Congratulations to Arif Ansari, recipient of the 2021 Mamdani Arts Leadership Award, for his outstanding performance as volunteer president of the Sled Island Board of Directors. This annual award celebrates the often-unsung heroes who help bring arts and culture to our community.
“Arif’s leadership has made Sled Island a more resilient organization that will thrive well beyond current challenges that face our broader community,” said Strategic Group CEO Riaz Mamdani. “He is an empathetic, thoughtful, and progressive arts leader in Calgary who inspires others to build our community through their own passions and skills.”
The $5,000 award was given to Arif Ansari at the 2021 Mayor’s Lunch for Arts Champions which is an annual event hosted by Calgary Arts Development and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. You can watch the full virtual event here.
This is the third year that Strategic Group has sponsored the Mamdani Arts Leadership Award as a Cultural Legacy Leader. Named after the Mamdani family–strong supporters of the Calgary arts and culture scene–the award celebrates and supports the work of volunteer board members for local arts organizations. Past award winners were Peter Schryvers with the Beltline Urban Murals Project and Festival and Meg Van Rosendaal and Bob Chartier with the Music Mile.
Pictured: Riaz Mamdani presents Arif Ansari with the Mamdani Arts Leadership Award at the virtual Mayor’s Lunch for Arts Champions on June 9, 2021