PURPOSE OF THE AWARD
The Muskoka Heritage Foundation is committed to the preservation and conservation of the history, culture, environment, and quality of life that define the remarkable identity of Muskoka.

The Muskoka Heritage Foundation’s Arts & Crafts Award was established in 2004 and is intended to highlight the significance of Muskoka’s distinctive and noteworthy environment and to celebrate our varied experience within this region.

THE AWARD
The award consists of a $250, a certificate, and a one-year membership in the Muskoka Heritage Foundation. The Board of Directors for the Muskoka Heritage Foundation will consider the amount of the award on an annual basis.

CRITERIA & ELIGIBILITY OF THE AWARD
The Muskoka Heritage Foundation’s Arts & Crafts Award is given to recognize a member of Muskoka Arts & Crafts who shows a mastery of his or her art and who creates an original and innovative work that best reflects the values of the Muskoka Heritage Foundation. The award will be selected from those works submitted to Muskoka Arts & Crafts’ Spring Members’ Show. To be considered, all work must have been completed within the past year and may not have been previously exhibited in any Spring Members’ Show. Work in all visual arts media that is eligible for the Spring Members’ Show will be considered.

The recipient of the award will be selected by the judges appointed by the Board of Directors for Muskoka Arts & Crafts. In considering work to receive this award, the judges may take into account subject matter, treatment, importance of the subject, and timeliness. The decisions of the judges are final. The award will be presented by a representative from the Muskoka Heritage Foundation during the Awards Presentation at the Spring Members’ Show.

MUSKOKA AS A DISTINCT REGION
Muskoka is known for its remarkable natural beauty and rich heritage. Tall whispering pine trees, granite cliffs, clean lakes, and historic buildings all make Muskoka a favorite destination for summer cottagers and cherished as paradise by permanent residents.

The area has an abundance and diversity of botanical species including 420 rare species. The nationally and provincially rare Virginia Meadow Beauty, which is now common only to the Atlantic coastal plain, continues to survive since glacier times on the shorelines of Muskoka. Red Spruce is another glacial remnant of Muskoka, which is now more at home in the Maritimes. Hobblebush, uncommon in many parts of the province, thrives in Muskoka environs. Muskoka has the richest diversity of herptiles in the Province. It includes such rare species as the Five-lined Skink, which favors large expanses of undisturbed granite outcrops. The provincially rare Massassauga Rattle Snake and Hognose Snake are also residents of Muskoka. In addition, Muskoka is home to 65 rare breeding birds including 6 nationally rare species: Least Bittern, Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Caspian Tern, Eastern Bluebird, and Prairie Warbler.

Muskoka also has a rich cultural heritage beginning with the early logging industry, turn-of-the-century resorts and summer homes, steamship travel, and subsistence farming.

ABOUT THE MUSKOKA HERITAGE FOUNDATION
The Muskoka Heritage Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to the conservation of the built heritage and natural areas that define the distinct identity of Muskoka.

To achieve its goal, the Muskoka Heritage Foundation works through four initiative areas.

• The Natural Heritage Committee conserves natural areas by encouraging private land stewardship. In the first ten years, the Foundation acquired a voluntary commitment from 340 private landowners in Muskoka to protect more than 31,000 acres of diverse Muskoka landscape including 51 miles of shoreline. Today, information and assistance is provided to private landowners on ways to conserve the natural amenities of their property
• The Muskoka Heritage Trust offers permanent protection for exceptional natural lands. The concept of land trusts is gaining wide acceptance. Recent legislation has given more power to people wishing to establish conservation easements on their land, preserving its natural condition in perpetuity.
• The Built Heritage Program encourages the preservation and appreciation of historical structures, sites and artifacts by providing information and recognizing private stewards. Property owners are encouraged to protect the heritage features of their properties. An annual Stewardship Award program recognizes this commitment. Muskoka has a wealth of community groups interested in protecting our cultural heritage and this program also encourage partnering and a forum for cooperation.
• The Muskoka Watershed Council is committed to the enhancement of the health and sustainability of those watersheds lying partially or totally within the District of Muskoka.

In addition, the Muskoka Heritage Foundation operates a conservation information centre that is open to the public, at its office located at 9 Taylor Road in Bracebridge. The organization provides workshops on stewardship, and partners with other organizations of similar interests. These include The Parry Sound Muskoka Stewardship Network, the Ontario Nature Trust Alliance, Ducks Unlimited, local municipalities, and the Federation of Ontario Naturalists to mention a few.

Funding for the Muskoka Heritage Foundation comes from four areas:

• Annual membership fees from a membership of individuals, foundations, and corporations;
• Donations;
• Fundraising events (such as an annual cruise and silent auction; Scotch nosing; summer garden tour; and fees from stewardship workshops);
• Project grants from foundations and government.

 

The Muskoka Heritage Foundation
9 Taylor Road, Box 482, Bracebridge, Ontario, P1L 1T8
Telephone: 705-645-7393 Fax: 705-645-7888
E-mail: info@muskokaheritage.org 
Web Site: www.muskokaheritage.org