DesignMee63

In case you missed it, the Kingston City Council voted to amend the 2026 City Budget to include a one-time increased investment to the City of Kingston Arts Fund (CKAF) in the amount of $100,000.

The $100,000 investment will be added to the CKAF 2026 allocation and distributed directly into our local arts sector through CKAF grants. In combination with the base investment of $612,790 and returned funds and interest from previous years, this brings the total funding available through CKAF 2026 grants to over $738,000 — an increase of 20% from 2025.

The amendment, moved by Councillor Ridge and seconded by Councillor Amos, with support from Councillor Cinanni and Councillor Chaves, was approved unanimously at the conclusion of the City Council Budget Meeting on Tuesday, January 20th. The one-time investment is allocated from the Working Fund Reserve, meaning there is no effect on tax rates for Kingston residents.

“The City of Kingston has a strong history of supporting the arts and culture sector, to the benefit of our civic identity, local economy, and community wellbeing,” says Nicole Daniels, Executive Director of the Kingston Arts Council.

“The caliber and volume of creative experiences Kingston has to offer are essential to residents' quality of life and at the heart of Kingston’s identity. In the face of looming threats to the arts sector at the provincial and national level, this investment is an important step in sustaining the industry — the organizations, the festivals, and the artists who make Kingston a great place to live and to visit. Amidst a challenging economic landscape and with the pressures the City continues to face to maintain services and respond to community needs, we are deeply grateful for this support.”

With the conclusion of the CKAF Review and the approval of the new CKAF Framework in 2025, this investment in 2026 will help ensure that CKAF is accessible and inclusive, supports Kingston artists, increases opportunity for arts programming and community engagement, helps build capacity and resiliency of arts organizations, and encourages collaboration and partnerships.

For nineteen years, CKAF has bolstered and sustained Kingston's arts industry — at this exciting moment in the program's history, we are positioned to lead with more accessible, forward-thinking, and supportive granting practices, to the benefit of all Kingstonians. The 2026 funding investment will enable us to launch four grant streams in 2026: Operating Grants, Festival Grants, Project Grants, and Creation & Development Grants.

📸 Installation view, Xenolithic, Nicholas Crombach, 2025. Photo: Liz Cooper. Courtesy of the Agnes Etherington Art Gallery