Sacred Arts Legacy

Celebrating Graham Cotter: Three Decades of Visionary Generosity

Established in 1994 by the late Graham & Evelyn Cotter with an annual commitment of $10,000 per year over ten years, the Sacred Arts Trust of the Anglican Foundation of Canada (AFC) has disbursed nearly $170,000 over the last 30 years, and the capital continues to be stewarded for long-term impact.

The genesis of the Sacred Arts Trust was many years in the making and was rooted in Graham Cotter’s years as a parish priest (1965 to 1983) in the Diocese of Toronto. During those years, Graham promoted the making of liturgical vestments and the use of drama in worship.

The Rev. Canon Dr. Graham Cotter (January 12, 1925 – January 31, 2024)

Since its inception, the trust has funded innovative faith-based projects in the performing and visual arts in more than thirteen dioceses. The Cotters’ legacy has supported dancers, dramatists and actors, visual artists, musicians, and educational events from Vancouver, British Columbia, to South River, Newfoundland.

Just this past November, the trust provided a $5,000 grant to fabric artist Karen Brodie Archibald of St Paul’s, Golden, B.C. (Diocese of Kootenay) to assist her in completing a large textile art project Stations of the Cross. The inspiration for each station includes a clergy reflection, a hand drawing, and Karen’s own thoughts about the artwork, which she will bring to life in vivid textile art. One station has been fully realized, and the grant from the Sacred Arts Trust will help to bring the series to completion.

“Completion of this project will be a gift to the whole Church,” writes the Most Rev. Lynne McNaughton, Bishop of Kootenay and former Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia and Yukon. “The project is ecumenical in its diverse set of reflection authors and brings us to a valuable place of common ground: the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus.”

Through Graham and Evelyn’s vision to establish a legacy, the Sacred Arts Trust has inspired individuals, parishes, and dioceses across the church to foster creative, artistic, and innovative forms of worship.

For more information on how individuals and organizations can establish similar legacies, please contact Michelle Hauser, AFC’s Development & Communication Officer by phone at 1-877-354-6387 or by email at [email protected].