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 the Clinton School for the provision of visual arts enrichment. This program provides students with opportunities to work with local artists from the community. Each May, Clinton hosts an annual ART NIGHT to showcase student artwork that is compiled over the course of the school both during the ART SMART sessions as well as during class time with their teachers.
New Members Needed for 2026/27 Board
This year, we're looking for new board members, a board secretary and volunteers to join our roster. Getting involved is a great way to meet other families and help bring enriched arts experiences to every student at Clinton. We're always happy to connect with anyone who wants to share their time, ideas or support. Learn more about our open roles
Executive Team
Chair: Joanna Rodrigues
Treasurer: Sarah Murphy
Secretary: OPEN ROLE
Board Members
Educator Liaison: Jessica Hartrick
Brand & Communications: Franzi Erlebach, OPEN ROLE (Social Media)
ART NIGHT Committee: Ateqah Khani, Catherine Galea, Sarah Murphy OPEN ROLES (Chair & 1–2 Members)
Fundraising & Volunteer Committee: Cecilia Tagliavia, OPEN ROLES (Chair & 4 Members)
Programming Committee: Catherine Galea (Co-Chair), Erin Chan (Co-Chair), Joanna Rodrigues, Jessica Hartrick, Franzi Erlebach, Patricia Lee
General Board Members: OPEN ROLES
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!
