This was the culmination of an initiative presented by Muskoka Arts & Crafts to the Planning and Economic Development Committee of the Council of the District Municipality of Muskoka at their April 10 meeting.

"From national icons, international musicians, renown artists as well people who are picking up a paint brush for the first time, Muskoka inspires creativity. Our artists have become as integral as our landscape," remarked Sara Hall, the president for Muskoka Arts & Crafts who spoke in support of declaring Muskoka as a Designated Arts Community.

"Arts and culture are important to making a community stronger by contributing to the economy and quality of life of its citizens. This designation will help to make the public aware of the strength and richness of the arts community in Muskoka," said Hall.

Information provided by Statistics Canada supports Hall’s economic claim that the arts are big business. Economically, the arts generate 19.1 billion dollars annually in Ontario. Over the course of a year, 54% of people in Ontario attend an arts event or festival and nearly one third of money spent by overnight visitors to the province is spent on arts events.

Muskoka Arts & Crafts believes that focusing on the arts will help to promote Muskoka as a year-round destination and this designation could be used by a variety of organizations and groups such as Muskoka Tourism, the Chambers of Commerce, resorts, businesses, theatre and film, private and public galleries, studio tours, along with arts and music festivals.

"By designating Muskoka as an arts community, District Council will be showing a level of support for the arts that could open the doors to other levels of government funding. Having the visible support of the community is also beneficial to individual artists and organizations when applying for grant money," Hall explained.

Other towns such as Warkworth, which adopted the description in 2004, have used this designation to their advantage. After their municipal councillors embraced the motion, the town benefited from increased publicity and local business now promotes the town as a Designated Arts Community. Artists in the area continue to reap the rewards of living and working in an area that actively supports the arts.

Muskoka Arts & Crafts will be working with a variety of groups to spread the word about this designation. We’ll also be designing and developing posters as well as an information package for artists, businesses, tourism agencies, resorts and attractions to help them utilize this designation to the fullest.