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Ontario Arts Council press release ...

$35,000 in Ontario Arts Council funds flow into Sioux Lookout

Sioux Lookout, April 13, 2007 – Two Sioux Lookout organizations and one artist announced today that they are the lucky recipients of $35,000 from the Ontario Arts Council’s new Northern Arts Program.

The Northern Arts Program, established in 2007, aims to fund arts activity in Northern Ontario by Northern artists and arts organizations.

The Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee, RING – Sioux Lookout Arts Circle, and local visual artist Donna Giles, received word April 4th that their applications to the new program were successful.

SLARC received $15,000 towards the Sioux Mountain Music and Cultural Festival. Themed this year as /The Northern Music Connection/, the Festival will take place on August 4^th and 5^th at the start of the Blueberry Festival. OAC funding will enable bands from northern First Nations to perform at the Festival.

“The transportation and accommodation costs can be prohibitive for northern artists to perform at the Sioux Mountain Festival,” said Jennifer Morrow, SLARC’s Business Manager. “This year, we will be able to bring three fantastic bands down to Sioux Lookout, as well as pay each artist a fee for their performance.” The three bands are Sagatay, a rock and country band from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, the gospel/bluegrass Sachigo Group, and traditional drummers the Sandy Lake Singers.

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RING received $15,000 for /Idea Boxes/, an innovative northern audience development project. This project will promote local and regional art by establishing spaces for the creation and display of works in and around Sioux Lookout. Currently, there is little opportunity to showcase and promote works of local artists. The Idea Boxes will provide alternative spaces for exhibition and creation of new works, inspire and expand the network of local artists, encourage exchange of ideas and expose the community to exciting forms of creative expression.

In efforts to recognize the importance of creative practice, participating artists will receive artists’ fees. A Cultural Newsletter will be published monthly and distributed within the community free of charge. Creative writing and other cultural announcements are welcome for submission.

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Donna Giles received $5,000 to support the creation of a new body of  work. The project, /Maltese Threads/ will produce new works scheduled for a solo art exhibition at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery in January/ February 2008.

For more information, please contact:

Jennifer Morrow, Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee
(807) 737-4901
jmorrow@slarc.ca

Hana Beitl, RING: Sioux Lookout Arts Circle
(807) 737-2002
hbeitl@hotmail.com

Donna Giles, visual artist
(807) 737- 2676
c.d.giles@sympatico.ca