Dear members of our community,

As a teacher at the Visual Arts Centre, I am delighted to be part of a bilingual, vibrant, cultural community hub that is based on values related to creativity and diversity. For over 75 years, the VAC has created a welcoming, nourishing space for students and staff alike. It’s alive with the patina of all of those who have filled the studios with their questions, experiments, observations and insights. The light-filled studios have all the amenities one needs to work. The place and the people offer inspiration and support for both beginner and experienced artists alike. The Visual Arts Centre – with its ateliers, kilns, gallery, and outreach program – adds an essential aspect to community life.

We lose ourselves in the artmaking process, only to return to the world enriched. This capacity to imagine things other than they are, to envision and to create is at the core of our humanity and this is why I am thrilled to support the Visual Art Centre’s annual fundraising efforts. The creative process is a transformative one – providing us with unimagined possibilities for living. This is the refuge that the VAC provides, a site of creative inquiry, of exploration, and a place to collectively imagine new worlds. Your support of the VAC makes it possible for art to spread throughout the individual and beyond into our community. Please join me in supporting the VAC by way of a donation.

You can make your gift online by using the secure form at https://www.visualartscentre.ca/visual-arts-centre/donate-now/ or by returning the donation card included. To make a gift by phone or for any questions, please contact Joanne Chase in the VAC office at joanne@visualartscentre.ca or 514-488-9558.

Creativity is our biggest asset, and by investing in it, we are rewarded in well-being, grace, beauty and inspiration.

Warmest regards,

Jessica Houston

VAC teacher