Arts and Entertainment

Artful Giving looks to boost Headwaters Arts Scholarship Fund

November 12, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

Once again, Headwaters Arts Artful Giving show and sale is back to the Alton Mill Arts Centre. Twenty-five plus local artists and artisans have brought over 200 items to fill the Headwaters Arts Gallery with surprises and original works that will serve as very special and lovely holiday season gifts. The show launched on Nov. 11 and runs until Jan. 3. A reception will be held on Nov. 21 from 1 to 3 p.m.

There is another delightful matter to explore, and that is the Headwaters Arts Scholarship Fund.

“Thirty years ago, Headwaters Arts began building a community where creativity could flourish,” Headwaters Arts President Margi Taylor said in the organization’s press release. “Our young people have the talent and imagination. We want to help give them the opportunity to succeed. Now is the time to assure another 30 years.”

Taylor went on to explain, “The scholarship fund started 15 years ago with a donation of $47,000 from the Caledon Councillors Golf Tournament.”

She continued, “Every year since then, qualified worthy students have received $1,000 to help further their education in the arts. The money is sent directly to their post-secondary school to help with their tuition. We now have $2,000 left in the fund.”

From Nov. 11 to Dec. 18, 2026, Headwaters Arts Scholarship Fund is launching its annual Grateful Giving Campaign, with a goal to raise $5,000 for its Scholarship Fund.

The fund was established to offer high school students who have demonstrated talent and a determination to carry on as artists; a scholarship makes sense as a way to help them along. It is important to note that this includes homeschooled students as well.

“Artist” is defined as disciplines including visual arts, music, dance, photography, and digital arts.

As a means to boost the fund, events chair Nancy Kluger explained this year’s plans to promote and encourage patrons to come to the Artful Giving Show during its three weeks.

With a view to raising that $5,000, Kluger expanded on the charming offer to tempt participation.

“For every $20 donation, a ticket is issued for a chance to win a $200 shopping spree at the show,” she said.

Dec. 18 is the day set to draw that ticket, giving the winner plenty of chances to spend it at the show.

Additionally, every donor of $20 will be recognized with a personalized ornament on their Giving Tree,

“Their name standing proudly among friends and neighbours who believe in the power of the arts,” Kluger added.

The most notable difference between other shows at Headwaters Arts Gallery and the Artful Giving show is the inclusion of artisans, high-end crafters making extraordinary items. Many are coming to the gallery for the first time, in a rare chance to display their offerings.

They bring smaller pieces which cost less and yet are still works of art, each unique in its way. Scarves, stained glass ornaments, and beautiful wooden pieces, which are also a campaign to protect forests, are arranged and displayed to be irresistible.

The process of staging this three-week event is a lot of work, done by the willing hands of volunteers, some of whom have been on deck for years.

Many more pieces than can be included are offered via the “call to artists and artisans to submit.” It was Deb Menken, now in her eighth year of helping to set up the show, who took a little time after the work was done to talk about what it takes to make the show so impressive.

As a message to artists in future planning to submit, she advised, “Send good photos. The photo is all we have to see your product – make sure it is the best photo it can be.”

Once all the pieces are in, there is the mighty job of jurying and curating them for best settings and overall viewing.

For Menken, who has a studio at the Alton Mill Arts Centre, she balances how much time and work she has contributed to the events which she has helped to set, with how very much she has learned about actually being part of a show or an event like this, and what an artist needs to understand about the business of art.

Now, she encourages people who love the arts to offer their time and become volunteers at the centre. For every event, people are needed to assist, and the effort is worth every minute for the associations to be met.

Reflecting on the job of setting up this show, Menken said, “We want everybody’s stuff to look the best in the end, and somehow, we make it work – it’s crazy.”

As to the value to the artist of the scholarship, Andie Trepanier wrote, “The Headwaters Arts Scholarship was a cornerstone of my creative education. I was 18 and barely had the funds to pursue my dream. This grant not only helped me materially attend college, but also presented me with this communal vote of confidence that affirmed my career choice.”

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