Sue Richards (artist)

Infobox Person
name = Sue Richards


image_size = 200px
caption = Sue Richards at a July 2006 blogger meeting
birth_date = c.1958
birth_place =Canada
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = Artist
spouse =
parents =
children =

Sue Richards is a Canadian artist and social entrepreneur living in Guelph, Ontario. [cite news | last=Ahearn | first=Victoria | title =Powerful
] Sue moved to Guelph in 1981 to attend the University of Guelph. In 2002 she launched the "Breast of Canada" calendar in support of breast health and breast cancer prevention. [cite news | title =Breast calendar finds its fans slowly, surely; | work =Weekend: Life | pages =G3 | publisher =The Montreal Gazette | date =2003-12-20] [cite news | last=Cook | first=Maria | title =Women bare breasts for cancer: A Guelph entrepreneur has developed a provocative 'Breast of Canada' calendar to raise funds and awareness of the disease. | work =News | pages =A14 | publisher =The Ottawa Citizen | date =2001-09-29]

Following graduation and prior to starting the calendar, Richards helped grow the Hillside Festival during its first decade. After the third festival, the organizers decided to change the venue to Guelph Lake Island and extend the programming from one day to three. Richards volunteered to write an employment grant so the move and expansion could be supported by paid staff. After successfully getting the grant, Richards applied for one of the positions. As a result, she and filmmaker Charlie Fox were the festival's first paid employees. Following this, Sue took over the reins of Artistic Director from 1990–1992.

In 1998 the Artist in Community National Pilot Project funded by the Laidlaw Foundation, The Canada Council for the Arts and The Ontario Arts Council awarded Sue one of eight grants available in the country for her submission, "Art Jam". [cite web | title =Funds Awarded for Artists and Communities Pilot in Ontario | publisher =Ontario Arts Council | date =1998-01-19 | url =http://www.arts.on.ca/Page509.aspx | accessdate =2006-12-14 ] Community partners include AIDS Committee of Guelph and Wellington County and Guelph and District Multicultural Centre. The pilot project wrapped up in 2000 following the controversial sale of the projects workspace, Torrance Public School. Since then, "Art Jam" has continued to be offered as a creative leadership workshop.

In 2000 YMCA–YWCA 5th Women of Distinction Awards announced Sue Richards as the recipient of the Arts and Culture Award. [cite web | title =Guelph YMCA - YWCA :: Women Of Distinction | publisher =YMCA-YWCA of Guelph | url =http://www.guelphy.org/Contribute/Women_Distinction/past_recipients.asp | accessdate =2007-01-13 ] In 2003 she was the Honorary Chair for the Women of Distinction Awards.

Currently Sue blogs about women's health issues and the City of Guelph.cite news | last =Shuttleworth | first =Joanne | publisher =Guelph Mercury | title=A master of reinvention| date =2006-04-08 | url =http://www.guelphmercury.com/progress/progress_060406123649.html | accessdate =2006-12-13 ]

External links

* [http://www.breastofcanada.com/ Breast of Canada web site]
* [http://www.blogguelph.com/ Blog Guelph]
* [http://www.artjam.org/ Art Jam]

References