name (or group name) and your city (IE. Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, etc) Questions? Need help recording? Ready to submit your video? Email us at info@artreach.org!

This interactive session will explore the basics of preparing a grant application specifically for Black artists. We will breakdown the main components of an application including the proposal, work plan and budget, which you will be able to use to implement your project. Facilitators will share tips on identifying funding resources, building relationships with funders, and writing compelling artist statements that specifically focus around articulating the Black experience through art.  All participants will receive an electronic list of funding opportunities, templates and resources as part of the workshop. Facilitated By: Paulina O’Kieffe-Anthony, ArtReach Kevin Reigh, Toronto Arts Council Anique Jordan, Artist, Curator, Juror Date: Wednesday, September 19th, 2018 Time: Registration begins at 5:30pm, workshop start time is 6:00pm Location: Nia Centre for the Arts, 524 Oakwood Avenue, Toronto Details: This workshop is open to youth (13 to 29 yrs). Space for this workshop is limited so register today! Food and refreshments will be provided. RSVP: HERE NOTE: This workshop will be livestreamed on ArtReach and Nia's Instagram accounts. Tune in at 6:00pm on Wednesday, September 19th to watch!

Another year, another Film Stars photo series!  Funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, this year's exhibit was entitled PERCEPTION. Led and partaken in by an entirely female crew, PERCEPTION was captured by veteran Emily Hill, and coordinated for the first time by Samantha Williams.  Flowing with the #MeToo movement, PERCEPTION redirected beauty standards away from the male gaze and societal norms to a female perspective on an individual basis.  Persons identifying as female from across the GTA and neighbouring cities shared their stories on display at the Georgia Sherman Gallery, a space that has been donated to Film Stars for the last two years, while DJ Money Jane spun for the crowd.  It was girl power all around! Sorry you missed it?  No worries, you can check out the video here. Enjoy! Author: Cassey Andrews

CANVAS co-founders Ayla and Miriam, through their own individual work, recognized there was a gap in the education system that allowed for youth to talk about gender, queer issues, and sexual violence. With both being passionate about using the arts as a medium to address these areas, CANVAS was born. Since 2014, CANVAS has received two ArtReach grants, built an incredible roster, and have run programming on gender identity, sexual orientation, consent, positive relationship building, self-esteem, and violence prevention from an authentically anti-oppressive framework. In 2017, ArtReach funded CANVAS’ Speak On It program, a 12-week spoken word poetry and photography program at The 519 Church Community Centre for LGBTQ2S+ youth, allies, and young people with gender and sexual diversity in their families. Through this program, youth are able to explore the topics closest to their hearts and develop empowering personal narratives through the arts. The project is for youth and led by youth, and provides young people with vital mentorship and support from spectrum-identified artists and community members. In speaking with Londzo, one of the primary facilitators of this year’s program, it's no surprise to hear that Speak On It continues to grow and flourish, particularly with the strengthened partnership between CANVAS and the 519. As Londzo notes, “this partnership was a great opportunity for queer youth to collaborate, have a safe space to talk about their experiences, and look at gender and sexuality. I think it would be a really powerful thing to see it become more regularly ingrained in the 519's programming.” Both youth and community alike have reacted positively to the program. Londzo mentions that, “people have been very drawn to this space and have shown excitement for the program.”  Speak On It has not only created a viable space for the youth in the community, but has also created an opportunity for the parents of these youth to engage in more open and positive dialogue with their children. “A few different parents have shown more interest in contributing to the program, as they now see how their children could benefit from it,” says Londzo. With its current success, program expansion is the natural next step for the Speak On It program. CANVAS' 2017 grant from ArtReach supported further development of the program, bringing in well-paid guest artists, and being able to work more collaboratively with youth to design the program around what they wanted to see happen. Londzo says that, more than just providing funding, “what ArtReach made possible was helping to create a safe space for youth to come together in a room where they weren't going to experience homophobia or transphobia like they do in their schools and/or communities. Here, the youth have something to look forward to and a place where they belong. It is amazing to see how two hours in a space like this can make youth feel better. All of these kids come together and create a support system through creating art.” This is the ultimate impact that programs like CANVAS can have for young people in our community. In thinking about the future of the Speak On It program, Londzo says that she would like to see it happen more often- every week if possible! To find out more about CANVAS, Speak On It, and the other amazing programs they run, check out www.canvasprograms.ca/programs

Meet Red Nova and 6k, the latest hats released by the Film Stars Project. Launched Thursday, July 19th at Brimz Hat Boutique, smiles were wide and the energy thrived as @abscvnd spun his set. Red Novas take place when two stars collide; and, clearly, with Film Stars, stars have been aligning and colliding to create this universe that only keeps expanding. Taking a look retrospectively, you can see the magnitude of the evolution of this project. From their programs to the website, their brand as a whole has grown always in all ways. And. it’s no wonder. Mat, Film Star’s founder, has igniting passion – enough to create a big bang beyond any of our imaginations. His passion, drive and creativity, paired with the brilliant minds that he’s partnered with over the years, will take Film Stars so far that you’ll need a telescope to catch what they’re doing next. Or, you can simply check them out at their next event! PERCEPTION will be a gallery exhibit exploring the essence of true beauty. Catch it on Thursday, July 26, 2018, at 7pm located at Georgia Scherman Projects, Inc. 113 Tecumseth Street, Toronto. Author: Cassey Andrews

Are you running a community project or involved with a larger organization? Already an ace at event management, social media, or youth engagement, but run in the other direction when you have to deal with money? Want to know how to manage grant funding when it affects your taxes? As artists and community planners we are fiercely dedicated to mastering our creative practice which sometimes tends to leave us putting our administrative and financial organization on the back burner. In this workshop we will look at how to budget, keep track of your finances and what records you should be keeping for taxes. We will also look at what you need to claim for your taxes, which forms you need to fill out, and understanding how different sources of income (like receiving a grant) can impact your taxes. Participants will also get hands-on time with Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and Google Sheets, supported by our expert facilitators who will show you how to get the most out of these powerful financial management tools! Date: Wednesday, August 8th 2018 Time: Networking and food at 5:30pm, workshop runs 6:00pm-9:00pm. Location: Urban Arts, 5 Bartonville Avenue East, Toronto ON, M6M 2B1 RSVP: https://bit.ly/2NsbESq Facilitators: Robert Watterson and Patrick Warner Details: This workshop is targeted to youth 13-29 years old. Space for this workshop is limited so register today! Food and refreshments will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops or tablets.

ArtReach acknowledges that the land on which we work is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, the Métis, and most recently, the territory of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. This territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. This territory is also covered by the Upper Canada Treaties. Today, the meeting place of Toronto (from the Haudenosaunee word Tkaronto) is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work and live in this territory. CELEBRATION EVENTS Free streaming of NIPD celebrations from across Canada// Saturday, June 23rd http://indigenousdaylive.ca/how-to-watch/ Toronto Indigenous Arts Festival// June 21st– 24th// Fort York https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/indigenous-arts-festival/ Annual NCCT Indigenous History Month Celebration// June 27th// Dundas Square http://ncct.on.ca/aboriginal-history-month-celebration/ RECONCILIATION Learn how Canada is working to address reconciliation and renew their relationship with Indigenous peoples here. Read more from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission here. RESOURCES: ABORIGINAL AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS IN TORONTO https://www.nativechild.org/student-resources/links http://ncct.on.ca/community-resources/ GET INVOLVED IN DECOLONIZATION OPIRG Toronto http://www.opirgtoronto.org/current-action-groups/ No One Is Illegal http://toronto.nooneisillegal.org/taxonomy/term/6 2018 Decolonizing Conference https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2018-decolonizing-conference-dialoguing-and-living-well-together-decolonization-and-insurgent-voices-tickets-42716744934 Credit for the graphic in the image to: MAAIINGAN Productions

Are you running a community project or are involved with a larger organization? Want to take your project management skills to the next level? Are you interested in learning more about being certified as a project manager and how your current experience can be transferred? Many of us have become project managers by default as we are thrust into the field through creation of projects for our communities, often with little formal training ourselves. This Project Management 101 workshop will take participants through the basics of Project Management, as referenced by the Project Management Institute. Participants will be introduced to project management language and concepts as used in the project management field in order to be able to transfer their experience into the larger field of project management. Tools and templates will be provided to support participants in running community projects more efficiently. DETAILS: Date: Thursday, July 5th, 2018 Time: Networking and food at 5:30pm, workshop runs 6:00pm-9:00pm. Location: Nia Centre for the Arts, 524 Oakwood Avenue, Toronto ON, M6E 2X1 RSVP: https://bit.ly/2LToh7m Facilitators: Paulina O'Kieffe and Fonna Seidu Details: Space for this workshop is limited so register today! Food and refreshments will be provided Workshop presented in partnership with:

VAF (Vibe Arts Fest) is a youth-led arts festival that celebrates the creativity of Toronto and GTA youth. This three-day festival showcases young talent from VIBE Arts school / community programs, emerging artists, and those involved with Platform A. This year, VAF is celebrating its 10TH ANNIVERSARY! Our theme, Artistry en Motion, focuses on the theme of infinity and the idea that art is continuous, flows through each generation, and never dies. Join us as we celebrate Toronto's youth-led arts and performances! More details here! WHEN IS VAF? Friday June 8th - Sunday, June 10th , 2018 WHERE IS VAF? Ontario Place 955 Lakeshore Blvd., Toronto WHO IS VAF? Established in 1995, VIBE Arts is an award-winning charitable organization committed to providing children and youth in under-resourced communities with high quality community and school based arts education. With a 20 year trajectory, VIBE Arts has become one of the most celebrated community arts organizations in Toronto. VIBE Arts works collaboratively with children and youth in under-resourced communities to innovate, build skills and resiliency, and lead social change through arts education programming.

A recent change to the rules in the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and Ontario Works (OW) will be a huge step forward for artists in Ontario who get benefits from these income support programs and receive arts grants! - Read more HERE - On December 13, 2017, the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) announced that, effective that day, arts grants are exempt as income and assets in both ODSP and OW. This means that artists who are on OW or ODSP and receive an arts grant will no longer have the money deducted from their monthly benefits, and will not have to risk becoming ineligible for continuing support from these programs. This important change will give artists on ODSP or OW the ability to pursue the creation of their art without fear of losing their monthly income and the health and other benefits that ODSP and OW provide. It will also reduce the huge administrative burden that artists previously faced with reporting the funds to ODSP or OW. The change will eliminate the disincentive that many artists on ODSP or OW used to face to even apply for an arts grant. It will also open up new opportunities for artists on ODSP or OW to make their art and to contribute to the vibrancy of the cultural life of their communities, the province and the country. Now that many arts funders in Ontario have specific grants for artists who have disabilities, this change by MCSS will be of particular benefit to artists who are on ODSP. The only exception is that any funds in an arts grant that are specifically intended to pay for living costs will not be exempt. Those amounts will be deducted from monthly ODSP and OW benefits and will count as assets. But the impact will be lessened because the new rules include pro-rating those funds over the entire duration of the arts grant. As a result, artists will be much less likely to be cut off ODSP or OW in the month after they receive their arts grant, but instead will see their regular monthly benefits lowered over the entire period of time that the arts grant is intended to cover. What does this mean for me as an artist? If you are an artist on ODSP or OW and you receive an arts grant, you will have to report the money to your caseworker. You should do this by giving your caseworker a copy of the Notification Letter that you receive from the funding agency. The Notification Letter should state that the grant you received is intended to support the project that you outlined in your application. It should also state whether or not the grant includes any funds specifically intended to cover living expenses, as well as how much of the grant is for that purpose. That amount will be deducted from your ODSP or OW benefits and counted as an asset. If your Notification letter does not have one of these statements, contact the funding agency to ask them to re-issue it with the statement. The ODSP and Arts Grants Coalition is currently updating its pamphlet about arts grants, which will have more information about this change for artists on ODSP and OW. The pamphlet will be available from the websites of the member organizations of the coalition. If you have problems with the way that your arts grant is treated – for example, if your caseworker says your arts grant will be deducted from your benefits even if it isn’t specifically for living expenses – you may want to contact your local community legal clinic for help. Take this backgrounder with you to help explain the change. You can find your local clinic at this website. The new rules about arts grants are included in the ODSP and OW Policy Directives about income and assets, which are available on the MCSS website here. Are all arts grants exempt?There are a number of agencies that provide arts grants to artists in Ontario, including the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council (and ArtReach), the London Arts Council, the City of Windsor, the City of Mississauga and the City of Ottawa. The ODSP and OW exemption applies to arts grants from these and similar agencies. It does not apply to Prizes or Awards issued by these and other agencies. The exemption does also apply to the Indigenous Culture Fund. This fund supports First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities, culture and way of life and is administered by the Ontario Arts Council. More information about the Indigenous Culture Fund is available here. Why did MCSS make this change?This change happened because of the direct advocacy of the ODSP and Arts Grants Coalition with the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport (MTCS). MCSS makes the rules for ODSP and OW. MTCS gives money to the Ontario Arts Council to support arts grants. We thank MCSS Minister Jaczek, former MTCS Minister McMahon and officials from both ministries for working with us to resolve this issue. The ODSP and Arts Grants Coalition (OAGC) started in June 2015 with the goal of getting arts grants exempted for artists with disabilities who are on ODSP. Members of the OAGC started advocating with the MCSS Minister’s office in 2016, and representatives met with officials from MCSS and MTCS in September 2017. The OAGC also produced (and is now revising) a pamphlet to help artists navigate ODSP rules about arts grants. The ODSP and Arts Grants Coalition is made up of individual artists who have disabilities and are on ODSP as well as representatives from ACTRA Toronto, the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, CARFAC Ontario, the Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC), the Media Arts Network of Ontario (MANO-RAMO), the Ontario Arts Council, the ODSP Action Coalition, ReelAbilities Toronto, Tangled Art + Disability, the Toronto Arts Council, and Workman Arts.

Have an idea for a great community program? Don’t know how to translate your idea into an actual program structure? Are you interested in learning what exactly goes into developing an impactful program that will really serve community? Often we will have great ideas for programs to better our communities but wonder how to bring them to life. ArtReach’s Program Design Workshop will give participants the tools to design strong project or programs. In this interactive workshop, participants will be guided through building their program from thinking about purpose, impact, accessibility, and being able to evaluate the impact their potential program might have on community. Tools and templates will be provided to support participants in building on their program design and any future programs they may create. Title: Program Design 101 Date: Wednesday, June 6th, 2018 Time: Networking and food at 5:30pm, workshop runs 6:00pm-9:00pm. Location: ArtStarts, 3401 Dufferin St., Lower Level, Toronto, ON, M6A 2T9 RSVP: https://bit.ly/2kldZ4h Facilitators: Fiona Scott & Patrick De Belen Details: This workshop is open to youth (13 to 29 yrs). Space for this workshop is limited so register today! Food and refreshments will be provided.

As of May 1st, 2018, ArtReach's office is now located within Suite 201 of 180 Shaw Street (in the ArtScape Yongeplace building at Queen and Ossington). While we loved our time at 401 Richmond, the time has come to move in with our administrator, SKETCH Working Arts. ArtReach office hours vary by staff availability, so if you're hoping to connect with us, please email info@artreach.org to set up a time to meet.

Created by Lolita Richards, Wee Bake is a baking program where youth are able to explore the world of baking and pastry art, combined with gaining key financial skills in the Scarborough community. The project was influenced by a one-on-one baking session Lolita had with a 12 year old named Kandice. This session inspired Lolita to create a bigger space for children to gain access to learn the importance of financial literacy, and baking skills. Considering the lack of free programs in the community, Lolita wanted to create something that brought youth together but also provided them with transferable skills . In September of 2016, Lolita connected with a fellow community member and discovered a shared kitchen space that was located near her home. With a zeal to make this vision come to life, Lolita found ArtReach’s grant through Biz Start and  decided to apply. Unsure of what the project should be named, Lolita’s mother suggested ‘Wee Bake. Before even receiving funding, ArtReach already extended support through the Grant Writing 101 workshop. Lolita found attending ArtReach’s Grant writing workshop extremely helpful and informative. “I have never written an evaluation of this scale before and I was able to collect a lot of useful tips.” said Lolita. The youth response to the program was extremely positive to the extent that Lolita created a waiting list in the first week due to its high enrollment. The youth were able to give back to the community by sharing the baked goods they made. Parents in the community also realized the impact the program has in the community and considered it to be a safe space for the youth. Lolita hopes to expand the program into two separate sections where adults are able to participate. “I was actually surprised at the amount of adults that are interested in the same kind of programming, the baking, pastry art and the financial literacy aspect” said Lolita. Lolita’s ultimate goal is to have a permanent kitchen space to offer a variety of culinary and baking programs instead of renting a space. ArtReach was the projects first ever funder. “ArtReach made this all possible” said Lolita. ArtReach has helped Lolita gain confidence within and taught her more about her skills and abilities. Throughout this project, she was able to connect with other community leaders and gain more knowledge on project management. “I was able to create a job for myself were I was able to do what I love and also provide employment to other youth in the community.” said Lolita. The youth also expressed their interest for pursuing studies in the culinary arts creating a significant change in the community. Wee Bake has helped Lolita recognize her love for teaching. She hopes to expand her business “Made By Moi” and to continue creating spaces her community will benefit. For more information on Wee Bake click here.

My Sister’s Keeper, created by Tianna Boswell, is an empowerment program that allows young girls in the Malvern community to use poetry, painting, and aesthetics as tools for healing through the arts. The program was inspired by Tianna’s journey as a young girl navigating through society. Growing up in the Malvern, Tianna did not have a mentor or an older sister that she could help guide her own journey and her mother spent most of her time at work in order to provide for the family. Tianna experienced first hand how the lack of programing and resources within the Malvern community made it difficult for her to excel in the classroom. Tianna needed to change this narrative by creating the space that she did not have, believing that young girls in her community would benefit from it. Through planting seeds of love, art and collaboration, My Sister’s Keeper creates a sisterhood bond that encourages the youth to uplift one another. The program teaches youth that art can be used as a form self-expression and healing as it helped her when she was in elementary school. Tianna said she prayed about her vision, mapped it out, and watched it manifest. The youth response to the program was positive and they loved the program. Tianna found that all the girls left feeling more confident than ever, and remained consistent, attending almost every session. Tianna had guest speakers come in to talk to the girls and answer burning life questions they had, which resulted in the speakers eagerly willing to come back to provide extra support without compensation. ArtReach was the project’s first ever funder. “Without ArtReach I wouldn't even know it was possible to do this” said Tianna. Tianna found ArtReach’s Post- It newsletter extremely useful as it helped identify other opportunities. She also attended Evaluation 101 facilitated by Fonna Scott which opened more knowledge on how to create effective evaluations for the project.  ArtReach’s support additionally gave Tianna the confidence to apply to other grants such as, Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Ontario Black Youth Action grant. “ArtReach made it possible for me to have impact on the lives of others...it was really deep, ” said Tianna. Tianna hopes to create a space that offers several art’s based programs throughout the week and allows other community groups to join. She also hopes for My Sisters Keeper to become a long term program with honorariums included. Tianna found the process to be very encouraging! She now believes that she is living her true purpose. She is grateful to be a Big Sister her community can lean on. Author: Jessica Bentu

Do you think that all the most popular artists out there are necessarily the best? Maybe not. You may know better artists who are largely unrecognized. Art is a matter of personal taste, but if you have talent, there is no reason you can’t claim a chunk of the art world’s Monopoly board. Indeed there are organizations that exist specifically to ensure that artists who come from disadvantaged backgrounds can reach their full potential, even if they haven't had networking opportunities. However, getting and keeping fans is key. You just have to learn the right tips to create a loyal fan base that keeps coming back for more. Through social media, customer loyalty programs, and strategic partnerships, you can grow your fan base and retain it. Be More Social You know social media is an imperative tool in marketing. Whilst Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and more are all sites you may want to reach out to, being focused in your public outreach will be more beneficial in the end. Rather choose one or two social media platforms and work with them intensely, rather than trying to keep up with everyone. Most artists find that offering a glimpse into their life as an artist, and being on sites where they can connect with collectors are the most profitable ways of using social media. Make sure that you are creating enough buzz to get people to share your work. In terms of advertising, 92% of customers of the arts worldwide trust word-of-mouth advertising more than any other, so find ways to get your work shared. A good way of doing this is by promoting other artists you like. This will encourage them to share your work on their networks, effectively widening your network with no additional work needed by you. However, you use social media, ensure you keep posting about your art, your life, and your inspirations to keep people coming back for more. Customer Loyalty Programs Statistics show that existing customers spend up to two-thirds more than new customers. Hence, it goes without saying that you want to hold on to your customers. Businesses also spend far more time and money trying to attract new customers than they do selling to existing ones. One way of holding on to those valued customers is by way of customer loyalty programs. For example, you can create customer games where if they share your work, they get discounts or gifts, you can encourage them by offering special prices on early releases of new artworks, and run competitions. You can also award free artwork to the most loyal customers, or offer to do a personal commission for them. These are proven ways to build customer loyalty. Strategize When Partnering Up Try approaching companies likely to promote art to partner up and offer a dual promotion. Coalition definitely has its rewards, especially when two brands get more attention. As a relatively unknown artist, it is not suggested that you approach Staedtler to run a promotion with them. They won’t benefit. However, think of other struggling artists and venues. Offer to host an exhibition in a new coffee shop, or small museum. Mix your arts with rising music bands by offering to design a new look for their t-shirts, or their logo, with a link to your site on theirs. Or ask your local art teacher if you could host a mini exhibition and art class for one night for their pupils. This will all contribute to word of mouth marketing which will grow your name exponentially. Ultimately, you want to be in the big leagues of the art world. However, being a strategic and intelligent business owner and publicist is what you need to be to be a great artist. Spend time developing these skills, or even take short, free courses on the web about marketing and networking, and with time and patience, your network will grow as will your name. Author: Jenny Holt