The Council for Canadian American Relations Gala in New York raises funds for cross-border arts collaborations | Canada Voices

The Council for Canadian American Relations Gala, May 11, New York

Since its founding in 1972, the Council for Canadian American Relations (CCAR) has worked to support arts and culture in and between the two countries. At the CCAR’s biennial gala, held in New York on May 11, arts leaders and supporters from both sides of the border gathered to raise funds for grants and cross-border collaborations.

The organization’s efforts have continued in an era of marked strain between the two countries, and, in the words of many who took the stage, they’re more important than ever. Matthew Teitelbaum, recipient of this year’s CCAR Arts Leadership Award, noted in his remarks that proximity is not enough and that what’s needed most is reciprocity. The former director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the AGO went on to say that it’s not just about being neighbours, but how we can connect in a meaningful way and raise each other up.

David Binet, chair of the CCAR board, highlighted some of CCAR’s recent work. “We support students from Canada’s National Ballet School to study at the San Francisco Ballet School. We bring developing curators from the U.S. to the Art Gallery of Ontario. We support emerging Canadian singers at the Metropolitan Opera,” he said. Binet also mentioned the CCAR Colman Scholarship for Canadian architecture students to attend Yale University.

Guests included Tom Clark, consul-general of Canada in New York, and Peter Gelb, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, who awarded music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin with the Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Arts in Canada and the United States. Artist Cindy Sherman was also recognized for her contributions, with MoMA’s chief curator of photography Roxana Marcoci presenting her with the award, while author Ron Graham honoured Glenn D. Lowry, who concluded his 30-year tenure as the director of MoMA last year (Lowry, too, is a former AGO director).

Yours truly was seated at a table hosted by CCAR board member James Burn, across from artist Kent Monkman and the Frick Collection chief curator Aimee Ng. Also in attendance: former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman and his wife, Vicki Heyman, a member of the CCAR board; David and Carol Appel (Mr. Appel’s mother, the late philanthropist Bluma Appel, instigated the council); National Gallery of Canada director and CEO Jean-François Bélisle; Montreal Museum of Fine Arts chief curator Mary-Daily Desmarais and director Stéphane Aquin; art patron Bruce Bailey; Beaverbrook Art Gallery executive director Bernard Doucet; former finance minister of Canada Bill Morneau and Nancy McCain; CCAR board members Bridget Colman, Arni Thorsteinson, Gail O’Brien, Michael Audain and Jay Smith; and executive director Jessica London.