PANEL DISCUSSION - "Make Your Arts Council A Success" - Horizon Computer (Coffee Break Sponsor)
Date: Friday, October 18, 2024
Time: 1pm-4pm
Facilitators: Nicole Thiessen, Joanne Bolen & Terry Grant
Moderator: Kali Weber, Dekker Centre & OSAC Board Member
Location: Delta Hotels by Marriott Saskatoon Downtown, Michelangelo A
Please join in this panel discussion which will address a variety of subjects and you will gain tips and tricks on how to make your arts council a success. Some of the topics explored will be "Building a Strong Board/Council, Understanding Your Community, Why Planning is Necessary for Viability, The Importance of "Passing the Baton" and Marketing Performing and Visual Arts Events.
OSAC is excited to have three fantastic arts council members leading these discussions - Nicole Thiessen (Station Arts Centre Cooperative), Joanne Bolen (Melfort Arts Council), and Terry Grant (Moosomin & District Arts Councils).
NICOLE THIESSEN has been the Programming Director at the Station Arts Centre in Rosthern for 10 of its 35 years, and during this time, has focused her energy on bringing quality arts experiences to rural Saskatchewan. Her degree in painting along with programming experience at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, AB informs Nicole’s approach to Visual Arts at the Station Gallery and in the community.
Being involved with planning music and arts festivals - Folk on the Rocks (Yellowknife, NWT) ArtCity (Calgary, AB) in the past, as well as producing live theatre and musicals, has offered many opportunities to work with and learn from artists and Arts advocates from across Canada. Having the support of OSAC and being a part of that network continues to be a rich and ever-changing experience for Nicole and she welcomes every opportunity to connect with other arts councils.
In 2020, JOANNE BOLEN, along with Brenda Mellon, took on the responsibility of revitalizing and rebuilding the Melfort Arts Council, taking on the role of Chair. Currently, in her second term, she takes pride in the collaborative efforts of their dedicated board members and acknowledges their crucial contributions to our success. Looking ahead, she believes Northeast Saskatchewan has the potential to become a central hub for the arts, evolving into a global arts center.
Joanne was born and raised in the St. Brieux area and now lives on a farm outside of Melfort. Joanne has loved mark-making and art for as long as she can remember. With family support for her creative pursuits, Joanne joined the visual arts side of the Melfort Arts Council in 2003—a decision that significantly influenced her artistic path. During the same period, from 2003 to 2012, Joanne attended art classes at the University of Saskatchewan.
TERRY GRANT currently holds the position of Chair of the Moosomin and District Arts Council. Terry is a community-minded individual who is committed to strengthening the performing and visual arts experience for the residents of Moosomin and the surrounding area. One skill of Terry’s is to recognize and value the efforts and contributions of so many like-minded individuals who are discovering, developing, or honing their craft through the medium of their choice. Terry’s strong ties within the arts community have created a level of connectivity that has been previously unseen in Moosomin, as he is the common thread on the Moosomin and District Arts Council Board, the Community Theatre, Moosomin Visual Arts Centre, Moosomin Library Board, Creative Writing Group, Mooseberry Acting Company as well as an invaluable member of the Creative Vision Production family.
This connection has allowed for sharing information, resources, and workload, ultimately nourishing the growing arts scene. Terry has visions of a community rich in artistic offerings that rival (and perhaps may one day overshadow) the countless opportunities in sport that Moosomin residents are so fortunate to enjoy.
Terry relies heavily on his wife Jen, who, without her support, would not be able to spend half of the time he does on his “volunteering addiction”. Terry and Jen have three adult children. Terry is an artist who works with clay, watercolors, silversmithing, and words, as well as many other mediums. Terry‘s happy time is before the crack of dawn, in the quiet hours before the house wakes up, throwing clay in his basement studio.
WORKSHOP PRESENTATION - “The Métis: Forgotten No More” - Sponsored by Information Services Corporation | BC Live (Coffee Break Sponsor)
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2024
Time: 2pm-3:30pm
Facilitator: John Lagimodiere, ACS Aboriginal Consulting Services - On Treaty 6 territory and homeland of the Métis
Location: Delta Hotels by Marriott Saskatoon Downtown, Michelangelo A
Using humour and history, John Lagimodiere will walk us through Métis peoples’ 300-year tie to the land and Canadian history. We will follow a timeline showing the birth of the Nation, through the Manitoba Act negotiations and the violence of the Northwest Resistance. We will journey with the Métis through the road allowance era and into the rebirth of the Métis Nation and to their current place in Canada. All the history you didn’t get taught in grade school. John will also share some insight into the use of land acknowledgments and the proper way to present this.
John Lagimodiere is a dedicated community builder and entrepreneur. President of ACS Aboriginal Consulting Services, he has been delivering Indigenous awareness seminars since 1997 while he built a 25-year career in the media as Editor/Publisher of Eagle Feather News and as a regular contributor to CBC radio and TV. He has earned many community and business awards, but his most precious gifts are his friends and family. His Métis roots are in the Red River, and he is a citizen of the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan. John’s straightforward and humorous delivery is why he is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, master of ceremonies, and facilitator.