Guelph Arts Council (GAC)’s Board and Staff join the arts and wider Guelph community in mourning the loss of Sally Wismer. Sally served as GAC’s Executive Director from 1989-2010, but her legacy extends far beyond those years. She was part of GAC’s earliest days in 1975, and continued to be involved with the organization right up to 2026.
When we moved into our new home in 2025, it was our pleasure to name the Sally Wismer Gallery in her honour, and to have Sally, her family, and some friends join us for an intimate ceremony as part of our 50th anniversary celebration last November.
I joined GAC’s team in March of 2019, and one of the first things on my task list was to assist with our annual audit. I don’t think it’s commonplace for meaningful relationships to develop over conversations about charity finances, but little did I know when (then Director) Patti Broughton and I sat with Sally to talk about GAC’s 2018 fiscal year, that I would be meeting someone with whom I would share a bond that I will forever treasure.
I think Sally was like that. There was love and care from Day 1, and I felt it not just for the organization, but for me. I think I might be the only arts administrator in history who looked forward to audit time, because that meant my annual hangs with Sally. She didn’t like driving/parking downtown, so we would meet at the Westminster Woods Branch of Guelph Public Library and talk through the numbers, but the conversations were so much deeper than that. I would love to hear about her travelling adventures, her grandkids, about (her husband) John after he passed, and about GAC and our community through the years. I’ve heard the saying that someone “has forgotten more than I’ll ever know”, but the thing with Sally is that it didn’t seem like she’d even forgotten anything. She always wanted to hear about my family, and listened to my stories, and was very protective of me, especially when it came to my work-life balance.
When I heard the news from Sally’s son Markham this morning, I phoned Patti, and also reached out to our friend (and former GAC colleague) Katie Wilde, with whom I shared a long-distance cry over the phone. I imagine the tears will continue to come on suddenly, but as I mentioned to Markham in my response to his message, I’m grateful for them because they remind me of how much I cherish my relationship with Sally.
Officially, GAC and the arts (and wider Guelph) community lost a true builder and contributor to arts and culture in our city. Personally, it feels like I’ve lost a friend, a mentor, an elder, and a hero.
Wishing everyone who is mourning Sally’s loss the same sad/happy tears that have been finding me all day, and looking forward to continuing to honour and celebrate the truly remarkable person that Sally Wismer was for many years to come through our stories and memories.
Take care, friends.
Preetam
