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The Mayor’s Evening for the Arts raised almost $1.4 million in support of artists working in all areas of Toronto on Monday, October 26, at the Metro Convention Centre. This celebratory showcase featuring the talents of both new generation artists and those renowned on the world stage, was attended by a sold-out crowd of 1,200 business, civic and cultural leaders.
37 companies from the development and construction sector including sponsors Mantella Corporation, Mattamy Homes Limited, Viana Roofing & Sheet Metal Limited and Metropia Inc. generously contributed $365,000, to the record-breaking total, that will see residents all over Toronto benefit. In 2016 the Arts in the Parks program will launch to bring free arts events, including music, theatre and dance to over 50 parks across the city.
On the eve of celebrating his first year anniversary in office, Mayor John Tory was in fine form. According to the Toronto Star's Martin Knelman, he was "the star of the evening ...not only upbeat and supportive, sending us all home understanding that the warfare between City Hall and the arts world during the Ford era is definitely over, and dreaming of a golden age for the arts as long as (he) Tory is in office."
Noting that 50 per cent of Toronto residents were born somewhere else, Tory observed that “We’ve embraced the arts because it’s in the city’s interest: it’s the way we tell our stories, and more than ever, that helps us live together and understand each other.”
Lending the name of the office of the Mayor of Toronto to help raise funds, the event was graced with the presence of Mayor John Tory and his wife Barbara Hackett; and in attendance were such luminaries as filmmakers Norman Jewison, Don McKellar and Atom Egoyan (Dinner Co-Chair); "Dragons Den" Robert Herjavec and "Dancing With the Stars" partner Kym Johnson; Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman; Principal Dancer, Guillaume Côté, National Ballet of Canada; guitarist Liona Boyd; actor, R.H. Thomson; as well as prize-winning authors Nino Ricci and Robert Rotenberg; Michael "Pinball” Clemons, Vice-Chair for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League; etalk's Ben Mulroney; as well as Jeff Melanson, TSO, Alexander Neef, Canadian Opera Company; and TIFF's Piers Handling, Cameron Bailey and Michele Maheux.
An impressive line-up of over 1,200 corporate and individual sponsors succeeded in making the evening a record-breaking success, headed up by Co-Chairs Susan Crocker, Chair of Toronto Arts Foundation; Toronto Arts Council Chair, John McKellar; Howard Sokolowski, President & CEO, Metropia Inc., Bonnie Brooks, Vice Chairman, Hudson's Bay Company and Atom Egoyan, Canadian filmmaker.
Fundraising Committee member, Mike Yorke, President of Carpenters Union Local 27, comments that "The Mayor’s Evening for the Arts was an amazing evening in support of the Toronto Arts Foundation. It was the result of the dedication and hard work by a fantastic team led by our co-chairs, where every one of the committee members really stepped up to the plate. The fact that our Mayor John Tory lent his name to the event made our work that much easier, but at the same time it drove an even stronger commitment for the evening’s success. I was especially proud of the construction and development community because we realize what the arts means to our city and the Mayor’s Evening for the Arts was a way for our industry to give back and publicly recognize the incredible role of the Arts in Toronto."
This list of donors is available on the website at torontoartsfoundation.org
The Toronto Arts Foundation is a charitable organization that provides the opportunity for individuals, private and public foundations, corporations and government agencies to invest in and strengthen the arts in Toronto. We are powered by a vision: Creative City: Block by Block, a commitment to connect every Toronto neighbourhood to the transformative social and economic benefits of the arts. Through sponsorships, legacy gifts and donations to our Creative City Funds, Toronto Arts Foundation gives voice to the arts, shines the spotlight on Toronto’s exceptional talent, and connects communities to the arts. To learn more about the Toronto Arts Foundation, please visit our website at www.torontoartsfoundation.org