Windsor artists get $60K in COVID-19 funding

WINDSOR, ONT. -- The City of Windsor is giving 68 local artists $60,000 in funding for arts, culture and heritage projects.

City officials say 143 artists and creators applied to Windsor’s enhanced funding round for the Arts, Culture & Heritage Fund grant program in response to COVID-19.

Of these, 68 applicants are receiving support for arts, culture and heritage projects that will be available online now through June 30, 2020.

Windsor city council voted to release the ACHF COVID-19 Enhanced Funding Round to help support the city’s creative community during this difficult time.

The funding requests totalled about $132,000. With $60,000 available in this round, city officials say the competition was high and the jury had to make extremely difficult decisions.

“Windsor has a proud history of investment in our arts, culture and heritage community,” said mayor Drew Dilkens. “One of the main goals of this enhanced funding round is to create shareable positive stories and experiences for our entire community to engage with over the coming months.”

The musicians, poets, storytellers, visual artists, filmmakers and dancers receiving funding are producing content that will be shared across social media and online platforms, and will be available for public streaming and downloading.

Through May and June 2020, Mayor Dilkens and the City of Windsor will share updates on livestreams and cultural engagement opportunities available to the community through these funded projects – all of which will use the #YQGStandsStrong hashtag to link them together online.

For additional information on the program, visit www.achfwindsor.ca.

ACHF COVID-19 Enhanced Funding Round Projects and Recipients:

1. Bill Dileva. The Bill Nuvo Experience. Livestream magic show.

2. David Carovillano. Clarinet for the Soul. Livestream concert.

3. John-Paul Bonadonna. Leave Those Kids Alone. Livestream online concerts.

4. Kate Hargreaves. Insulate. Livestream poetry reading.

5. Gisele Dionne. Franco Danses. Livestream weekly dance classes.

6. Garth Jackson. You Need Something To Slow You Down. Short film.

7. Nora Harvey. Live Painting Class. Livestream step-by-step visual art class.

8. Glen Hawkes. The Not-So-Normal Activity Book. 25-page downloadable book.

9. Teajai Travis. Story Time with Uncle Teajai, Duke of Dressup. Storytelling videos.

10. Madeline Doornaert. Madeline Doornaert LIVE. Livestream concert.

11. Lesley Andrew. 3:30 LIVE! Livestream concerts featuring several musical genres.

12. Ted Lamont. Ted Tuesdays. Livestream all-request acoustic shows.

13. Luke Maddaford. HERE. Visual art exhibition available online.

14. Clinton Anderson. Clinton Anderson Folks Around. Livestream concert.

15. Gemma Cunial. Windsor Youth Short Film Showcase. Online film presentations.

16. Liam Ingram. Cyber Rehab with Benz Menova. Livestream variety show.

17. Kristofer Marentette. The Face to Facebook Livecast. Livestream variety show.

18. Sarah F. Morris. Jane’s Walk 2020. Digital presentations from the 2020 event.

19. Nhu Tu. Heroes of Windsor. Time-lapse mural creation.

20. Averey Meloche. The Fantasy Fantasia Podcast. Storytelling and role-playing.

21. Crissi Cochrane. Crissi Cochrane Livestream. Livestream concert.

22. Sara Fontaine. The Fontaine’s Virtual Album. Livestream concert.

23. Patricia Fell. #essentialToothFairy. Livestream video merging art and health.

24. Kaitlyn Karns. The Broadway Bunch. Livestream concert of Broadway songs.

25. Karen Morand. Tangerine Quarantine. Livestream storytelling/poetry/music.

26. Justin Zuccato. The Indiana Drones. Livestream acoustic concert.

27. Black Kids in Action. Our Voice for Our Community. Youth videos during COVID.

28. Michael Evans. It Happened in Windsor. Video series highlighting Windsor’s history.

29. Ben Graham. Mama Llama’s Enchiladas. Livestream and download of children’s book.

30. Kevin Blondin. STAY HOME. Digital colouring activity pages from local artists.

31. Spencer Montcalm. Art Conservation LIVE. Livestream art conservation tutorials.

32. Christine Paris. Gaia’s Journey. Video presentation of “Gaia’s Journey” children’s book.

33. Christy Litster. Colouring Pages Give-Away! Downloadable colouring packs.

34. Heather Zaleski. Growing Your Own Vegetable Garden. Video tutorials.

35. Julia Hall. Untitled. Video on the design/creation of an outdoor mural on native plants.

36. Leslie McCurdy. The Spirit of Harriet Tubman. Video broadcast of the one-woman play.

37. Eric Branget. Night Terrors. Local theatre collaboration; producing original podcasts.

38. Kriste Latouf. Lights of Unity. Virtual presentation of a visual art exhibition.

39. Emerald Isle Dance Society of Windsor. Irish Dancing 101. Livestream dance classes.

40. Jade Wallace. The Southern Ontario Gothic Tour. Livestream poetry and storytelling.

41. Scott Rawlings. Great Scott!!!! It’s MAGIC!!!! Livestream all-ages magic show.

42. Alexandra Biniarz. Nature Poetry & Environmentalism. Digital poetry and stories.

43. Chinese Association of Greater Windsor. United. Video highlighting community spirit.

44. Brendan Scott Friel. Live from My Living Room. Livestream concert.

45. Windsor Dance eXperience. Dancing with Windsor. Livestream dance classes and party.

46. Alex Ungurenasu. To Light. Livestream poetry reading.

47. Vanguard Youth Arts Collective. Run, Don’t Walk. Online art exhibition and Zine.

48. Douglas MacLellan. The Long Pause. Digital photo project and magazine.

49. ACT – Arts Collective Theatre. Wherever It Takes You. Showcase from a one-act play.

50. Abridged Opera Co. Trio of Mini Concerts. Livestream of three operas.

51. Korda Artistic Productions. Fearless Frieda & the Giant. Livestream theatre production.

52. Mark Calcott. Faking Requests. Livestream ‘all-request’ piano concert.

53. James Oltean. James O-L Online. Livestream concert.

54. Bangladesh-Canada Association of W.E. Boishakhi. Celebration of Bangla New Year.

55. Sasha Opeiko & Martin Stevens. Extraordinary Measures. Short film presentation.

56. David Bergeron. Program Nexus. Livestream electronic music set.

57. Czarina Mendoza. Non-essential Audio. Sound documentary responding to COVID.

58. Theodore Hogan. Ted Hogan, Saxophone. Livestream musical performance.

59. Imogen Clendinning. LEFT Contemporary. Visual arts/artists Instagram takeover.

60. Kianna Porter. A New Dress Every Day. Livestream reading of poems by Marty Gervais.

61. Murad Erzinclioglu. Open the Floodgate. Three development seminars for creators.

62. Austin Di Pietro. Transcending Borders. Music recording and presentation.

63. Jeremy Coulter. TROUT in Captivity. Livestream concert.

64. Mark Laliberte. The Simpler Sampler. Creation/sharing of 2 e-books.

65. JC Bitonti. Exulansis. Daily poetry readings, with a 60 minute final show from local poets.

66. Lauren Rapp. Inside Out. Time-lapse video of a mural creation by a local artist.

67. Sybil Lamb. Lamb Oracle Tarot Deck. Downloadable tarot gallery with interpretations.

68. Erik Johnson. Floetry. Livestream poetry reading with musical accompaniment.