Arts Advisory Commission invites Hamilton Arts Community to keep the conversation going at The Big Picture 2017

HAMILTON, ON - The Arts Advisory Commission welcomes Hamilton’s arts community to participate in The Big Picture 2017, an arts forum that aims to identify the next steps in Hamilton’s cultural renewal. The Big Picture 2017 will run from 8:30 am.to 3:30 pm on Saturday, April 8, 2017 at the David Braley Health Sciences Centre, 100 Main Street West.

“The Big Picture 2017 is a wonderful opportunity for any member of the arts community to actively participate in a conversation with City Hall. This is a timely exercise that will illuminate positive changes in the arts community since our last Big Picture event in 2009, and help identify new priority areas the AAC should be focusing on going forward.” Tricia LeClair, AAC commissionaire and member of the Outreach Sub-Committee

Event details

Participants are invited to reflect on the recent period of dramatic growth in Hamilton’s arts and cultural community with a goal of recognizing local successes and finding opportunities for further improvement.

The day’s discussions will commence with a moderated panel discussion featuring:

• Kojo Damptey (musician and music producer)
• Colette Kendall (The Staircase Theatre)
• Shirley Madill (Executive Director of Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery and former COO at the Art Gallery of Hamilton)
• Petra Matar (designer, visual artist and intern architect)

Four large group photographs of the Hamilton arts community have been taken over the past 22 years:

• A Fine Day in Hammertown at the downtown Eaton’s Centre in 1995
• The Big Picture organized by the ad hoc arts advocacy group The Big Picture Committee, at City Hall in 2000
• The Big Picture 2, also at City Hall in 2005
• The Big Picture Revisited at the Workers Arts & Heritage Centre in 2009
• The Hamilton arts community is invited to participate in a fifth photograph of the to be taken at The Big Picture 2017

Tickets

This is a free event but a ticket is required. Members of the arts community can order tickets before March 31, 2017 by calling 905-546-2424 ext. 6210. Space is limited.

For more information visit: www.hamilton.ca/aacbigpicture

“The Big Picture Revisited was an incredibly valuable rallying call for this arts community. I gained a great deal both personally and professionally as a participant in 2009, and hope today’s artists will have an equally rewarding experience.” Stephanie Vegh, Executive Director of the Hamilton Arts Council and co-organizer of the 2017 event

About the AAC

The Arts Advisory Commission is an appointed body of City Council. It recommends activities for the stabilization and strengthening of the arts community; informs Council of issues and achievements in the Hamilton arts community; liaises with and acts as a point of contact for members of the arts community regarding issues affecting the arts community; monitors and assists with the implementation of the Public Art Program; and monitors and assists with the implementation of the Arts Awards Program.