The Georgina Centre for Arts and Culture team is committed to providing a wonderfully complete, stellar experience of everything that the Centre has to offer. From initial contact, to queries regarding exhibits, workshops, programs and everything in between, our staff is passionate about ensuring clarity of information, ease of program enrolment, swift contact response, and providing everyone with a joyous, beautiful and welcoming experience.

Team Members

CHRISTINE ARNOLD
Executive Director

Christine Arnold comes to The Georgina Centre for Arts and Culture with more than 10 years of progressive, not-for-profit organization management and development experience, successfully creating overall growth in multiple not-for-profit organizations during that time. As a resident of Georgina, she is dedicated to inspiring passion and appreciation of the arts in the community.

When she is not helping to nurture creativity in Georgina through the arts, she can be found reading poetry on her dock in Pefferlaw or walking with her husband and their two dogs through the local forests.

 

CHARLOTTE HALE
Artistic Director

Charlotte Hale is an established Canadian arts professional with over 20 years combined experience as an independent art gallery owner, curator,  artist representative, writer, professor, associate dean and creative sector developer.  She is an award winning portrait photographer.  Charlotte brings an in-depth understanding of how nuanced and unique an artistic experience may be and maintains that these are enriching for all people, however they may happen.   Her passion for showing art in dynamic spaces and bringing curious people to actively engage with an exhibition is a natural quality.  Charlotte is recognized as a hard worker and a creative thinker with strong visionary qualities. She is dedicated to the next generation of artists, photographers,  and collectors. 

 

SARAH BENJAMIN
Administrative Coordinator

Sarah has loved all manners of the arts from a young age. Appreciative of painting, drawing and music, her favourite forms of expression were done through dance and drama. Having studied digital marketing, Sarah reignited her joy for creating, finding that content creation and copywriting were passions she didn’t know she had. Knowing the importance of equality, what drew her to the Centre was the emphasis on creating an inclusive community where all are welcome and encouraged to express their individuality. Having worked in customer service and administrative focused roles for nearly 15 years, Sarah is well versed in task management, problem solving and has an affinity for organization. Grateful to be a part of this wonderful team, she looks forward to contributing the success of the GCAC in any way possible.

 

SCOTT GENGE
Program Assistant

Embarking on an exhilarating voyage of artistic exploration, Scott Genge has rapidly blossomed into a passionate connoisseur. In a mere span of months, he has delved fearlessly into the captivating realm of creativity, navigating diverse artistic expressions with unwavering enthusiasm. From tentative steps within galleries to the exhilaration of discovering hidden gems, Scott approaches art with an insatiable curiosity that breathes fresh life into his journey. Guided by this profound curiosity, Scott found himself drawn to the heart of the art world through active participation in the volunteer program. The experience has not only deepened his appreciation for the arts but has also sparked a captivating fascination with the intricate tapestry of artistic expression. A dedicated resident of Sutton throughout his life, Scott holds a treasure trove of cherished memories associated with the GCAC. Now, as he eagerly anticipates the next chapter of his artistic journey, Scott looks forward to creating new memories and contributing his passion as a valued member of the GCAC team.

Board Members



LINDA LYONS

Chair of the board

A creative thinker, thought leader, Linda is known for her success in developing and driving corporate culture, collaboration, and strategy. She is well versed in the art of leadership, communication, and change management. During her professional career, Linda has held senior positions for numerous leading brands both in the private and non-profit sectors including IBM Canada, Toronto Police Services, Correctional Services Canada, and a consultant for media and video production. Linda has held the role of the Chair for the Whitby Terry Fox Run and is Past-President and Life Member of the Whitby Courthouse Theatre. She has also been very involved with the ACT-CO (Association of Community Theatre, Central Ontario) as President and Gala Chair. As an award-winning Director/Producer she enjoys being involved with community theatre and currently serves on the Ajax Community Theatre Board of Directors. As a Mortgage Agent, Linda’s expertise on building relationships has allowed her to provide customized personalized lending solutions to her clients so they can attain their goal of owning a home or consolidating their finances.
Linda is excited to focus on building membership and awareness of the CAC as well as showcasing the arts and culture and talents of this community!

The Gallery is a jewel in Georgina and together we will help her shine!

 

Dale Genge

Vice chair of the board

 

 

 

 

 

Madalyn Calzavara

Secretary of the Board

Madalyn Calzavara is a passionate community advocate who is excited to enhance the GCAC and better our community. In her day to day, she is a marketing and creative professional that loves to help businesses better themselves through campaigns and strategies. She believes that the GCAC is integral to making the Town of Georgina and beyond a better place to live, create, and play. 

 

 

 

 

 

DEE LAWRENCE

Director

Dee has been a resident of Georgina for almost four decades, and during that time has contributed to the Arts scene in this community as a music educator, performer, choral conductor, music theatre director and church musician. A former executive member of the Lake Simcoe Arts Foundation, Queensville Players, Southern Ontario Chapter of the Hymn Society in the U.S. and Canada, and Vice-Chair of the Georgina Heritage Advisory Committee, Dee continues to serve as a Director on the Board of the Georgina Historical Society, in addition to her current work on the Board of the Georgina Centre for Arts and Culture. Dee is also a member of the Friends of St. James’ Parish Hall Committee as they work towards restoring this treasured heritage building located on River St. in Sutton.

Dee finished her work as the Administrator for the Newmarket Lions’ Music Festival in December 2021 after spending two and a half years in that position. She has been the Conductor of an adult community choir based in Newmarket called “Encore!” since Sept. 2015. Dee has taken on the role of Chair of the Leadership Team at Knox United Church on Market St. in Sutton, and is their representative on the Shining Waters Regional Council. She is also an active participant in the Living into Right Relations Circle, which is an initiative of the United Church of Canada.

TOM SZOLT

Director

Canadian photographer, Tom Zsolt has been documenting landscapes, towns, and life across North America for 50 years. His exhibition, Ontario Gothic, during Contact ’98 in Toronto, caught the imagination of publisher Kearns, Vander Meersch & Boulton, who in 1999 published County Matters, Zsolt’s first book. Showing the land, villages and people of rural Ontario, Country Matters was short listed for the Roloff Beny Award for the best book of photography by a Canadian published that year.

Zsolt’s work was selected for a 2009 exhibition in Beijing, followed by a 10-city tour in China, titled Canadian Cameras at Work. Zsolt’s photograph Niagara Falls, depicting Asian tourists being photographed before Niagara Falls in winter, was selected as the poster image for the exhibition.

As part of Contact 2015, The Georgina Centre for Arts & Culture hosted Reluctant Subject, Portraits by Tom Zsolt exhibiting 40 years of his portraits, which was followed by the release of the book of the same title.

The Georgina Gallery (GCAC) selected seven of Zsolt’s images in 2023 for their exhibition and literary contest 7 STORIES. The exhibition, which featured very large photographs, was accompanied by release of the book 7-STORIES, An Anthology, which included Zsolt’s photos with over 80 short stories and essays.

Tom Zsolt lectures on photography. His work has appeared on the cover of novels and in magazines and is collected by institutions, corporations, and private individuals including The Image Centre at TMU (formerly Ryerson University), OMERS, Royal LePage and Borealis Capital. The largest collection of his photography is housed in the permanent collection of the Georgina Centre for Arts & Culture in Sutton, Ontario.

Tom Zsolt lives in rural Ontario in the Town of Georgina, with his wife Jennifer who is an artistic painter. Besides photography, Zsolt is passionate about sustainability, rural living and enjoys a brood of dogs, chickens, and horses on their farm.

 

 

 

 

 

Susan Day

Director

Susan Day is a Georgina resident whose family has cottaged on Lake Simcoe since 1897. Susan studied at Ontario College of Art and Design where she studied material arts including textiles, drawing, photography, and film history. She was co-owner and operator of a boutique-style retail store in the Beaches after working in Management with HBC and retired from Sobeys in 2019. She has been a member of the Georgina Studio Tour since 2020, sits on the planning committee and is a participating quilter/textile artist. Susan brings a wealth of retail and artistic experience to the GCAC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jodi Pridham

Director, Non-Voting