FUNDING

OKWA has always been a non-profit organization. There was a brief period in 1993 due to Jocelyn Purdie's diligence in grant writing that OKWA was able to pay an administrator; all other work has been done through volunteers. Through a Canada Council Explorations grant and Ontario Arts Council grants as well as local community grants OKWA was able to consolidate its energies with the establishment of an office space and Resource Centre at 21A Queen Street in downtown Kingston (KAAI or Modern Fuel). The establishment of an operating base increased efficiency in terms of programming and administration enabling OKWA to establish important communication links with a broader audience. the co-existence of the OKWA and the Kingston Artists Association proved to be mutually beneficial in terms of access to equipment, the exchange of ideas/information and an increase in activity in the space.  The Resource Centre maintained a seating/reading area located in the State of Flux Gallery. Resource materials included arts publications, arts organization directories, a slide registry of members work and a file library of practical reference materials for artists.

The grants also provided funds to invite 4 artists (Femart series). Artists were brought to Kingston to present slide presentation/discussion open to the public and 2 critique discussion sessions for members who presented work in slides or studio visits. (Colette Whiten (Toronto), Lynn Hughes (Montreal), Rita McKeough (Nova Scotia), and Anne Ramsden (Vancouver).

Funding was raised through grant proposals as well as generous contributions from the community, raffles, annual dances, and workshops.

Over the years the Kingston Women Artists received overwhelming support from the community.  The first year each artist put in $300 of their own money to cover the expenses of printing the datebook.  Subsequently artists took on the job of soliciting from the community where sponsors put in $100 or professional services.

OKWA THANKS ITS MANY SPONSORS IN THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS THAT HAVE MADE IT POSSIBLE TO BE HERE TODAY.

Canada Council Explorations, the Ontario Arts Council, The Brock Street Gallery, Camera Kingston, Chez Piggy Restaurant, Printed Passage Books, Kingston Community Credit Union, Farrago Home Improvements, House of Sounds, Sunbuilders, J&W Framing, Classic Video, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Tara Foods, Rubens and Botticelli Restaurant, Good Neighbour Fencing, The Whig Standard, Donald Liardi, Peter Kelly, Frameworks, The Hotel Belvedere, K.A.A.I., Penney Page, Kingston Frameworks, Phase 2 Clothing, Shoatts and Zaback Architects, the Angel's Rake, Art Noise, Beaugarts, Belvedere Hotel, Bronskill Insurance Brokers, Berry & Peterson Booksellers, Marilyn Birmingham and Matthew Gventer, Dr. and Mrs. Arnie Chestnut, Chinese Laundry Cafe, Cornacchia Photo services, Cornerstone, Sandra Cowan, Cox, Raike & MacKellar Bookkeeping and Tax Service, Dr. Noel Derrick, Database Microcomputing, Mark Gray, Dick Henriksen, Lily Inglis, Lewis & Sheila Johnson, Oscar Malan, Modern Engineering, La Papeterie St.-Armand, Pilot House, Princess Court Cinema, Snodrift Graphics, TooDear Stables, Top Card Restaurant, Vandervoorts Hardware, Vintex, Whig-Standard, Wright Financial Directions, Fenlon Financial Inc, Flowers by Freesia, Laurie-Davey-Quantick, Sky Originals, Dr. Sandra Cowan, Dr. Lynn Margesson, Rena Swain, Blaney's Florists, W.H. Caverly Ltd., John D. Smith Engineering Associates Ltd., The Front Room Studio, Green Superior Glass, Windmills Cafe, Burt's Greenhouses, Irving Freilich, Joanne and Ron Gunning, Ann Kilbertus, The Wool Room, Lewis and Sheila Johnson, Olga Richardson, Dr. Ruth Galbraith, Dr. & Mrs. J.A. Low, Kingston Montessori School, Stephen Wild Photography, Countrywide Kitchen & Bath, F.W. Black Ltd. Brew Ha-Ha, Odyssey Travel, North Addington Education Centre, Dr. & Mrs. Garry Solomon, Dr. B. Tobia, Breaking Free, Excalibur Learning Resource Centre, Mahogany Management, Veronica Desjardins, Modern Engineering, Patricia Wardrop, The Edward Day Gallery, M.S. Rankin, American Express Travel Service, Black and Lloyd Barristers, Maison Paul Coiffure Ltd., Andrew McLachlan, Paradiso, Murray W. Rielly, Cunning Linguists, Dyke Postcard Collectors, Lisa Markon, Alison Bowe, Pamela Needham, Bonnie Hall, Anne Hardcastle, Joan Stevenson, Janice McAlpine, Donna Gallagher, Nancy Hennigar, Dr. Cameron Stevenson, Jim & Cathy Watson, Native Renaissance II, Maureen Walton, Very Shari, Maureen Yorga & Natasha Hilfer.