Apr 28, 2017 Estonian Life No. 17 2017
I woke up today to discover that the shareholders of Eesti Maja voted to proceed with the Madison avenue cultural centre. (Unfortunately, as I did not own shares I was not eligible to vote, but had I been eligible, I would have supported the project)
Having been the President of the Estonian House Art Committee (Eesti Maja kunstikommittee) 1992-2001, and having had numerous one woman shows in Eesti Maja, I too feel passionately about the building and what it represents. The cultural activities which I organized in the past, i.e. art shows, workshops and managing the art collection in the Estonian House, I believe can and will be better served in the Culture Corridor at Bloor and Madison.
Even during my tenure leading the art committee in the 1990s, we struggled with how to introduce Estonian art and artists to a broader community.
The opportunity which the new location offers can bring the arts and cultural activity of the Estonian Canadian community into the mainstream, alongside all the other major Toronto cultural institutions in the Culture corridor. This is a positive move for the next generation of Estonian artists, born in Canada, while respecting our heritage, stepping forward in the broader Canadian cultural mosaic.
Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to bring the vision of what is possible to this point. It is with this kind of strategic thinking that the community can adapt to change and find strength to realize it's potential. A special thank you on behalf of artists, who will directly benefit from the potential exposure that the new location can offer.
Anne Remmel, Toronto
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