The Windsor Endowment for the Arts (WEA) has distributed more than $31,000 in grants to support new artistic projects across the city, including a dedicated exhibition space for emerging artists. The funding was awarded to over 20 artists, arts organizations, and community groups during the annual Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards ceremony held on May 28 at the WFCU Centre.
Supporting Artists and Community
Veronica Barris, president of the Windsor Endowment for the Arts, emphasized the organization's mission: to enable artists to pursue their passions within the community. 'The whole purpose of the Windsor Endowment for the Arts was to support artists within the community, so that they could actually afford to do something that they're passionate about,' she said.
Since 2010, the WEA has partnered with the city to combine its biennial awards ceremony and grant program with the Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards. Barris noted that many of this year's award-winning proposals were community-oriented. Examples include a designated gallery space for emerging artists at Art Windsor-Essex and an art exhibition project for breast cancer survivors.
Encouraging Growth in the Arts
Beyond the grant program, the awards aim to foster growth in the arts sector and celebrate local talent. 'Art helps us to tell our stories, challenges us to think differently, brings people together, creates experiences, and all of that helps to build pride within our community,' Barris said. She added that a strong arts sector attracts talent and visitors, enhancing the region's appeal.
Barris expressed concern that the arts do not receive enough attention in the Windsor-Essex community. 'I think everybody struggles to get awareness. The amount of funding that goes into the arts is so tiny when you look at charitable giving,' she noted. She believes that arts funding is crucial for strengthening community identity and retaining creative individuals.
'Ultimately, if we're supporting local artists, we're investing in the cultural future of Windsor-Essex. If creative people have a place to grow, they'll stay. If people don't have a way to express themselves within the community they've been raised in, they'll leave and find another place to do it,' Barris concluded.
2026 Windsor Mayor's Arts Award Recipients
- Individual Artist: Rachel Pieters
- Arts Organization: Windsor Dance eXperience Inc.
- Arts Volunteers: Don and Cathy Wilson
- Outstanding Contribution to the Arts: Windsor International Film Festival
- Outstanding Contribution to the Arts (Posthumous): WSO Maestro Robert Franz, 1968–2025
2026 WEA Arts Leadership Award Recipients
- Performing Arts Leadership Award: Lillian Scheirich
- Visual Arts Leadership Award: Nancy Johns
2026 WEA Emerging Artist Grant Recipients
- Film Arts Grant: Claudio D'Andrea
- Literary Arts Grant: Victoria Hecnar
- Performing Arts Grant: William James Brown
- Visual Arts Grant: Sandra Teppo
2026 WEA Arts Infrastructure Grant Recipients
- Community Arts Grant: Irina Teske
- Performing Arts Music Grant: Christopher Yepez/ishKode
- Performing Arts Theatre Grant: Korda Artistic Productions/The KordaZone Theatre
- Carolyne Rourke Visual Arts Infrastructure Grant: Art Windsor-Essex for The Lois Smedick Community Display
2026 Elizabeth Havelock Grant in the Arts
- Elizabeth Havelock Grant in the Arts: Russell Alexander Macklem
