The Gwen and Bill Brown Fund for the Arts honours the artistic and cultural contributions of Gwen and Bill Brown through support of charitable projects and organizations within the Peterborough performing arts community.
Gwen and Bill were long-time residents of Peterborough. Their love of the community and the role of the arts within it was evident in all they did. Gwen was very active in Peterborough’s theatre scene and was well-known in the community for her artistic contributions. She and Bill were founders of Peterborough Theatre Guild where Gwen acted, sang and directed. Over the years, Gwen performed with Arbor Theatre and at Showplace Performance Centre. Gwen was an inductee of the Pathway of Fame and she posed as Miss February in the flood relief calendar in 2004. An engineer and avid sportsman, Bill was happy to support all of Gwen’s artistic endeavours often helping with props or sets for her shows and always cheering her on from the audience.
When asked why she chose to establish this fund with the Community Foundation, their daughter Ginger Brown offered the following: “I like the fact that a fund in Mom’s and Dad’s names will give back to the community for many years to come. Their legacy will continue in the city that meant so much to them.”