We wish all our volunteers, student placements, artists, donors and friends of Creative Spirit a wonderful holiday season.

We are grateful for your support of dollars, time, talent and friendship. You care and helped us to make it through this year.

Thank you: Vicki who worked and works on our social media, (- and she makes and delivers delicious cookies too!). Thank you Gavin, Deb and Bhupesh who create the best designs, publications, typography and graphics. Thank you to Ronnie who brings her kindness to the artists and her professional skills to the collections. Thank you to Oliver for his ability to navigate EXCEL and the endless track of bills and taxes. Thank you Gary for his creative eye, hanging monthly exhibitons, to Michael D. who keeps our website going. Thank you to the Board of Directors: Liz who makes music and helps connect us to the rest of the creative community. Thank you Peter for doing our Financial year end. Thank you Shelly for signing the donation receipts. Thank you Michael S. for keeping us focused! 

We are grateful to Weiner’s Home Hardware for their donation of cleaning supplies; Bean and Baker for their celebration cakes; Vert for feeding our conferences, seminars and special meetings; South Pacific Chinese and Polynesian Foods for their edible treats. Thanks to Anne and Can of PAC; who made sure that Orhan got to the studio every week. They participated in so many ways in life in the studio. 

If I have forgotten anyone please, forgive me.

This month we lost friend Alan Hooks. Alan was one of our studio artists. We are grateful to those close to Alan who sent donations on his behalf and continue to support Creative Spirit artists.

The studio is empty and lonely without the sounds, chatter and laughter; from Marc, Gabe, Catharine, Gilles, Kevin, Will, Orhan, Anne, Maruja, Alan, Alex, David and Michael.

Creative Spirit Artists, Kristine Erglis and Anna Quon participate from as far away as Halifax as does Hanni Sager in Mexico; and Toronto artists:  Janet Basmadjian, Cynthia Kemerer, Meiko Ando; Yuriko Kubota; and Mayuko Ueda. Currently the gallery/studio is closed but our resource and information centre remains open. We keep in touch with Able Arts Japan with the help of Noriko Hatanaka, in Tokyo and with the Very Special Arts International affiliates with Stephanie Litvak in Washington D.C..

A big project we continue to work on is saving our LIVING LEGACY of ongoing creative work and collections which deal in ACCESSIBLE ART. By access we include economic as well as universal access due to medical diagnosis.  We are forming partnerships with Loet and Mickey Vos’ Toy Collection; The Puppet Mongers and The Clay and Paper Theatre. We have a collective need for a permanent home with performance spaces, collections, workshops and studios, café and gift shop. I believe that the City of Toronto is ready to support a public art home for TOYS, PUPPET THEATRE, & FOLK ART.

Please, continue with us on our journey and contact us If you want to become involved in our efforts to also secure further funding. We need your help to continue our work. I feel that many people are experiencing donor fatigue. To those who send us money; thank you. I hate to ask for donations of money because there are so many worthwhile deserving charitable causes out there asking for help.

We are lucky and privileged to have your support and wish you a New Year of good health, good spirits, good friends and good fortune.

Ellen Anderson

Executive Director