CPAMO Moves Ahead!

By charles c. smith, Program Lead of CPAMO, Lecturer, Cultural Pluralism and the Arts/University of Toronto Scarborough

At the end of 2011, CPAMO received confirmation of a 3-year grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).  Based on its work since 2009 and its proposals for future activity, the OTF provided a generous grant of $180,000 over this period to continue work on building relationships between presenters and Aboriginal and ethno-racial artists. To pursue this, CPAMO has begun building communities of practice in Ottawa and Kingston and, pending approval of a grant proposal to Canada Council for the Arts, CPAMO will begin to do the same across the GTA.  In doing this, CPAMO will continue to enhance the dialogue between CCI members, other venue-based organizations active in the visual arts and literature with Aboriginal and ethno-racial artists.  We’re also aiming to work with major arts organizations in Toronto as a follow-up to conversations begun last year.  This project component is aimed at defining and building concrete exchanges between these organizations and artists, e.g., assistance with corporate fundraising, volunteer development, board recruitment and other things.

All in all, it seems like the next three years will be exciting ones as CPAMO moves ahead in its work and connects the dots!!!  To read more about CPAMO activities, check out our web site at http://cpamo.posterous.com/  or join our list-serve by writing to Victoria Glizer, Program Assistant, at info.cpamo@gmail.com.  This will give you access to regular updates on arts activities in diverse communities!  You can also direct questions, comments or suggestions to us as well.