A mainstay of Toronto’s arts scene for five decades, arts administrator Jini Stolk impacted many organizations. StarTogether
A mainstay of Toronto’s arts scene for five decades, arts administrator Jini Stolk impacted many organizations. But in addition to her roles with the Creative Trust, the Doras, Toronto Dance Theatre and the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, to name a few, Stolk was also in her personal life, one of local arts’ biggest champions.
Her love of the arts began early. Born Jini Lorraine Stolk in Teaneck, N.J., the elder daughter of grocery store owner Lawrence Stolk and his wife Olga, “devoured novels,” says daughter Sarah Gladki. “She grew up listening to the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, and later formed a love for opera.” “ it wasn’t until she left for college,” says Sarah, “that she truly found people with similar interests and values.”
The ’90s was a very difficult time for the arts in Toronto. “Premier Mike Harris had made major cuts to the Ontario Arts Council,” Hopkinson says, “and stagnant funding in Toronto meant that that mid-size organizations, without access to corporate philanthropy, were really suffering.” In response, Stolk and Hopkinson co-founded Creative Trust. Following its incorporation, Stolk became its
with the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, where during pandemic, the Gifts of Heart program raised money to purchase art for front-line workers.