President’s Message

2018 was a year to celebrate, to plan and to look forward to a bright future for the arts in Lethbridge! It is with pride that I write my final President’s report and reflect on the people, the projects and the successes that the past year brought. Thanks to the hard work of the board, our executive director, Suzanne Lint, and the dedicated Allied Arts Council staff who are passionately committed to advancing and enhancing the arts in Lethbridge, this 60 th anniversary for the Allied Arts Council was truly a milestone year.

Our board said good-bye to retiring members Don Reeves, Greg Norman and Peter Butler at the Annual General Meeting in March, and welcomed a new roster of directors, including Nicola Spencer, Sharon Stevenson-Ferrari and Ian Zadeiks. We also welcomed a new group of dedicated Honourary Members who have demonstrated outstanding, ongoing commitment to the Allied Arts Council and our arts community. Those members included Laura Kenwood, Ron Brown, Kathy Hopkins, Shirley Wyngaard, Donna Gallant and Barbara Lacey.

One our proudest moments of 2018 was the establishment of the endowment fund at the AGM. The endowment, managed through the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta, is an essential initiative that will provide further stability and financial sustainability for arts programming in the future. Its establishment also provides another opportunity for community members and organizations to support the future work and vision of the AAC.

In January, the board set a clear direction for the Allied Arts Council for the next four years at a strategic planning retreat, where we affirmed our commitment to strengthening and building relationships with individuals, organizations and our community to enable growth while responsibly balancing our resources. This direction will allow the Allied Arts Council to further advance and enhance the arts, to support our artists and arts initiatives and to engage with our community through our programming and services.

We invited the community to be a part of our 60 th anniversary celebrations throughout 2018, hosting numerous events throughout the year. 60 Years Young was a great event that kicked off the anniversary and helped raise funds for the future endowment fund. That night we showcased our spaces, our people and our artists at Casa and shared our successes with everyone in attendance. In May, the celebrations continued with Party on the Square, complete with a barbecue and live entertainment. Our many other events, such as the Soar Emerging Artist Festival, Arts Days, Mayor’s Luncheon for Business and the Arts and Christmas at Casa continued our anniversary celebrations throughout the year.

Not only did we host many events, but we attended many events throughout 2018, showing our commitment and support for the great work our fellow community organizations do for our city. We were present at the SAAG Art Auction, the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta Friends of the Foundation Dinner, the Faculty of Fine Arts’ Abbondànza fundraiser, among many others.

President Amanda Berg

Vice-President Margaret (Peggy) Mezei

Secretary Louise Drysdale Treasurer Scott Rowland

Directors Mercedes Fawns (retired in August) Jessica Robinson Nicola Spencer Sharon Stevenson-Ferrari Ian Zadieks

This was also a very important year for the arts in Lethbridge as many arts projects were completed or approved throughout the city. After many months of invaluable renovations, the Yates Memorial Theatre reopened its doors. The work that has been done will give both performing groups and audiences a wonderful space to call home for years to come. Several public art pieces were either approved or installed throughout the city including Marc Dulude’s Offrande migratoire / Migratory Gift, a public art gift from Saint-Laurent, Quebec. Our public art continues to not only enhance our city, but encourages dialogue and strengthens our community’s relationships throughout Canada and the world.

Our staff and board had an extremely busy year, focusing many hours and resources towards planning our next four-year budget. Our presentation to City Council in September reaffirmed our value in the community and outlined our requirements to continue growing our programming to meet the demands of a growing population. We look forward to working with Council and City Administration to ensure the future of our arts in Lethbridge continues to flourish well into the future.

The board thanks our members, donors, volunteers and staff for their hard work and tireless commitment to creating art, seeking opportunities to build relationships and providing leadership. We also acknowledge the ongoing support from the City of Lethbridge, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Government of Alberta and Heritage Canada.

2018 was a year to celebrate, focus, reflect and plan. It’s an exciting time to be an artist, audience member, or arts enthusiast in Lethbridge and I invite everyone to continue being a part of this incredible arts community. On behalf of the board of directors, we thank you for your continued support.

Amanda Berg President, AAC Board of Directors