Bringing an unbridled commitment to education and community
engagement, this gift marks the largest known philanthropic gift to
the performing arts sector in Canadian history.
CALGARY,
AB, June 26, 2024 /CNW/ - Marking another
major milestone for Arts Commons Transformation (ACT) and
Olympic Plaza Transformation (OPT), the largest arts-focused
infrastructure project currently underway in Canada, Arts Commons—Western Canada's largest
performing arts centre located in the heart of downtown Calgary—is
humbled to announce a transformational gift of $75 million from Calgarians
Dave Werklund and family to
support ACT and OPT, bringing project funding to $498.5 million of its $660
million goal.
Driven by Dave Werklund's
personal values of accessible education, community care, and
environmental sustainability, this private support, in combination
with secured funding from provincial and municipal governments,
will ensure a truly transformational shift in the role of a modern
arts centre in Canada—one that blends arts, education, social
enterprise, and greater civic dialogue.
With immense gratitude, Arts Commons will invest the
$75 million gift towards construction
costs, create the Dave Werklund Education Wing, as well as
establish four funds to support the sustainability of the following
institutional priorities: education, accessibility, operations, and
an ongoing endowment to rename Arts Commons as Werklund Centre
in perpetuity, starting in the 2025-26 season.
"Principle-centered leadership is at the core of everything I
do, in business and in my personal life. Integrity, building trust
and being a force for positive change is at the core of who I am.
Those are the values that my family aspires to and that inspired us
to make this contribution. Family, yours and mine, are the heart of
every community. It is my sincere hope that Werklund Centre will be
run with these principles in mind and through its innovative
programs be a force for positive change, bringing families across
all sectors of our communities together," says Dave Werklund.
"I first met Dave through his support of our of education
programs and was quickly blown away by his unflappable values, his
incredible integrity, and his fierce commitment to building strong
and resilient communities by supporting families and the
development of young people," says Arts Commons President &
CEO Alex Sarian. "Today's
announcement aligns strongly with Dave's and my belief that the
world-class opportunities and experiences created at Werklund
Centre be relevant, accessible, and impactful to all who are lucky
enough to call Calgary and
Alberta home."
See the full media release here.
Arts Commons is the steward of Western Canada's largest arts centre, and the
artistic and civic cornerstone of Calgary's downtown core. For nearly 40 years,
it has been a key contributor to the social, economic, cultural,
and intellectual life and well-being of Calgarians. It is home to
six resident companies, including Alberta Theatre Projects, Arts
Commons Presents, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Downstage,
Theatre Calgary, and One Yellow Rabbit. It houses six gallery
spaces, five theatres, and the Jack Singer Concert Hall. Its four
sub-brands – Arts Commons Presents, Arts Commons Galleries, Arts
Commons Education, and Arts Commons Connects – promote local,
national, international, emerging and established artists with a
focus on championing inclusion and reconciliation, ensuring the
arts' rightful place at the centre of civic life.
SOURCE Arts Commons