History
Thank you Beatrice Minden for Clinton's Art Room!
Beatrice Minden (née Spiegel) was born in Toronto in 1910. Her parents were young immigrants from Galicia and Austria.
She started school at Clinton Street. She always wanted to go to university, but to help her family make ends meet, after high school, Beatrice went to night school to learn shorthand and typing. She married Arthur Minden in 1934.
Beatrice shared her husband's exuberance for life, the arts and community involvement. After Arthur's passing in 1966, and inspired by his enthusiasm for philanthropy, she created the Beatrice & Arthur Minden Foundation. In this way she offered support to many cultural and medical organizations in Toronto as well as creating scholarships in Toronto and Israel.
Friends of Clinton (FOC) was formed in 1989 through an endowment Beatrice Minden made to Clinton School for the provision of visual arts enrichment. This program provides students with opportunities to work with local artists living and working within our school community. Each May, Clinton hosts an annual Arts Night to showcase student art work that is compiled over the course of the school both during the ARTsmart sessions as well as during class time with their teachers.
Interested in Joining The Board
If you’re interested in joining the ART SMART board—either as part of the executive team or as a board member—you can put forward a nomination by email or during the virtual meeting in September 2025. To receive a meeting invite to the September meeting or to learn more about what it means to be on the board, just send us a message!
Executive Team
Co-Chair: Shannon O’Rourke, outgoing — Position open for 2025/26
Treasurer: Kevin Stelzer, outgoing — Position open for 2025/26
Secretary: Cindy Louie, outgoing — Position open for 2025/26
Board Members
Educator Liaison: Jessica Hartrick
Brand & Communications: Franzi Erlebach
General Members: Cecilia Tagliavia, Stacey Rumpf
Board Members
Volunteers
ART SMART is always looking for extra hands to help make the magic happen! Whether it’s supporting Art Night, prepping workshops, or lending a hand at one of our fundraisers, there are lots of ways to get involved. If you're interested, send us a quick note!
