Pay it Forward Arts Fund forms partnership with Art Not Shame
The Pay it Forward Arts Fund (PIFAF) is a gift of artist Barbara Salsberg Mathews and her husband Bruce Mathews. The award helps local artists, in any discipline, fund art projects that “pay it forward” and benefit the community.
Barbara and Bruce are excited to form a new partnership for the yearly dispersal of the award, formerly managed by the Guelph Arts Council.
“We’re thrilled about partnering with Art Not Shame. We look forward to engaging in community-making through the arts,” says Barbara and Bruce.
Art Not Shame and Barbara and Bruce are pleased to announce the year-two recipients of the Pay it Forward Arts Fund: Shannon Kingsbury and Maya Larose. Barbara adds,
"These talented local musicians will work with a number of families, focusing on Indigenous culture's 7 Grandfather Teachings. Participants learn to play traditional drums, sing together and create original music. This will culminate in a community performance."
The PIFAF takes many forms by using the arts to heal, give a hand-up, help build self-esteem, beautify our environment, or enrich and improve others’ lives. It was designed to encourage artists to rise to the challenge and “pay it forward” by using their talents to help others and the Guelph community. The PIFAF runs for a total of four years.
Michelle Peek, Executive Director of Art Not Shame says: “at the heart of the Pay It Forward Arts Fund is a belief in art as a powerful medium in driving individual and community change, in its ability to connect us, to give us greater access to ourselves and to each other, and to ignite transformation; this is a belief shared by Art Not Shame, and we are delighted to play some small part in supporting the thoughtful, creative, and caring work of artists in this community who are keen to share their gifts for community benefit. We are so grateful to Barbara and Bruce for their vision, generosity, and trust.”
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About Art Not Shame: Art Not Shame is a Guelph-based, community-engaged, multidisciplinary arts organization serving youth and adults in Guelph and across Ontario. Founded in 2017, our mission is to amplify the power of the arts to build community, deepen access to creativity, increase well-being, and create the conditions for inner and outer change. For more information, please visit www.artnotshame.org.
