Fort William and Port Arthur Rotary Gift Recognition
July 4, 2024
Fort William and Port Arthur Rotary Gift Recognition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: July 4, 2024
SUBJECT: Fort William and Port Arthur Rotary Gift Recognition
WHERE: Waterfront Gallery Build Site, Prince Arthur’s Landing, Thunder Bay, ON
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is pleased to announce that Thunder Bay’s Fort William and Port Arthur Rotary clubs are giving $100,000 respectively in support of the new waterfront art gallery. These pledges of capital support were made at an early stage in the planning of the new waterfront gallery by Fort William and Port Arthur Rotary Clubs. Port Arthur Rotary’s 2021 announcement making the Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s new Waterfront home their Centennial Project. In 2019 Fort William Rotary Club pledged $100,000 in support through the Fort William Rotary Club’s annual House Lottery.
Fort William Rotary President, Glenn Craig, stated, “Fort William Rotary is pleased through the outstanding success of its House Lottery to be able to support and enhance all aspects of community life in Thunder Bay. Our members support the existing Thunder Bay Art Gallery and eagerly await to see the new facility open – it will bring a spark to the waterfront and our city.”
“Port Arthur Rotary has been anticipating this moment for the past four years in order to fulfill our 100th anniversary pledge to the new Waterfront Gallery,” former Port Arthur Rotary president, Shelley Crawford, said “and we are early in delivering thanks to the success of our recent Gala fundraising efforts. As our Centennial project we will leave our legacy in the naming of the ‘meeting room’ in the new Thunder Bay Art Gallery, and we encourage others to support the capital campaign of this award winning facility.”
After a year of serving as president, Shelley Crawford has stepped down from the position and has “passed the gavel” to incoming president, Matt Villella. “I am quite honored” Villella stated, “to be part of Port Arthur Rotary and happy that our $100,000 commitment is going towards our new Gallery. This is something that the community will enjoy for many generations and Port Arthur Rotary will forever be a proud supporter of this great initiative.”
Thunder Bay Art Gallery has had long standing support from Thunder Bay’s Rotary Clubs.
“Thunder Bay Art Gallery is grateful to Fort William Rotary and Port Arthur Rotary clubs for their commitment to the new waterfront Gallery.” Thunder Bay Art Gallery Executive Director, Matthew Hills, stated “As a service organization, Rotary does profoundly important work in our community and this type of partnership is essential to fully realizing the benefit of the new gallery to our community and region.”
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has seen steady progress on construction. With the steel erected, the silhouette of the new building is beginning to take shape.
Image: Port Arthur Rotary President, Matt Villella (left) and Former Port Arthur Rotary President Shelley Crawford (right)
Image: Fort William Rotary Club President, Glenn Craig (left) and Thunder Bay Art Gallery Executive Director, Matthew Hills (right)
Further info on how to give can be found at theag.ca/support. For details on how you can make your own pledge contact Katherine Couzelis at development@theag.ca.
For more information, images and interview availability please contact:
Bob Gravelle
MarComs Coordinator
(807) 577-6427
communications@theag.ca