Register today for our Space Rentals Workshop Series!
We know many organizations rely on rental revenues to support their creative operations. That’s why ArtsBuild Ontario is proud to present the Learning Series – a collection of learning opportunities for arts facilities around ArtsBuild’s core programs, including SpaceFinder! This webinar and workshop series will help support arts organizations and their creative spaces.
We are excited to bring the second of a two-day series of workshops back to York Region!
What does it mean to manage risk in your rental space? What is your organization’s attitude toward potential hazards?
In this half-day workshop, we will cover what arts and creative venues need to know about operational, financial and legal risk when it comes to renting out space.
Our Managing Risk in Space Rentals workshop is open to all arts and creative venues currently offering space rentals. This workshop also serves as a useful tool for smaller/newer rental spaces expecting to grow and expand.
This is the second workshop of a two-part series of workshops on the topic of space rentals hosted by ArtsBuild Ontario in partnership with WorkInCulture.
ABO is excited to announce the soft launch of our newest online service – the ABO Vendor Directory!
The ABO Vendor Directory connects service providers (YOU!) with the creative sector! The ABO Vendor Directory allows arts organizations and creative spaces to find the vendors and service providers they need to support their creative spaces. This can include everything from engineers to contractors, to lighting and janitorial services!
The ABO Vendor Directory provides vendors with an opportunity to reach a unique audience of creators and their spaces. Vendors who have or are interested in working with this unique sector can highlight their services to arts organizations – who are actively looking for professionals to support their needs!
Why did we create the Vendor Directory?
We created the vendor directory because many arts organizations have expressed a need for an online resource to find professionals to support their organizations and creative spaces. Our goal is to make it easier for arts organizations to find the professionals they need, and for vendors to serve the sector.
Please share the news about ABO’s Vendor Directory widely with your network!
Have questions about the site or need help signing up? Contact Eilidh Fisher at 519.880.3670 ext 101 or vendor@artsbuildontario.ca.
In 2016, ArtsBuild Ontario offered a one-time grant for energy conservation projects, as part of our Energy Conservation Program. We were pleased to offer the grant to eight arts organizations, all taking on a new renovation or project that would result in lowering their monthly energy use.
One of our grant recipients was the Canadian Automotive Museum located in Oshawa, Ontario. They completed a lighting retrofit project in the lobby and gallery in their museum. Several months after completing the project, we followed up with Executive Director and Curator Alexander Gates to see how the lighting retrofit has reduced their energy use and affected the space.
WHY TAKE ON A LIGHTING RETROFIT PROJECT?
In 1963, the Canadian Automotive Museum made its home in a century old former car dealership building, located at 99 Simcoe Street South. Over the years, the museum has taken on building projects to maintain and upgrade the facility to accommodate its ever-growing roster of programs and exhibitions. The museum has taken on previous energy conservation projects, including the installation of a white roof that reduces heat retention in the building in the summer months. Part of the lobby area was also renovated in 2015 where a portion of the lighting was replaced with LEDs.
Lighting improvements in the remaining lobby space and gallery became a project area for the museum as a result of visitor feedback. Patrons noted that the museum looked dark inside, as the former floodlighting highlighted the vehicles on display, but left visitor pathways in the dark. The museum deliberated on how to create a brighter space while cutting down on energy costs.
A lighting retrofit with energy efficient LED lights proved to be a successful and cost effective alternative to the traditional floodlights. “LED lights use a lot more light, less heat and have better quality lighting that is actually better for the exhibits. Incandescent and florescent lights tend to bake the objects and can fade materials,” notes Alexander. Adding higher wattage bulbs would only create more heat and use more electricity, so the museum looked to LED track lighting as a solution. The museum worked with a volunteer who is an electrician to pick out a cost effective system for the project.
Before: Hallway lighting in 2015 After: Hallway lighting in 2017
IMPACT IN THE SPACE
The lighting retrofit resulted in an improved experience for visitors by brightening walking areas. Prior to the retrofit, the museum’s car collection was the lighting focus of the gallery space. While the cars had the spotlight, visitors were left slightly in the dark as they walked through the exhibition. “We want people to have light on them too, so they can do activities like a puzzle or worksheets; not sitting in the dark while the cars are being lit. So now there is definitely a warmer feeling in the space,” shares Alexander. The LED track lighting resulted in a fully lit space that improved the appearance of the kids’ space and visitor areas.
The new LED track lighting has amplified the appearance of the museum’s displays – especially the cars. Objects were previously lit in the front and sides, which created shadows and caused a lot of reflection, making it difficult to take photos. Now, the new LEDs provide even lighting and actually bring out the true colours of the vehicles on display. “The vehicles had been viewed only indoors prior to the lighting changes, and were presumed to be the colour black when in fact some are very dark blues and lavenders.”
OVERALL SAVINGS ON ENERGY AND COSTS
The museum replaced its previous incandescent lights with LED lighting in the gallery and lobby spaces with a goal to reduce the number of kilowatt-hours used in the 25,000 square foot facility. The incandescent lighting fixtures used approximately 10,000 watts; this LED retrofit would see usage reduced to 1500 watts. In addition to lowering energy use, the museum’s electric bill has decreased by 35% compared to the year before as a result of this lighting retrofit and other energy saving initiatives. The new LEDs have so far saved the museum $2,000 in hydro costs.
In addition to building projects, the Canadian Automotive Museum cuts down on hydro by turning off the lights when visitors are absent. “One thing we try to very cognizant about is turning off the lights when we don’t have visitors,” mentions Alexander. “I want to let others know that it actually does make a difference to your bottom line to have all the lights on in the gallery when no one is there.” The museum operates during peak periods of electrical usage, running Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The entire team of staff and volunteers makes a point of turning the lights off when there are no visitors, such as during the first 20 minutes of the day.
UPCOMING ENERGY PROJECTS
The Canadian Automotive Museum is taking on additional energy saving projects this year. With plans to improve the façade of the building, the museum is planning to install metal cladding with a layer of insulation around the facility. They will replace exterior doors that will also contribute to lower energy use. The museum is in need of an HVAC system replacement, and in the middle of a fundraising campaign to support the project. All these projects combined with current energy saving initiatives will continue to reduce the museum’s overall energy use and hydro costs.
Ontario is increasing funding to the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) to support the continued success of the province’s thriving arts sector.
Premier Kathleen Wynne and Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, were at the Berkeley Street Theatre in Toronto last week to announce that Ontario is committing $50 million in additional funding to the OAC. Funds will be distributed over the next four years, increasing provincial funding to the OAC to $80 million annually by 2020-21.
With this funding, Ontario will help increase supports for arts programs province-wide and across a wide range of disciplines and activities, including arts education, community arts, dance, literature, media arts, music, theatre, visual arts, as well as Indigenous and Francophone arts.
In 2016, ArtsBuild Ontario offered a one-time grant for energy conservation projects, as part of our Energy Conservation Program. We were pleased to offer the grant to eight arts organizations, all taking on a new renovation or project that would result in lowering their monthly energy use.
One of our grant recipients was the Discovery North Bay Museum in North Bay, Ontario. Discovery North Bay completed a lighting retrofit project which saw 11 metal halide lights on the lower floor of the museum replaced with a more energy efficient alternative. We spoke with Naomi Rupke, Museum Director and Curator at Discovery North Bay about the impact this project had on their organization and energy costs.
WHY TAKE ON A LIGHTING RETROFIT PROJECT?
The Discovery North Bay Museum is located in a historic Canadian Pacific train station in downtown North Bay. Built in 1903, the station was restored in 2004 and is now home to the museum’s exhibitions, education programs and rental spaces for the community.
Discovery North Bay conducted an energy audit in 2015 that confirmed what they already knew – the metal halide bulbs on the lower floor of the facility needed to be replaced. Metal halide bulbs are a high consumption, low efficiency light source. The museum needed a light source that would not only be energy and cost-efficient, but would contribute to the atmosphere of the museum.
The museum had previously completed some projects to increase efficiency, including new air conditioners and upgrades to HVAC. They also replaced lighting on the second floor where the frequently occupied administrative offices and rental spaces are located. The 2015 energy audit identified that replacing the metal halide bulbs – a small, low cost project – would have major energy saving implications for the organization. “It was a few thousand dollars to have that big of a change,” says Naomi, “that made it an obvious priority.”
SMOOTH SAILING
Transitioning the metal halide lights was an easy project for Discovery North Bay. An electrician had provided suggestions for an LED solution that would work well with the museum’s high ceiling and ductwork – Director and Curator Naomi Rupke praises the benefits of consulting with professionals in early stages of the project. The lights needed to be dropped down from the ceiling, but having found a compatible solution, the replacement bulbs were installed in one morning, meaning regular operations were scarcely affected.
“It was probably the simplest project I’ve ever overseen,” says Naomi, “there was only one step to the project so it really did go according to plan.”
OVERALL SAVINGS ON ENERGY AND COSTS
During their 2015 energy audit, Discovery North Bay projected replacing the first floor lights would see an annual energy cost savings of $1,000/year. After replacing the 11 metal halide bulbs with an LED alternative, Discovery North Bay saved roughly 100-200 kWh overall per month when compared with the previous year.
While the dollar savings weren’t quite where they had been projected, Naomi cites variables with a large facility, such as weather and hydro costs as responsible for the difference. “The cost for hydro was a little higher this year,” says Naomi, “it ended up being the same amount of money but we would have been paying more without the new lights for sure.”
PROJECT IMPACT
The biggest impact the project had, says Naomi, was in the overall environment of the museum. The previous bulbs, despite consuming so much energy, gave off very little light and did not contribute to the atmosphere of the museum. “Even with the large amount of energy being consumed, it was actually pretty dark in the museum… the displays weren’t properly lit,” says Naomi. New lighting has led to positive comments from visitors, staff and volunteers that the environment is better and brighter, and exhibits can be seen more clearly.
The lighting project worked in conjunction with a larger redesign of the lower floor of the museum. “Without proper lighting,” says Naomi, “it would have hindered what we were trying to do. Putting in new exhibits without having proper lighting would have been a problem.” On top of the improved lighting, the decrease in consumption has been significant for Discovery North Bay. For a non-profit organization operating in a historic railway station, “…everything you can do to limit your consumption is huge for keeping things manageable,” says Naomi. “We’re always looking for ways to cut down on costs without cutting corners. [These improvements] will contribute to our sustainability as an organization.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Focused on sustainability, Discovery North Bay recently received an Ontario Trillium grant to replace the windows in the museum. The windows were last replaced in 1979 and the building has over 100 windows. These new properly sealed windows will reduce heating and cooling significantly for the museum, contributing to further energy savings.
In 2016, ArtsBuild Ontario offered a one-time grant for energy conservation projects, as part of our 
In 2016, ArtsBuild Ontario offered a one-time grant for energy conservation projects, as part of our 
