JOAN AND JERRY Lozinski may not have any children of their own, but they have all the enthusiasm of proud parents.
The Forest Hill couple has long supported Toronto’s arts community, taking great joy in seeing young performers master their craft and go on to do extraordinary things.
The Lozinskis began taking an active interest in the arts as they explored the rich cultural landscapes of cities, including Montreal, Vancouver and San Francisco, before finally settling down in Toronto.
“We learned about a whole new culture, a whole new part of living,” Joan says.
The former registered nurse and her husband, who continues to work as an entrepreneur, hadn’t encountered such displays of creativity in their own careers.
It was the artists and performers — the people — that drew them in.
For Jerry, it was the raw sense of passion and determination possessed by the performers.
For Joan, the arts offered windows into the lives of other people. They acquaint us with other cultures and help us to better understand each other, she says.
The short list of Toronto arts organizations that the Lozinskis have supported over the years includes the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Luminato Festival and the National Ballet School.
As Canada’s ballet school turns 50 this year, it will honour the Lozinskis for their ongoing support at a gala event on Feb. 6.
Joan has twice sat on the school’s board of directors, serving two three-year terms. During this time she was involved in Project Grand Jeté, which drummed up $50 million — matched by the government — to fund new facilities for the school.
Together, the Lozinskis made a $3 million donation, one of the largest contributions to the project, toward the creation of 12 new dance studios.
They are also participants in the ballet school’s student partner program, a fundraising initiative that gives donors the opportunity to meet and get to know students.
“It’s fun to watch them as they progress through the learning experience and they become the stars of tomorrow,” Joan says.
Adam Reist of Mission, B.C., now performs with the Zurich Ballet in Switzerland. When Joan and Jerry met him, he was a shy sixth grader just beginning at the ballet school.
Joan fondly recalls the time that she and her husband planned a full day of activities for Reist, going to the AGO and to dinner at the Granite Club. The youngster particularly enjoyed a lesson he got from Jerry in how to play pool, she says. On the drive back to the ballet school, it got quiet all of a sudden. Reist had fallen asleep in the back seat.
Joan says she wasn’t surprised that he was tuckered out, as the ballet school’s students train rigorously, day in and day out.
Dancers must audition every year to secure their spot in the program.
Now that Reist is dancing in Europe, he keeps in touch with the couple via e-mail. Joan and her husband hope to plan a trip abroad to attend one of his performances, she adds.
Seeing Reist dedicate himself to his training and build confidence as a dancer and go on to accomplish his goals has been a rewarding experience, she says.
The couple’s current student partner, Patrick Foster, hopes to follow in Reist’s footsteps and dance on the world stage.
While the Lozinskis’ students may savour the stage, they themselves tend to shy away from the spotlight. The ballet school’s recognition has been both a surprise and a delight for the pair.
“We don’t feel that what we’re doing, what we have done has been more special than anybody else,” Joan says. But she remarks that to be recognized alongside the school’s artistic director, Mavis Staines, is a great honour.
Although neither is a performer or artist, Joan and Jerry have developed a deep and enduring appreciation for the arts.
It gives the duo immense satisfaction to be able to give back to the community that has so enriched their lives.
“Without the arts, life is pretty bleak and pretty grey and not much fun,” says Jerry.