Two donors have contributed a combined $20,000 to a new fund at Community Foundation Grey Bruce (CFGB) in support of the Southampton Arts Centre (SAC).
Fred Kuntz, Chair of the Board of Southampton Arts, donated $10,000 to create the new J. Fred Kuntz Endowed Fund, a sub-fund of the existing Southampton Arts Centre Endowment Fund. Merv Redman of Kitchener, a regular summer visitor to Saugeen Shores, donated an additional $10,000 to the fund.
“We want to support the arts community in Southampton in the long run,” Kuntz said. “That’s the beauty of donating through the Community Foundation. The investment just keeps giving.”
Redman echoed the sentiment, saying, “The arts add so much to the quality of life in a community. That is why I support Southampton Arts.”
Southampton Arts operates two programs: the Southampton Art School, founded in 1957 and offering courses to about 1,000 youth and adults each summer; and the Southampton Art Gallery, located in the former Town Hall building on High Street, free to the public and showcasing the work of about 40 local and regional artists.
The original SAC Endowment Fund, created in 2010-11 with $30,000 from local donors, Southampton Arts, and matching funds from CFGB, has grown to about $45,000. In 2025, it provided an annual grant of over $1,900 to the organization. Returns from the new sub-fund will be added to the existing fund to further boost annual grants.
Redman has long been a significant supporter of Southampton Arts, providing direct donations and a two-year, interest-free loan of $25,000 in 2024 to help the group recover from pandemic-related setbacks. Following the Town of Saugeen Shores’ decision in May to provide $50,000 to SAC, Redman contributed another $5,000 directly to the organization.
“I was especially heartened this year to see town council commit to supporting Southampton Arts, a municipal vote of confidence in the organization’s mission and value,” Redman said. “It inspired me to make these additional donations, both to Southampton Arts directly and to the endowment fund with the Community Foundation.”
“We welcome such donations through our foundation,” said Stuart Reid, Executive Director of CFGB. “We remain a steadfast source for good in our communities, helping to build a vibrant, healthy and sustainable future.”
Created in 1994, Community Foundation Grey Bruce has a mission to enhance community vitality by fostering open discussion about local needs, sharing knowledge, and growing endowments to provide strategic granting and support to non-profit organizations.