Cornwall Ontario — There has been a spotlight on arts and culture lately. That light is now metaphorically and literally shinning at The Art Gallery. Thanks to a partnership with Your Arts Council, The TAG Gallery in downtown Cornwall will benefit from a new lighting system.

Bruce Davis, who is Executive Director of YAC, wrote the successful Trillium grant.

“Your Arts Council wrote the Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant on behalf on TAG Gallery. YAC understands that resources and staffing can be limited in the arts & culture sector so partnerships and collaboration are key in developing and growing the sector. This partnership is a perfect example of how to strengthen the sector through collaboration and teamwork”, he explains.

Better lighting will benefit artists who have their work on display, and it will also create a better experience for those who attend The Art Gallery.

“This grant will benefit everyone. We will be able to provide a better Gallery experience for the Artist and the Art enthusiasts. Our current lighting system was purchased used 20 some years ago. It is more than time for an upgrade”, says Carilyne Hebert who is the Chair of the TAG Board of Directors.

The new lighting in the gallery will not only be aesthetically pleasing, but it will save cost on electricity too.

Executive Director Sylvie Lizotte explains, “The new lights do not have only an aesthetic function, they also represent an important annual operational cost saving as the new lighting system will only use 1/4 of the electricity required to operate the current system and therefore save the Gallery over $1,200 in utility cost alone. The new system will also improve the ambient temperature in the Gallery as the old system produced more heat than light, causing discomfort in the summer months, and it will also save the environment by reducing waste as the new LED bulbs last for 50,000 versus 1,500 for halogen.”

Partnerships like this demonstrate the value of having an Arts Council and how it can strengthen the arts community.

“I am happy to see artists and arts organizations working together. The exhibit at TAG Gallery brought two artists together and the funding announcement brought two arts organizations together and the point is, great things happen when we all work together. This partnership is successful for everyone – TAG Gallery, Your Arts ” Council, the artists and the community”, says Davis.

Carilyne Hebert also echoed the word success when discussing this partnership.

“Through this new partnership, we were successful in this very important grant. A big thank you to Your Arts Council and their executive Director Bruce Davis”, says Hebert.

The new lights are expected to be installed in the next few months.