Lindy Sisson Receives Community Arts Champions Award

At the recent ArtsBC/Assembly of BC Arts Councils conference in Richmond, BC., Lindy Sisson, Executive Director of the ACT Arts Centre & Theatre and the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Arts Council and Coquitlam resident, received an 2011 Community Arts Champions Award as an outstanding champion for the arts in British Columbia schools and communities.

Of Lindy’s contributions to arts and culture in Canada over her thirty year career Dolly Hopkins noted “She had always impressed me with her desire to build community-engaged arts and support mentorship for younger artists in the Lower Mainland.

"Her vision has encouraged and fostered countless new companies who carry on various traditions of celebration art, public art, community-driven art, circus, stilt walking, fire art, etc. She is extremely important, not just in the local community but nationally and internationally”.

Judith Marcuse added “She is an extraordinarily creative, committed, thoughtful and effective administrator. Her wide-ranging experience and her deep understanding of the potent roles that the arts can play in our communities have resulted in countless successful policies and programs over many years.

"She is a staunch and canny advocate of arts and culture; she has been a tireless worker in defense of both private and public sector support for the arts. Her intelligence and expertise is admired by our community and by her peers.”

Of the ten years Ms. Sisson was the Executive and Artistic Director of the Vancouver International Children’s Festival Associate Producer Lucie Lareau shared that “The passion that Lindy brought to all of her projects and the VICF can be seen in the success of the VICF alumni and the continued leadership role that the festival gained under Lindy’s direction.”

Earlier in her career was the Director of Theatre for Young Audiences at the Citadel which included producing the Edmonton International Children’s Festival and the Teen Festival of the Arts; the Tour Manager for Judith Marcuse Dance Company; the General Manager for the Playwrights Theatre Centre, and the Executive Director of ArtsConnect for the Tri-Cities region. In her current position as Executive Director for The ACT Arts Centre and Theatre and Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Arts Council, Lindy’s mandate is to continue connecting community with the performing and visual arts in significant ways, offer interactive arts education opportunities and enable performing artists to stage their work and engage with new audiences.

Community Arts Champion Awards are awarded each year in conjunction with Arts and Culture Week. They serve to recognize those individuals or organizations who have contributed to the development and promotion of the arts in the province of British Columbia. Arts and Culture Week and the Arts Champion Awards program are made possible with the support of the Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council.

The Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Arts Council is a not-for-profit, volunteer-based society dedicated to “Bringing Arts to the Heart of our Community”. The Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Arts Council, celebrating its 40th year of community service, works to build a strong arts and culture by providing excellence in artistic integrity, customer and member service, and community engagement.