Lifelong Volunteer Nan Hogg
Nan Hogg is well known in Guelph as an artist, art teacher, and an energetic champion of the arts. For many years, Nan maintained a teaching studio in Guelph and continues to conduct occasional workshops for adults and has coordinated the art workshops program for the Wellington County Museum & Archives for several years. As an artist, Nan is best known for her work in watercolour.
As a lifelong volunteer, Nan has championed the arts as an essential component of a vibrant, healthy, and resilient community. Her volunteer interests include advocating for cultural spaces and the benefits of the arts for individuals and communities. For several years, Guelph Arts Council (GAC) has been a focus for her volunteer efforts. Since 2014, Nan has served as GAC’s Board President, Vice President, Fund Development Committee Chair, and a committee member. A special interest for Nan, and GAC, has been the development of creative spaces in Guelph, which led Nan to chair the Guelph Visual Arts Community Centre Committee from 2000 to 2010.
“More than 20 years ago, I became involved in a push for a Guelph Community Visual Arts Centre. I joined a GAC committee looking at the feasibility of establishing a building that would include teaching studios, private studios, gathering rooms for guilds and groups, offices for art organizations and much-needed gallery space” says Nan Hogg, “that dream is still just a dream, but it introduced me to the arts community and the way that community is supported by the Guelph Arts Council.”
Guelph Arts Council’s mission is to champion and grow opportunities for artists through communications, resources for learning, and cultural programs and partnerships. Nan has been steadfast in supporting that mission through her leadership, fundraising, and outreach efforts. In addition to her willingness to take on leadership roles, the staff and volunteers of GAC also know her to take on many other initiatives. Reaching out to donors, community groups, and her many friends and colleagues on GAC’s behalf is her amazing strength as a volunteer and champion of the arts.
Nan shares “the key to retaining volunteers, I think, is to give them tasks that they enjoy. The opportunity to get to know many of Guelph’s artists, both visual and performing; to visit guilds and groups and see what exciting things they are doing, has made my experience with Guelph Arts Council enjoyable indeed.”
Many of GAC’s valued donors have received a thank-you call from Nan and, for many Guelph residents, Nan’s friendly face at a GAC booth or table at a community event is their first introduction to our organization. As a member of our Fund Development Committee, Nan can be counted on for event ideas, and to throw herself into planning and promoting events. Nan has even been known to take brush in hand when the GAC offices needed a fresh coat of paint.
“We count ourselves fortunate indeed at Guelph Arts Council to have many wonderful volunteers who bring their skills and community connections to help us deliver our mission. Among them, Nan Hogg is a superstar – a community champion whose contributions to the arts help make Guelph a vibrant, friendly city for all its residents and visitors” says Patti Broughton, Executive Director, Guelph Arts Council.
To learn more about the Guelph Arts Council, please visit www.guelpharts.ca
