Windsor Arts Council says city’s funding allocation hasn’t changed in 14 years

The arts council says more money should be invested into local art. CTV Windsor’s Sanjay Maru explains.

The Arts Council Windsor & Region (ACWR) is urging city council to lift a years-long limit on the funding it receives, arguing stagnant support has failed to keep pace with rising operational expenses.

Budget documents show the ACWR has requested its municipal allocation increase from $15,000 to $25,000 for 2025.

However, the proposed budget maintains the $15,000 allocation the organization has received for nearly 14 years.

“Our grant has remained the same for the last 14 years, while our operational costs have continued to increase,” said Stephanie Barnhard, ACWR board president, during a presentation to Windsor city councillors Monday. “Despite our fundraising efforts, we have not been able to restore our pre-pandemic income levels.”

The ACWR provides services like grant writing consultations, professional development workshops, and exhibition space.

It also operates the Artspeak Gallery in Walkerville, which hosts about 40 exhibitions annually.

“That’s a new show every week, bringing artists, their friends, and their families to the area,” Barnhard said, adding the ACWR has been “a cornerstone of Windsor’s creative community” for 45 years.

When artists move to Windsor, Barnhard noted, their first stop is often the ACWR.

“We serve as a gateway to the region’s arts ecosystem, connecting artists with local organizations and arts programs,” she said.

The council’s operations are managed by two staff members — one full-time and one part-time — supported by a volunteer board.

Kristen Siapas, a producer with Just Cake Productions and a long-time member of Windsor’s arts community, shared concerns about the lack of investment.

“The arts tends to be the last thing on anybody’s list when it comes to investment, and yet it’s the first thing we go to for entertainment and enjoyment of our city,” Siapas said, addressing the proposed 2025 budget. “It’s not surprising to see that there isn’t a big increase in that arts budget, but it’s disappointing. Organizations like the Arts Council haven’t seen an increase in their funding for many years, and it prevents them from doing any real, substantial growth.”

Siapas also cited the inflationary pressures arts organizations are facing.

“The cost of putting on live performances or maintaining the facilities we have in the city has grown exponentially, just as it has in every other industry. To not even increase that investment so it meets inflation makes it really difficult for us to provide the same level of service.”

Comparisons to Detroit’s thriving arts sector have also fueled frustration.

“It’s difficult to watch that kind of investment happen over there and feel like we don’t get the same kind of investment here,” Siapas said. “When you look across Canada, Windsor’s numbers come in very low on a per capita basis. It’s disappointing to see that we haven’t seen that number grow.”

In parts of Metro Detroit, property owners contribute 20 cents per $1,000 of taxable property value to support the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Jennifer Matotek, executive director of Art Windsor-Essex, said while a similar tax model in Windsor would be interesting, it’s uncommon in Canada.

“It’s not a common structure in Canada to have a municipality contribute to the expenses of a cultural organization in their city,” Matotek said.

One of Windsor’s most significant arts funding initiatives is the Arts, Culture, and Heritage Fund (ACHF).

The program allows artists to apply for grants to offset costs for projects such as exhibits, festivals, and concerts.

Since its launch in 2013, the ACHF has awarded $1,068,000 to 468 projects.

“Those individual projects that happen across the city on a yearly basis do wonderful things,” said Siapas. “But there’s so much more that we could be doing and so many different ways that we could be investing those dollars.”

This year, $118,000 is allocated for the ACHF, distributed through two application rounds in January and July. Artists can receive up to $5,000 per project.

In a statement, a City of Windsor spokesperson said increasing the ACHF is “simply not feasible at this time” due to extraordinary budgetary pressures in 2025.