• This Issue
• Subscribe
• Advertisers
• Ad FAQS
• Ad Web Sites
• About IAT
• Link to IAT

Toronto ArtsWeek
September 20-28

The Great Toronto Arts Debate

Arts tops the political agenda as Toronto is in the midst of a municipal election for a new mayor. The Toronto Arts Coalition features The Great Toronto Arts Debate as a key event during Toronto ArtsWeek, Monday September 22nd, at 5 p.m. The public is invited to the Atrium of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), 250 Front Street West to witness The Great Toronto Arts Debate among the five frontrunner candidates for Mayor.

International Art Treasures invited each of the five candidates participating  in The Great Toronto Arts Debate to provide their policy on art and arts in Toronto. Our goal was to give each candidate the opportunity to present their position, not only to interested voters in Toronto, but also to an interested International Arts Community, who struggle for the publication and promotion of their work. The debate, in our opinion, is timely, especially within this issue which contains a feature article on Auckland's Arts Festival and their response to help regional artists have a voice in their community, and bring their artistic vision to a wider audience within New Zealand. It's a win-win situation: tourism is good for a city and promotion is good for the artists. For each candidate's response to our request, simply click on their name or picture (above) to read their policy. In the interest of fairness the policies are presented unedited and emphasis is the candidates own.

The Great Toronto Arts Debate is one of many events planned during ArtsWeek 2003. Featured genres include dance, music, theatre, visual arts and crafts, literature, community arts, film and media, festivals, architecture, museum and heritage. Executive Director of the Toronto Arts Council Foundation, Jim Garrard, announces, "It's critical at this juncture that Toronto reinforce its reality as a vibrant, healthy, fully functioning destination. ArtsWeek is ideally positioned to benefit Toronto's arts and entertainment sector as well as significantly boost business and tourism. Great arts make a great city."

The Protégé Awards

Arts Toronto and the Design Exchange will be presenting the Protégé Awards. The recipient is commissioned to create new artwork. Since 1987 more than $300,000 has been invested in new artists through this awards program. A critical component of the unique Protégé Awards is that senior artists mentor emerging artists in a wide variety of genres.

The Great Toronto Arts Debate and The Protégé Awards are two of the numerous events planned throughout Toronto during this nine-day festival. Other highlights include:

• H.Y.P.E. - Urban Arts In-The-Making at the Art Gallery of Ontario
• The Annual Studio Tour hosted by North York Visual Artists
• Ontario Craft Council Artisans at the Eatons Centre
• Arts Scarborough's Open Doors - tours through artists studios
• Canadian Opera Company's public auditions for Calling All Bathroom Divas.

Canadian Opera Company
Event name: Bathroom Divas (and Divos): Singer in 2002
Program with Phil Sandy on Piano
Image Courtesy Toronto ArtsWeek

ArtsWeek places an emphasis on creating a wider audience for visual arts through the use of non-traditional locations such as shopping malls and hotels to promote the art movement in Toronto.

Hundreds of events have been planned during ArtsWeek 2003.