Quinte Arts Council proposes an increase in the city’s arts and culture funding

Quinte Arts Council’s Executive Director Janet Jarrell requests the city to double the arts and culture grant in next year’s operating budget. Photo from Youtube.

By Rhythm Rathi

BELLEVILLE – Quinte Arts Council is proposing the city double funding for arts and culture in the next city of Belleville budget.

QAC’s Executive Director Janet Jarrell requested the city to increase the current funding of $50,000 based on one dollar per person to two dollars per person during Monday night’s council meeting.

Jarrell said doubling this number to 100,000 dollars will be close to half of what the neighbouring municipalities are funding their arts. She mentioned Kingston has a funding of approximately 4 dollars per capita to support its artists.

She talked about the vital role art plays in our city, listing a number of events like the Porch Fest, live music, visual arts, live theatre, Docfest and others.

“The arts are critical to healthy communities,” said Jarrell.

“Arts are driven and they revitalize environments by helping revitalize older distressed neighbourhoods,” she added. 

Jarrell also commended the efforts of the Downtown District Belleville BIA for the parklets and murals and also the city’s Development and Tourism Coordinator Elisha Purchase’s efforts for successfully executing the Pop-Ups on the Bay.

“This, in turn, creates a stronger Belleville that is better positioned to absorb the population increase and economic growth that might otherwise be diverted,” she said.

She said the Quinte Arts Council is advancing, cultivating, promoting and advocating for a vibrant and diverse art community in various ways to support the new generation of artists.

The QAC has an arts education program that brings local artists into the classrooms, currently virtual, supporting the art curriculum for the children. They also support six graduating students as they pursue arts in post-secondary.

“The QAC has the infrastructure and experience to adjudicate the arts and cultural fund,” said Jarrell.

She said by increasing this commitment the city will gain an opportunity to have these funds matched by the new federal and provincial funding. This will also benefit the innovation and inspiration that artists bring to Belleville.

She also mentioned that the art community creates its own jobs and opportunities for many others.

“We encourage you to make a commitment to increase the funding by $50,000 in the next budget and consider the benefits of including the QAC in administrating those funds,” said Jarrell. 

Mayor Mitch Panciuk acknowledged that this has been a difficult time for all and it has also made us realize what we miss.

“Arts and culture and heritage and live music and all those things, it is wonderful to start and to be able to see them again,” he said.

Panciuk thanked Jarrell saying, “your organization is so important and creating that grassroots culture.”

Councillor Carol Feeney, the former executive director of the QAC, supported Jarrell’s proposal.

“If we can squeeze some more money out of the budget, let’s do it.”

Councillor Sean Kelly also congratulated Jarrell for the successful execution of the programs run by the QAC.

“It really enhances our quality of life and our experiences in Belleville. The arts, we would be lost without them.”

“I will certainly speak to every councillor directly for that extra 50 G’s and make it work,” added Kelly.

Panciuk said the operating budget will be in the spring and the council will consider the increase then.