Rita Davies Named Chair of the Ontario Arts Council

Rita Davies has been appointed Chair of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), following her nomination by the Government of Ontario.

"We are delighted with the appointment of Rita Davies as Chair," said Peter Caldwell, OAC Director & CEO. "The Chair plays a crucial role at agencies like the Ontario Arts Council. Rita's extensive and in-depth knowledge of the arts in Ontario, and particularly public funding of the arts, will serve OAC and the arts community very well in the years ahead."

"I'd like to congratulate Rita on her appointment as Chair," said Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. "Over the past few decades, Rita's efforts to advance the interest of artists and arts organizations in Ontario have led to lasting, tangible change. The Ontario Arts Council, artists and arts organizations across the province will benefit from the impressive experience, knowledge and passion that she brings to the table."

"I am thrilled to be given this opportunity to lead the Ontario Arts Council, one of the great cultural institutions of this province," said Rita Davies. "The OAC makes a difference in the lives of communities large and small and adds to our economic prosperity. I look forward to working with arts organizations across Ontario."

About Rita Davies

Rita is well-known in Toronto's arts community in her former role as Director of Culture for the City of Toronto from 1999 to 2012. Among many initiatives during her tenure at the city, she oversaw the development of a first-ever culture plan, establishment of the wildly successful Nuit Blanche annual festival, and the first major increase in the city's support of the arts in more than a decade.

From 1984 to 1999, Rita was Executive Director of the Toronto Arts Council, during which significant reports were commissioned, including the Cultural Capital report, the Cultural Diversity report and No Vacancy, the affordable live-work space report, which also led to the creation of Toronto Artscape.

Most recently, Rita established Culture Capital, which provides consulting services on cultural planning, cultural policy development, and governance and board development. She has sat on a number of not-for-profit arts boards, including the Art of Time Ensemble, Fall for Dance and Theatre Passe Muraille.