ArtsBuild Ontario is thrilled to both welcome Karen Stintz as our new Executive Director and announce the expansion of our successful SpaceFinder program into Hamilton with partner CoBALT CONNECTS.
The Board of ArtsBuild Ontario is excited to welcome former Toronto Transit Commission Chair and Mayoral candidate Karen Stintz as its next Executive Director. ArtsBuild Ontario is the only organization in Ontario dedicated to providing long-term solutions for building, managing and financing sustainable creative spaces such as theatres, galleries, concert halls and museums in Ontario communities.
“I’m very excited to be joining ArtsBuild Ontario and to have an opportunity to contribute to the arts community, particularly in an area where my expertise from government can be a great asset,” says Karen Stintz. “When we talk about support for the arts, the importance of local arts facilities doesn’t often make it into the conversation – but they’re a tremendously important part of bringing the arts into communities across Ontario.”
Karen comes to ArtsBuild Ontario with a wealth of management and leadership experience from both the public and private sectors. In addition to serving as the Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission, North America’s third-largest public transit system, she has years of experience in the public and private sectors, managing and delivering innovative multi-partner programs.
“At ArtsBuild Ontario we’re working to enable creative centres to not only succeed, but thrive. That’s why I’m very pleased to announce today that through our continued partnership with Fractured Atlas, and CoBALT Connects, we’ll be supporting the expansion of the acclaimed SpaceFinder system to Hamilton, Ontario. This is an important next step to the tremendous success of SpaceFinder Toronto,” adds Karen.
SpaceFinder is a first-of-its-kind free online service that enables artists and event planners to find, schedule, and rent available rehearsal , performance and special event space based on a wide range of needs, including date, time, cost and location. When it launched in Toronto in 2014, it was the first service to offer a large-scale solution for both venues and renters by matching artists with unused rehearsal and performance space. SpaceFinder Hamilton will now help arts organizations in that city do the same thing.
“Fractured Atlas applauds ArtsBuild Ontario’s vision for leveraging SpaceFinder to serve Canada. Together we are empowering communities to bypass expensive technology builds, and jump to delivering a valuable service to artists and cultural venues,” says Adam Huttler, Executive Director, Fractured Atlas.
SpaceFinder is one of a number of innovative tools and programs that ArtsBuild provides to arts organizations. In the coming weeks, ArtsBuild will launch additional new programming to support arts organizations and communities in building, managing and financing sustainable arts facilities.