About CACY
CACY, which grew out of the original Fine Arts & Crafts Show founded in 1957, was established to promote the arts in Caledon. There can be found many excellent artists that live quietly within our community, adding to the cultural growth of our town in ways that are not often repaid. Originally formed by the Caledon East Women's Auxilary to support the local Guide and Scout groups, CACY tried to provide a forum and a venue in which the artists' works could be shown and shared with the community, and with tourists to our area as well. The first challenge the group faced was to mount a show which showcased the local talent, some of whom were internationally known, such as Daphne Lingwood, Jack Herman, and Neelands & Little. According to the original members, the concerts which they had been holding as fundraisers for a number of years hadn't produced the revenue they wanted to support the local groups, so Daphne Lingwood hatched a new scheme to hold a craft show and other events. This was an unusual event in those days, and the Auxilary worked hard to publicize the event, calling in favours from artists and artisans they knew. "It just started as a family thing," said Jean Hayward, one of the original members. Their plan was a success, and over the years, this show increased in size from a show of 15 participants with an attendance of 500 in 1958 to approx. 40 vendors and an attendance of 5000 in 1981! This coincided with the opening of the new Caledon Community Complex. Since this time they have expanded the show to include at least two venues and provide a wider selection of gifts for visitors in order to recapture some of that original enthusiasm the visitors displayed in 1981, but even with the addition of these new vendors, the CACY show has nonetheless maintained its high standard of artistic excellence, at the same time as providing items within all price ranges.
For over 40 years, CACY has been providing high quality arts workshops for our children who might otherwise not be able to afford instruction of such an excellent caliber. With funding from our fine arts and crafts show, we strive to put on the finest summer art courses possible, using as teachers, the excellent source of our thriving Caledon artists. |
