When Patricia Klinck talks about The Banff Centre, she leans forward in her chair and her face lights up.

“Artists are transformed by their experience in Banff,” she says. “What inspires me is the Centre’s hands-on approach, the commitment to emerging artists, and the fact that programs focus on individuals. It’s that personal touch, that knowledge that my contribution will impact individuals, which makes all the difference.”

Klinck is a generous supporter of the Centre’s arts programming through the Audrey E. Klinck Scholarship Fund. Established in 2006, the fund provides annual support for an artist in a fine arts program. It celebrates the memory of Klinck’s mother, a painter who found her voice as an artist later in life.

“My mother had an intuitive love for, and knowledge of, art. She taught me a great deal in the way she spoke about art, and I wanted to commemorate that,” Klinck explains. “Art changes how we see the world. It transcends time. We still enjoy art that was created thousands of years ago — it still carries the thought and the spirit of the person who made it.”

Klinck is the president of Key Links International Consulting Ltd. Her professional background includes faculty positions at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta, visiting faculty terms at the University of Melbourne and Edith Cowan University in Australia, and senior leadership positions with the Calgary and St. Albert boards of education.

Klinck has first-hand knowledge of the impact of the Centre as an alumna of Banff writing and language programs, and through personal meetings with the recipients of the Audrey E. Klinck Scholarship Fund. A Calgary native, Klinck frequently travels to Banff for performing and fine arts events and exhibition openings. “The overall quality, the focus on creativity, and the strong community connections keep me coming back,” she says. Klinck’s commitment extends into the future through a planned estate gift, ensuring a legacy of support that will inspire artists for years to come.