by Lisa Mackay

2020 marks the 30th anniversary for the Rozsa Foundation, which was founded in 1990 by Drs. Ted and Lola Rozsa to support and strengthen the arts sector in Calgary. In those 30 years, the foundation has awarded hundreds of grants, held 16 Rozsa Awards to celebrate the achievements of Alberta arts leaders, and worked with hundreds of arts administrators, leaders, and board members on their professional development. We have sponsored research to help guide and support the sector, and have joined the community to advocate for the arts in Alberta. We have enjoyed countless performances, festivals, and exhibitions. At 30 years, the Rozsa Foundation is proud to be a reliable and inspiring catalyst for ongoing transformational change in the arts, and to be a part of a vibrant and exciting arts community.

The mission and vision of the Rozsa Foundation is to strengthen, develop, and celebrate the arts sector, and we are committed to these actions. This means continuing to work with the arts community in integral ways in the future, continually adapting and developing our offerings.

2020 has been an intense year of dramatic change and upheaval with the COVID-19 pandemic. The arts in Alberta and beyond have been among the hardest hit by the economic and societal fallout. Artists, collectives, organizations, administrators, associations, and board members are reeling from the speed and depth of change that has happened in the past six months.

The Rozsa Foundation has worked hard to support the arts sector and its constituents in this new environment. We developed new granting streams for emergency and future programs, coordinated or funded research and resources, moved our Arts Leadership programs online, and supported exciting new digital and online work. Work on IBPOC training and development is ongoing, and a new IBPOC Arts Leaders Residency program has been launched.

We are thrilled to see the amazing success stories created by the arts organizations we have supported, and know many more accomplishments lie ahead. Your stories of achievement are the reason the foundation continues its work, and are the best celebration of the past 30 years!

With that in mind, we invite you to tell us your stories of triumph.

Members of the arts community are invited to submit a short video message that will be shared on social media and on our website. Posts, tweets, and ‘grams with the hashtag #Rozsa30 are encouraged! We will be compiling all success stories and well wishes on the Rozsa Foundation website. The site will also feature articles related to the anniversary, and a photo gallery to take you down memory lane.

For our 30th Anniversary, the Rozsa Foundation is looking forward to the success stories ahead. Your tales of resilience, of impact, of creativity and innovation that are waiting to be written are the fuel that will continue to feed the foundation, hopefully for many years to come. Cheers to a strong, vibrant, thriving arts sector!