CAFKA added three new board members to its board of directors and tabled its audited financial statements for the year ending November 30, 2016 at its Annual General Meeting on March 20.
CAFKA Treasurer Brian Hawthornthwaite reported an organizational first: A year-end surplus after a biennial exhibition of $9,064 over operating expenses of $297,000.
Board President Michelle Purchase reported on the past year's activities, noting that CAFKA.16 had reached more people than any previous biennial exhibition and that CAFKA had acheived record numbers of participants through its most extensive program of ancillary events in its existence.
The new board members elected to three-year terms at the AGM are Glodeane Brown, Meg Harder, and Bryn Ossington, all from Kitchener.
Glodeane Brown is a graduate of the Interior Design program and Corporate Communications program at Sheridan College. She is a freelance interior design consultant and has professional experiences in customer service and administration. Glodeane is the Editor and Founder of Culture Fancier, an art blog that covers arts events and regularly features interviews with local and international artists and creative professionals.
Bryn Ossington has worked in the Waterloo Region’s non-profit and charitable sector in a number of different capacities over the past 14 years. He served as Executive Director of the Wilfred Laurier Student Publications for seven years, was founding publisher of the Community Edition newspaper, past Coordinator and Curator of Steel Rail Sessions, and the former Donor Relations Officer at the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation. Recently, Bryn started a new role as a Publisher Account Manager at Sortable, one of the Region's fastest growing startups. Bryn also works concurrently at Conestoga College as the Program director of the Non-Profit Sector faculty and teaches a course in Senior Leadership and Management.
Meg Harder was born in St. Catharines. She is a graduate of the University of Waterloo Fine Arts Program, which included an exchange to the Bezealel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, Israel. Many will recognize her for her work "Civilization of the Wild" in Victoria Park for CAFKA.16. Her wirk as also been featured in Box Art Show, Night/Shift, Stop-Gap, and at THEMUESUM. Meg has been artist in residence at kwarzlab and Rare Charitable Research Reserveand was a participant in Musagetes' SenseLab. She currently works at the Kitchener Public Library in the information service department when she helps develop resources for newcomers. Meg is currently involved in the community with KW Book-mo-bike and a new folk and bike festival celebrating Waterloo City Limits. She has been volunteering with CAFKA for over 6 years as a tour guide and artists assistant.
CAFKA looks forward to the energy our new board members will bring to the organization.
Gordon Hatt
Photo: Jen Love