Town to Become Curator of an Extraordinary Art Collection

Through the efforts of the Library and Cultural Centre Campaign Team, Town Council was offered a gift of a lifetime earlier this week. Long-time resident and retired Principal of the law firm Helson Kogon Ashbee & Schaljo, Fred Helson has gifted a most incredible art collection to the people of Halton Hills.
“A gift of this magnitude and significance is an incredible cultural gift to the community,” exclaimed Mayor Rick Bonnette. “To recognize Mr. Helson for his remarkable generosity to the Town, Council is pleased to dedicate the newly refurbished gallery as the Helson Gallery.”

When asked why he decided to donate his expansive collection of art to the Town, Mr. Helson simply said, “Well… I would really like to see people enjoy them as much as I have over the years!”
Barbara Mitchell, an independent Fine Arts Consultant who was involved in appraising the overall gift had this to say, “The exceptionality of this gift is the breadth and quality of both its Canadian historical component and its non-Canadian historical component. It is an exceptional cultural opportunity for a small but thriving local community and thus for its local economy.”

Given the significance of this gift to the community, Council has further agreed to dedicate the Gallery to house the Collection on a permanent basis. According to Councillor Jane Fogal, “The Helson Art Collection is of such significance that it is worthy of a permanent home in the Gallery where it will certainly be viewed as the crown jewel of our vibrant art scene.”

When asked about how this might impact people who have used the Gallery in past, local artist and member of the Cultural Roundtable, Carolyn Martin, had this to say, “The opportunities presented by the acquisition of this collection are amazing. Local artists may lose the space in the Cultural Centre Gallery where they have become accustomed to exhibiting their own artwork. But the Town has assured us that there will still be places to exhibit in the same building. Just think of the opportunity to have local artists’ works seen in the same venue as Canadian Cultural icons – by visitors who would never have come to Halton Hills to view or purchase artworks without this collection drawing them to our town. I really feel that this is just the beginning of an exciting journey for local artists as businesses realize the possibilities presented by the collection. I am positive that there will be many new places to exhibit local art as the Town works with the artistic community to provide opportunities to showcase our talents.”
Lastly, Brenda Sisnett, Chair of the Library and Cultural Centre Capital Campaign ‘Perchance to Dream’ remarked, “This is very exciting news and provides a remarkable leadership gift to our campaign.”

The Collection has been properly secured and stored by the Town during the final construction phase of the Library and Cultural Centre in eager anticipation of the Official Opening planned early in the New Year.