Mark Monahan

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Mark Monahan is the founder of the Ottawa Bluesfest. Mark fills the role of executive director and, along with a volunteer board of directors, provides leadership for the festival. Mark also acts as artistic director for the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest and is responsible for all artist negotiations and bookings.

In 1999, Mark spearheaded an artist-in-residence, Blues in the Schools program as a response to arts cutbacks in Ontario schools, as well as a music competition for youth to stimulate interest in blues music. Both programs have become tremendously successful under the ongoing leadership of Mr. Monahan.

Mark’s knowledge of, and contacts within, the local arts community and the tourism industry have proved to be invaluable in his leadership role. Yet another example of Mark’s leadership qualities and vision is his conceptualization and implementation of Ottawa’s Festival Network, which he chaired until stepping down in the autumn of 2003. Mark has championed local festivals and events, positioning them as growing and viable businesses in Ottawa. He sat on the boards of the Canadian Tourism Commission and the Ottawa Tourism and Convention Authority. In 2000, Mark was voted Tourism Person of the Year by the Ottawa Tourism and Convention Authority and, in October of 2003, he attended the National Conference on Tourism in Montreal where he accepted a national tourism award for ‘Best New Business of the Year’ for successfully staging the inaugural Toronto Bluesfest in the face of myriad tourism obstacles.

Over the past ten years, the Bluesfest organization has garnered many awards, due in large part to the exceptional leadership provided by Mark. In 2002, Bluesfest won the Best Event Award from the Ottawa Tourism and Convention Authority and in 2003 the organization received the prestigious Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) award for arts education from the Memphis Blues Foundation. Mark Monahan is a past recipient of the Toronto Blues Society’s Blues With A Feeling award.

In addition to providing leadership for the Bluesfest organization, Mark has other business interests within the arts sector. He is a partner in Eddie May Mystery Dinner Theatre, which he founded upon leaving University, and a partner in Romanline Entertainment, representing up-and-coming musicians. Mark also sits on the volunteer board for Dinners Unlimited and acts as a judge for public speaking competitions held by the Optimist Club.

Mark Monahan’s many accomplishments within the arts community, and his entrepreneurial spirit, have lead to the exceptional growth and development of the Ottawa Bluesfest organization. He was a partner at the Penguin Club from 1989 to 1995 and booked all the entertainment during that period. For the past several years, Mark has served as committee member for the Ontario Tourism and Marketing Partnership (OTMP. Mark is also an accomplished pianist, accordion player, and public speaker.