East End Arts is looking back on 2021! Help us celebrate all of our success this past year with a financial donation to your favourite east end non-profit this December.
East End Arts asks, “Can You Imagine A World Without Community Arts?”
Well here we are again, the end of another year in the COVID-19 pandemic. This past year certainly had its fair share of highs and lows, ups and downs, celebrations and frustrations. And yet, in those high, celebratory moments, and in those low frustrating moments, we again found ourselves turning to the arts.
As a community arts organization we get to see first hand, over and over, how the arts transform people, places and moments into something truly magical. From large-scale murals, to art workshops for adults and seniors, from self-expression workshops for youth, to community celebrations around light and hope, we have seen how community arts programs like ours have helped to keep east enders connected, entertained, inspired and hopeful, despite the difficult circumstances that we all face.
Can you imagine a world without community arts? How much of the art that you’ve seen and experienced in your communities this past year has directly impacted your life? We truly believe in the magic and power of what we do, which is why this month we are celebrating community arts, and asking for your support!
Arts supporters: can you help keep our mighty but small, non-profit, east end community arts organization strong and alive for 2022 with a financial donation this month? 2021 was another difficult year to rally in-person financial support, and due to the precarity of arts funding in our city, our goal this month is to reach $5,500. With your support, we know we can make that happen!
Please enjoy our 2021 highlight videos below that we’ve put together to reflect on all the ways community arts make a positive difference in the lives of people, and in the larger communities we serve. We hope that you’ll agree that our neighbourhoods are made so much better with community arts, and that you’ll consider donating this December to support the important work that we do!
1. The Arts Provide Hope & Connection
Our first full COVID winter was long and hard, but thankfully with outdoor community art events and installations, we were able to help give east enders a bit of light and hope. From Not All Shadows Are Dark and the Light it Up Lantern Festival in the colder months, to Humans of the Danforth and Safety Dance in the warmer months, many of our programs and events this year focused on connecting people, and giving them a sense of happiness and joy. These are just some of the powers of community arts, the importance of which has been made incredibly obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Help us bring hope and light to more east end communities by donating to East End Arts this December!
*P.S. Please note that because we are still waiting for our own charitable registration number, the Toronto Arts Foundation continues to process our donations for us. IMPORTANT: Because of this, you must remember to choose ‘6. Special Initiative: East End Arts’ from the list of fund/designations when prompted on the menu drop down.
2. The Arts Provide a Platform for Those that are Often Left Out of the Mainstream
Representation is a key step towards equality and change in our communities, which means allowing people to tell their own stories in their own voices. Community arts has always given an important platform to diverse groups of people to share their own stories and shape their own narratives. From 23 women and gender diverse artists as part of Women Paint Riverside, to over 200 traditional, and LGBTQ+/Two Spirit artists as part of BYOBeads; from 23 talented senior artists as part of Doorstop Diaries, to 12 inspiring youth muralists as part of Girls Mural Camp, we continue to amplify the voices of those who are often left out of the mainstream.
Help us give an artistic platform to more diverse communities by donating to East End Arts this December!
*P.S. Please note that because we are still waiting for our own charitable registration number, the Toronto Arts Foundation continues to process our donations for us. IMPORTANT: Because of this, you must remember to choose ‘6. Special Initiative: East End Arts’ from the list of fund/designations when prompted on the menu drop down.
3. The Arts Give the Next Generations an Outlet to be Creative
The arts play a crucial role in giving the next generations an outlet to be creative and grow their confidence and skills. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw the mental health of kids and youth significantly impacted, so we knew it was important to present programs that offered them a way to connect and express themselves. Gen Z-ines, our online zine-making program for youth, Girls Mural Camp, our mural camp for young women, girls, and non-binary artists, and ArtSkool, our public art educational guides for kids, all focus on helping to build the next generation of leaders and creators through the arts.
Help us support more youth artists to become the leaders and creators of tomorrow by donating to East End Arts this December!
*P.S. Please note that because we are still waiting for our own charitable registration number, the Toronto Arts Foundation continues to process our donations for us. IMPORTANT: Because of this, you must remember to choose ‘6. Special Initiative: East End Arts’ from the list of fund/designations when prompted on the menu drop down.
4. The Arts Give Everyone an Accessible Space to Learn and Grow
Community Arts has always focused on breaking down barriers and providing an accessible and inclusive space for everyone to learn and grow. This past year Creative Facilitation Camp gave artists an opportunity to learn important online facilitation skills; our new Anti-Oppression Book Club brought community members together to have difficult conversations about various forms of oppression; while online panels like Bombing Misogyny gave artists and arts workers a place to discuss important issues, like misogyny in the street art world. Through our work we spark important conversations and provide opportunities for everyone to learn something new, in-person or online.
Help us create more opportunities for professional growth and knowledge sharing by donating to East End Arts this December!
*P.S. Please note that because we are still waiting for our own charitable registration number, the Toronto Arts Foundation continues to process our donations for us. IMPORTANT: Because of this, you must remember to choose ‘6. Special Initiative: East End Arts’ from the list of fund/designations when prompted on the menu drop down.
5. The Arts Enhance Public Spaces and Make Stronger Neighbourhoods
Public art is important for so many reasons: it brings our streetscapes and buildings to life, it boosts local economies by attracting new visitors, and it helps to raise public awareness about important community issues and topics! From #DestinationDanforth, to Women Paint Riverside, to our Local Discoveries Public Art Tours, so much of our work has shifted to outdoor public spaces, allowing us to help transform the mundane, every day into something colourful, and unexpected. In 2021 alone we added 23 new murals to neighbourhoods all across the east end, and with the arrival of #ArtworxTO, Toronto’s Year of Public Art for 2021-2022, we could not be more proud!
Help us transform more east end communities with public art by donating to East End Arts this December!
*P.S. Please note that because we are still waiting for our own charitable registration number, the Toronto Arts Foundation continues to process our donations for us. IMPORTANT: Because of this, you must remember to choose ‘6. Special Initiative: East End Arts’ from the list of fund/designations when prompted on the menu drop down.