Burlington businesswoman Diana Tuszynski has a long history of working in and supporting our community.
Adding to her ongoing community work, she has turned her attention to a new venture supporting artists in north Burlington and Milton. “We have so much artistic talent in Burlington and Halton. We want to bring art home to everyone,” says Diana.
As one of the founding members of the Escarpment Artists group in Kilbride, her group has been finding entrepreneurial ways to engage and connect local artists with the public, giving artists an outlet to show and sell their works.
This best-kept secret in Kilbride has resulted in a recent art show/tour of five locations, including artists’ home studios in Kilbride, Carlisle, Rockwood, and Campbellville.
In her professional capacity, she runs a successful business that she founded in 1993, the Benefits Edge Insurance Services, which designs and manages benefit plans for businesses and individual clients and families.
During the time I’ve known Diana, she has always found a way to give back, demonstrating service above self. She has served the Burlington Chamber of Commerce as a board chair and been a member of various committees over the years, including currently chairing the Business Awards Task Force. Her charitable work has included co-chairing Party in Pink, sponsoring and volunteering in support of Breast Cancer Support Services (BCSS). She has also been on the board of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC), dedicated to helping businesses thrive in Burlington. When I asked her why sharing her time and talent with local organizations was important to her, she said, “I consider this work an opportunity to be an ambassador for Burlington, bringing people together through networking and fostering a helpful support system for the organization and everyone involved.”
Diana took up painting about 20 years ago as a hobby at the Art Gallery of Burlington and the Dundas Valley School of Art. She says she was inspired to capture beautiful views with a special appreciation of nature. Painting as a creative outlet has helped her to find solace, especially during this troubling period of COVID.
Recently, Diana hosted seven artists at her beautiful home in Kilbride, as one of several art show locations. Participants included painters in various mediums, potters, artists who work in stained glass, felt, wood sculpture, jewellery, a photographer, and a custom guitar builder.
Leadership seems to come easily to Diana, so I asked what advice she had for new entrepreneurs. With much enthusiasm, she expressed, “Just get out there and do it! Don’t let things or people get in the way, just find a way around them.”
The next group of Escarpment Artist shows will be organized for the early spring.
“We’ve had to pivot many times throughout COVID, but we’ve always been able to provide a safe environment for showings, following all the appropriate COVID protocols,” comments Diana.
The Escarpment Artists group is a complementary offshoot of the Fine Arts Society of Milton (FASM), which is open to everyone, welcoming budding to advanced artists and anyone just interested in supporting the arts, with members from Mississauga to Hamilton. The FASM organization, of which Diana is a board member, offers a program for mentoring young artists, as well as presenting opportunities for the members to showcase their artistic work.
You can find more information about Escarpment Artist shows at www.escarpmentartists.com or on Facebook at @escarpmentartists.
To see more of Diana’s artwork, you can go to www.dianatuszynski.com.
