The Donor: Craig Lothian
The Cause: National Arts Centre
The Gift: Raising $900,000 and climbing
The Reason: To help finance Prairie Scene at the NAC
When Craig Lothian was asked to help raise money to bring artists from Manitoba and Saskatchewan to the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, he was wary at first.
The Regina resident had never been to the NAC and hadn't heard of Prairie Scene, a festival the centre is holding this spring to celebrate artists from the two provinces. A call from Winnipeg businesswoman and philanthropist Gail Asper quickly brought Mr. Lothian on board.
"By the time Gail gets done talking to you, you end up giving money, donating your time and agreeing to be co-chair," Mr. Lothian said from his office at Keystone Royalty Corp., which holds mineral rights across Saskatchewan.
Mr. Lothian became co-chair of the fundraising committee, along with Ms. Asper, and has raised about $900,000 from Saskatchewan donors so far. He and his wife, Pam, also kicked in $50,000 and they are organizing a group of about 20 people from the province to head to Ottawa for the event, which runs from April 26 to May 8.
Prairie Scene is the fifth in a series of festivals the NAC hosts every two years to showcase established and emerging artists from different regions. About 500 artists from both provinces will be featured, including dancers, musicians, playwrights and visual artists. "It's a fabulous opportunity for somewhat relatively unknown Saskatchewan and Manitoba artists to get a national profile," said Mr. Lothian. "About 98 per cent of the money in the entertainment industry in North America is probably made by 2 per cent of the people and the rest of them are struggling to do what they love to do."
He added that his 18-year old daughter, Jasmine, is a budding singer who has already recorded a CD. Her experiences "have given me an insight into what [the music industry] is like and what it is all about."
Mr. Lothian can't wait to attend the festival and finally visit the NAC. "I am looking forward to being able to check that one off and say, 'Okay I've now actually been to the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.' "
Paul Waldie