Designated Arts Community

The Designated Arts Community designation recognizes the importance of the arts community in Muskoka.
Muskoka Designated Arts Community LogoAlong with its natural beauty, Muskoka’s vibrant arts community has made the area a destination of choice for visitors throughout the year. Artists have long been drawn to Muskoka’s peaceful and inspiring environment and, over the years, they have created a dynamic and diversified artistic community that thrives in the area’s small towns and villages.

Muskoka has a rich artistic legacy. It is home to one of Ontario’s oldest annual outdoor art shows, Canada’s first studio tour and a century old heritage theatre.

Building on that rich tradition, Muskoka is now home to a multitude of galleries that showcase artwork by local, regional, national and international artists. Each year in the summer and fall, studio tours attract thousands of people to local studios. Music festivals charmingly keep toes tapping throughout the year. Art groups flourish and provide residents and visitors alike with a variety of exciting year-round events and programmes. Art and craft shows abound in parks, community centres and downtown streets. Theatres thrive with homegrown groups and headline acts. To this mix, add the individual writers, actors, musicians and dancers who bring their talents to the local cultural scene.

Muskoka’s arts scene is a community of creative individuals and organizations that keep the arts at the forefront of life in Muskoka and contribute to the area in ways that are tangible and beautiful. The artistic future for Muskoka shines brightly as each generation adds its creativity, imagination and vision.

On April 28, 2008, following a recommendation by Muskoka Arts & Crafts, the District Municipality of Muskoka declared Muskoka a Designated Arts Community.

Background

The arts designation came out of a belief by Muskoka Arts & Crafts that arts and culture are important to making a community stronger by contributing to the economy and the quality of life of its citizens.

In April of 2008, Muskoka Arts & Crafts approached the District Municipality of Muskoka with the idea of making the area a Designated Arts Community. On April 28, the District Council adopted the resolution.

The arts designation recognizes the importance of the arts community in Muskoka. It is an innovative tool which highlights the strength and vitality of our artistic legacy, our current artistic community and our artistic future.

Everyone who lives in Muskoka benefits from the arts designation. Declaring Muskoka a Designated Arts Community is a positive and exciting step in building a strong, year-round, diverse economic base for people living in Muskoka by attracting tourists, businesses and new residents.

Using the Designation

There are many ways to use the Arts Community designation. Here are just a few suggestions:

  • Display the sticker prominently at your business.
  • Use the logo in your print publications and advertisements.
  • Add the logo to your website, emails or social media channels.
  • Mention the arts designation in your radio or television campaigns.

It’s now up to us, the people who run studios, organizations and businesses in Muskoka to make the most of this arts designation.

Download the Logo

The Muskoka: A Designated Arts Community logo comes in three styles: a four colour version on a black background, a four colour version on a white background and a black and white rendering. It is available as a jpg for use online, as well as a PDF for print applications.

Although Muskoka Arts & Crafts spearheaded the designation and the creation of the logo, from the start, it was the organization’s intent that the logo remain in the public domain, free for anyone to use, without any one person or group owning the rights to its use.

Download for web
Download for print
Download for web
Download for print

Terms of Use

By downloading and using the Muskoka: A Designated Arts Community logo, you are agreeing to the following terms of use:

  • The logo remains in the public domain, free for anyone to use, without any one person or group owning the rights to its use.
  • The logo may not be changed or altered in any way or by any means.
  • The logo may not be used as the main or sole logo for any person, group, program, or event, for example.
  • The logo is intended as a supporting or supplemental logo.

If you are making the Muskoka: A Designated Arts Community logo available by download on your website, email or by any other means, you must include these terms of use with the logo.

Press Coverage

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