Join Windsor Endowment for the Arts on Friday, October 29, 2010 for Arts Circus Extraordinaire at the Club Lofts Condiminiums, 2175 Wyandotte Street East.  If you’ve ever been to an event organized by WEA, then you know this is going to be nothing short of spectacular.  We’re pretty excited about the whole thing and are so happy we’ve been able to help with the preparations!

The event is being held in Club Lofts in Old Walkerville.  Each loft will be hosting an artist and you’ll be able to go from loft to loft and take in all the wonderful, creative people and organizations we have in this region as well as have a peek at this fantastic location.

Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at Nancy Johns Gallery and Framing, 4755 Wyandotte Street East  or Artcite, 109 University Avenue West. 

The event will be celebrating the premiere of the WEA Arts Leadership Awards and WEA Arts Grants.  Creatively designed to showcase the energy and vibrancy of arts in Windsor Essex, Arts Circus Extraordinaire honours leaders in community, literary, performing and visual arts, tasty treats, artistic presentations and a formal award ceremony.

Windsor Endowment for the Arts (WEA) will officially present the inaugural winners of the WEA Arts Leadership Awards and WEA Arts Grants on Friday, October 29 at Club Lofts.   A total of 13 recipients will be honoured.

Four WEA Arts Leadership Awards recognize leaders in different areas: community arts,  literary arts, performing arts, and visual arts in Windsor Essex.   The Jury has recognized each individual for distinguished contributions to arts and culture in Windsor-Essex.

And here are the winners of the Arts Leadership Awards:

  • Otto Buj, writer, producer, artistic director of the Windsor International Film Festival, will receive the 2010 Arts Leadership Award for Community Arts.
  • Lenore Langs, Chair of Bookfest Windsor, co-publisher of Cranberry tree Press and poet, will receive the 2010 Arts Leadership Award for Literary Arts. 
  • John Morris Russell, Music Director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra (WSO), will receive the 2010 Arts Leadership Award for Performing Arts. 
  • Susan Gold, visual artist-educator-social activist and community volunteer, will receive the 2010 Arts Leadership Award for Visual Arts.

Outstanding nominations, from the public and recognized leaders in the arts culture community identified the nine winners of the inaugural WEA Arts Grants.  Five emerging artists and four arts organizations will be recognized.   

Four arts organizations will receive the WEA Arts Grant:

  • The Armouries Redevelopment Committee,
  • Literary Arts Windsor,
  • Breathe Art Theatre Projects
  • Artists of Colour

WEA Grants for Emerging Artists will honour:

  • Christopher Lawrence Menard in performing arts
  • Vanessa Shields and Robert Earl Stewart in literary arts
  • Victor Romao in visual arts
  • Rory O’Connor in community arts

Congratulations to all the winners!