Every year since 2015, the Kennisis Lake Cottage Owners Association and the arts community on Kennisis Lake have donated a portion of their proceeds from the Art on the Dock art tour to the Artists in the Schools and Community (AITSC) program.
This year, the lake association donated $8,000, the largest amount to date, according to Pat Martin of the Arts Council~Haliburton Highlands.
The AITSC program is a communitybased program of the Arts Council. It promotes arts education opportunities for people of all ages by: exposing elementary students to a variety of art forms with in-class instruction by local artists; collaborating with the Youth Hub and other organizations to provide community-based arts programs for youth; providing training programs to artists and artisans to further their skills; and providing seniors with social and health benefits with creative and accessible arts programs.
Martin said that prior to COVID-19, the AITSC program worked with local elementary schools to provide rich, in-class, arts-based programs to stimulate interest and creativity, while enhancing the curriculum.
“The Arts Council hopes this program can continue once schools are back to normal business,” she said.
In the meantime, the AITSC committee has been working to expand the program to offer opportunities to seniors and youth. The committee collaborates with the Youth Hub and other agencies to offer arts-based programming to the broader community.
Martin said, “The Arts Council-Haliburton Highlands would like to thank the Kennisis Lake Cottage Owners Association and the artists on the Art on the Dock art tour for their generosity and belief in the value of arts education.”
