THE FIRST ANNUAL SMITHS FALLS ART STUDIO TOUR PLANNED June 16 & 17 2012

12 artists will open their studios to the public for a free art studio tour from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The First Smiths Falls Art Journey Studio Tour aims to raise the awareness of the quality of art and the growing community of artists and artisans in our community in the heart of the Rideau Canal.

Creativity begins in the artist's studio. Tucked away in residential neighborhoods and alternative spaces in this historic community is a wealth of artists and artisans creating in their studios. Rarely does the public have the opportunity to see where the artists create their works or an opportunity to discuss the artist's inspiration, methods, materials and creative process. This First Annual (self-guided) Smiths Falls Art Journey Studio Tour features a variety of different studios, representing 12 artists Meet the artists, browse among new works and purchase art directly from the artists themselves. Whether you are a long time collector, beginning your collection or searching for the perfect gift, the tour is a wonderful venue to shop for one-of-a-kind, original creations.

"Another Great event in Smiths Falls" says Louis Tremblay. President of the Smiths Falls & District Arts & Culture Council "I am really proud of everyone that help to put this together and you will be amazed of the high caliber of artist in this year First Smiths Falls Art Journey and your eyes will thank you"

Maps for the tour and information on each of the exhibiting artists may be found online at http://www.smithsfallsarts.com/  or please email us smithsfallarts@gmail.com or facebook at https://www.facebook.com/smithsfallsarts and don't forget our tweets @SF_CultureDays

You are invited to A Culture Days Information Session hosted by The Smiths Falls & District Arts & Culture Council

Time: 7pm Date: Thursday May 17.

Place:Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario

90 William St W Smiths Falls, ON K7A 5A5

Catherine McLeod Culture Days Animator/Coordinator will be one of the speaker/presenters

Find our about the many available resources, tools, and tips that can make your Culture Days activities a success. Meet and network with other Culture Days activity organizers and find out what is being planning in your community.

Learn about tools and resources available to Culture Days participants at an information session hosted by The Smiths Falls & Districts Arts & Culture Council (SFDACC) with Culture Days staff in attendance. Aimed at helping participants increase the impact and success of their Culture Days activities and find out about the many available resources, tools, and tips that can make your Culture Days activities a success. Meet and network with other Culture Days activity organizers and find out what is being planned in your community.  The information session is open to artists, professional and volunteer-run cultural groups, libraries, museums, schools and anyone else wishing to participate in the third annual pan-Canadian celebration of arts and culture.

“The growth of Culture Days since its launch in 2010 is truly remarkable representing a tremendous demand for exchange and collaboration within the burgeoning cultural network,” said Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.  “I am delighted to see Ontario’s talented artists and committed cultural workers seizing the opportunity to showcase their process and work to the public – helping to inform and inspire people across the province.”

What is Culture Days?

Culture Days is a collaborative movement to encourage awareness, participation and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities. Now in its third year, this Canada-wide celebration represents the largest-ever public participation campaign undertaken by the arts and cultural community in this country. Culture Days will feature free hands-on activities that invite the public to participate in the “behind-the-scenes” world of artists, creators, historians, architects, curators and designers in their community. Through this exchange, artists and creators have a unique opportunity to engage people of all ages in their creative practice.  Culture Days will take place on September 28-30, 2012, in all provinces and territories.

“The Smiths Falls & Districts Arts & Culture Council had a huge success with last year’s Culture Days,” says SFDACC president Louis Tremblay. “We want to share the available resources, tools, and tips that can make your Culture Days activities a success, and hopefully inspire others to unite and celebrate the arts and culture of their community.”

“We had over thirty events at eleven different venues and we only had a few months to prepare, but this year our amazing SFDACC Culture Days committee has already been planning for this year’s Culture Days and I am very excited for this event” he says, adding “it has brought our community even closer.”
The event will take place at the Smiths Falls Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario (90 William Street West) on May 17th at 7:00 PM.

The information session is free and open to all, “but please RSVP so we make sure we have enough room for everyone” says Louis. “A donation box will be placed at the door to help say thank you to the Museum for being a gracious host.”

To learn more about Culture Days, visit www.culturedays.ca

If you have any questions about participating in Culture Days, please contact:

Aubrey Reeves, Culture Days Ontario Manager

Tel: 416-646-7469 Toll-Free: 1-800-387-0058 ext. 7469 aubreyreeves@culturedays.ca | www.culturedays.ca

Catherine McLeod, OAC’s Culture Days Animator/Coordinator

Tel: 416-961-1660 ext. 5124 Toll-Free: 1-800-387-0058 ext. 5124 on@culturedays.ca | www.culturedays.ca

RSVP

Zoë Ashby

adamzoe@magma.ca

or SFDACC

smithsfallsarts@gmail.com

Should You Be the Leader of Your Small Business?

Some entrepreneurs are born to start businesses -- often more than one. But not all of these idea people really want to lead a company. They simply don't have the leadership traits that would make them the best choice to head the company, especially as it grows larger. That's why so many founders are replaced before a company goes public -- investors want to know that a vibrant, inspiring figure whose core competency is leadership will be there to drive growth.

It's common for founders to step back from being CEO and take on some other role -- common titles for founders who have stepped away from the top spot include chief technology officer, board director, chief operating officer or research and development director. Some people are full of creative spark and have a passion for coming up with new concepts or for marketing their idea. Others love to lead teams of people and inspire them to do their best.

But rarely do these two innate drives reside in one person. Many entrepreneurs cling to leadership simply because they fear the loss of control, even though their business would be better off if they brought a passionate leader to the helm and focused on the part of the business they love.
So how do you know if you should lead your business? Here are some questions you should ask yourself:

• Do you get a bigger thrill out of energizing workers and seeing your employees succeed than you do when you are successful yourself?
• Do you feel that you wouldn't know what to do with yourself if you weren't heading the company?
• Do you know instinctively what you want to do when confronted with managerial problems such as a team that has failed?
• Do you feel compelled to lead? Dave Logan, a management consultant and an associate dean at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business, recently wrote, if you feel you could do no other job,that's a strong sign you have the drive to continue leading your business to success.

On the flip side, if managerial tasks bore you, and you find yourself wishing you could get back to the lab/computer/workbench to tinker, your company might be better off without you at the top.
Do you feel driven to lead your business? Leave a comment and tell us if you'd rather take another role.