We have a small and mighty Board of Directors who meet regularly to discuss ways that we can continue to advance LOWAC’s mandate.
We meet on the second Thursday of the month at 7 pm via Zoom with a focus on continuing to advance LOWAC’s mission and support the rich arts community.
Board members and volunteers wanted!
We are in need of new board members and volunteers who can help us with our plans to move forward with events and initiatives to deliver on the mandate given to us by our members – which is primarily to create opportunities to bring artists together to explore and share their art practices. Artists and supporters of the arts of all disciplines and genres are welcome! If you are interested or have ideas you can email lowacdirectors@gmail.com.
We have a number of Board positions coming available as officers complete their terms in November 2023, including Chair, Vice-Chair and Membership Chair. We also need volunteers and a Chair for ARTFEST, our annual arts festival featuring artisans, performers and activities on the grounds of The Muse in downtown Kenora as well as ongoing fundraising and promotion.
Officers
The Board shall elect a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer every year at a meeting of the Board of Directors held directly after the Annual General Meeting, or as often as may be required. No individual may hold the position of President for more than three consecutive years. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined.
We are seeking a new president for 2025.
Duties as follows:
10.02 President
The President shall, when present, preside at all meetings of the Organization and, along with the Board, generally oversee and supervise the governance of the Organization including the signing of By-Laws, special resolutions and other such documents requiring his signature and such other duties as may from time to time be prescribed by resolution of the Board or that are otherwise required by this office.
The Vice-President role is also currently vacant. If of interest, we would considering combining the two roles to be shared as “Co-President” by two individuals.
10.03 Vice- President
The Vice- President shall, in the absence of the President, preside over meetings of the organization and of the Board and otherwise exercise all the powers and duties of the President. The Board, in the absence of the President and Vice-President, may appoint from among its numbers, an Acting President for its meetings. We are seeking a new vice-president.
Stephanie Chale – Treasurer
Stephanie Chale is new to Kenora and loves the vibrant arts community here. She was responsible for coordinating the green room for ArtsFest 2023 and looks forward to expanding her role this year. Stephanie is a visual artist who first took up painting during the pandemic. Since then she has explored acrylics, Plein Air painting, pen and inks.
10.05 Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be responsible for
• keeping full and accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements of the Organization in proper books of account and shall deposit all monies in the name and to the credit of the Organization in such bank or financial institutions as may from time to time be designated by the Board.
• Under the direction of the Board, disbursing the funds of the Organization, taking proper vouchers
therefore; and
• rendering to the Board at regular meetings thereof, or whenever
Shelby Dawn Smith – Secretary
Shelby Dawn Smith is an artist who grew up in small town Northwestern Ontario, and currently conducts her art practice in Kenora, Ontario. She graduated with honours from the Bachelor of Fine Arts program with specialization in Painting and Drawing at the University of Ottawa in 2015. It wasn’t until the final years of her BFA that she began exploring abstraction, after discovering the art of prominent abstractionists, like Fiona Rae and Cy Twombly. Shelby’s expressive mixed-media paintings explore the complexities of emotion through visual elements, such as colour and texture, and attempts to find a balance between harmony and tension. Her debut solo show, Different Every Time, took place in the spring of 2016 at Studio Sixty-Six in Ottawa, and showcased her experimental and process-based style. Her artwork is found in private collections around the world.
In the spring of 2019, Shelby was hired as the Programmer for The Muse – Douglas Family Art Centre in Kenora, Ontario. In this role, she has been responsible for developing and presenting arts and cultural programs for all ages, as well as organizing local and national artists to lead workshops and give presentations. Other responsibilities include: fundraising, graphic design, social media management, website management, professional photography, art handling, and managing the Art Centre’s lending library. Beginning in August of 2021, Shelby spent a year as acting Curator, developing and mounting exhibitions, before returning to the role of Programmer in 2022
You can read more about Shelby’s work at www.shelbydawnsmith.com
10.04 Secretary
The Secretary shall be responsible for
• giving notices;
• keeping records of all meetings of the Members and the Board; and
• signing of minutes.
Membership Chair
The duties of the Membership Chair include managing annual membership renewals via mail, Paypal and the LOWAC directors gmail account, promoting membership, and currently, distribution of LOWAC information and newsletters to the online database. We are seeking a membership chair.
Directors/Members at Large
Directors shall hold office for a term of three years starting from the date of their election by the Members of the Organization and so long as the Directors remain eligible under the terms of Article 7.02, provided, however, that the Board of Directors may lengthen or shorten the term of office for any Director in order to establish a rotation schedule as may be required. Directors shall be eligible to stand for election for two consecutive terms unless minimum board membership (5) cannot be achieved.
Helena Devins is the Matiowski Farmers’ Market/Special Events Coordinator for the City of Kenora, and a former Recreation Activities Coordinator for the City of Ottawa. She received her Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Ottawa and completed her Graduate studies in Event Management at Algonquin College. Her community involvement includes assisting events within the City of Kenora throughout the year. In addition to serving as a board member of the Lake of the Woods Art Community, Helena is a member of the Science North Board of Trustees.
Kerri Favreau has lived in Kenora her entire life and has a particular interest in supporting organizations that celebrate and strengthen community. This has included service to The Kenora District Festival of the Arts, The Kenora Agricultural Society, St. Louis Parish Children’s Camp and Trylight Theatre. She is an educator at St. Louis Living Arts School where she works to enliven programs through meaningful connections with the Arts and local artists. Kerri sees the importance of creative, collaborative work as a means to building thriving communities.
Jocelyn Byng-Campbell is an arts enthusiast who looks forward to bringing her knowledge of the region and financial acumen to the LOWAC Board. Jocelyn is currently on hiatus while on maternity leave.
Lara Stovern is a visual artist who create custom artwork inspired by the natural beauty around her at her home in the Northwest Angle. She looks forward to contributing to LOWAC and the local arts scene.
Our sincere thanks to Everette Fournier, Aimee Baldwin, Carolyne Lynch, Marylou Goodwin, Ashi Shrivas and Leanne Fournier who have recently retired from the Board. Their contributions and wisdom over the past several years have been invaluable.
Lake of the Woods Arts Community By-laws are available upon request.