Vision and Goals of a Unique Organization
The Minto Arts Council is a non-profit, volunteer-directed organization. With the vision and goals to promote and encourage participation in, and enjoyment of, the arts and heritage of Minto and the surrounding area.
Our mission statement emphasizes our dedication to the development and management of the Minto Arts Gallery, located on the third floor of the historic Harriston Public Library. In this space, we aim to create high-quality exhibits that blend contemporary art with historical elements.
2024/25 Minto Arts Council Executive
Treasurer
Gordon Duff
(519) 338-2497
Secretary
Lynn Jamieson
Directors
Warren Grein
Wendy Lockwood
Raissa Rogers
Beryl Rosewarne
Bill van Sickle
Judy Tuck
Ruth Wilkin
Vision and Goals
The Minto Arts Council’s first meeting was held in the summer of 1996. Our vision and goals were to create a space for exhibiting local artists’ creations and displaying historical and contemporary collections from the community.
Today, we continue to build upon the original project’s success – the Harriston-Minto Heritage Gallery – with a full slate of exhibitions and arts-focused events. These initiatives are made possible with the assistance of our dedicated volunteer group, as well as strong support from the community.
Archie and Bursary Awards
The Minto Arts Council proudly presents the annual Archie and Bursary Awards to recognize and celebrate the artistic talents of students from Minto-Clifford Public School and Palmerston Public School. These awards highlight outstanding creativity and dedication to the arts among the youth in our community. Furthermore, the council also grants the Minto Arts Council Bursary Award, which offers financial support to a deserving student from Norwell District Secondary School, encouraging their pursuit of further education and artistic endeavours.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information on our vision and goals.
Awards
In 2007, the Minto Arts Council received the June Callwood Award for Volunteerism from the Province of Ontario, for exemplary voluntary contributions to the community.
In 2011, we were gratefully recognized by local business leaders and awarded the Harriston Home Hardware Outstanding Organization Award, through the Minto Chamber of Commerce Community Achievement Awards.
The lands we know today as the Town of Minto have been home to Indigenous peoples since time immemorial. We acknowledge that we are on the treaty lands and traditional territory of the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee. With increasing encroachment by non-Indigenous settlers in the Town of Minto, the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee could not continue their traditional lifestyle and settled in their villages on Lake Huron and in the Grand River Valley. These nations uphold their Treaty Rights within our jurisdiction. Today, the Town of Minto remains home to Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island. We are grateful to have the opportunity to share and respect Mother Earth and are committed to building constructive and cooperative relationships with Indigenous nations.