In 1995, the Windsor Endowment for the Arts was established to create a permanent funding base for community artists and arts organizations. WEA’s four founding members: Mary Rodgers (Arts Council-Windsor & Region), Gina Lori Riley (Gina Lori Riley Dance Enterprises),  Barb Bondy (Artcite) and Nancy Nicholson, President.

Fundraising began with the City of Windsor granting seed monies for a cultural assessment by consultant John Fisher, who stated “WEA is not only an excellent idea but does not exist anywhere else in North America.”

WEA was incorporated in 1998, and a strategic plan was set forth:

• Create a stable funding base
• Establish principles for the growth and governance of the organization
• Develop a systematic approach for the evaluation of funding applications

In 1999, the City of Windsor approved – as a matching grant – the funding of $250,000 to establish the endowment fund.

In 2010, the WEAs, a biennial awards and grants program, to acknowledge and financially benefit emerging artists and arts organizations and celebrate community leaders in Windsor-Essex was inaugurated.

To see a detailed timeline of WEA’s 20-year History click here: