Remembering Al Rasko: an arts life behind the scenes in Edmonton

By Liz Nicholls

“With the death of Al Rasko, at 70, in September, a quietly distinguished 35-year career in the arts has come to its curtain call. And the Edmonton arts scene, in all its multi-disciplinary sprawl, has lost one of its most savvy, helpful and sympathetic arts administrators, consultants and mentors.

Ever-genial, Rasko shepherded artists and their companies and festivals of every stripe — dance to theatre to poetry to film to improv comedy — through the thorny backstage world of finances, budgets, taxes, grants, business plans. And he negotiated that path, the extreme survival course where many an artist has struggled in the dark, in an endearingly collaborative way.

Rasko’s family has launched a fund, to support aspiring young artists with educational opportunities: canadahelps.org/en/charities/the-edmonton-community-foundation/al-rasko-fund.“

A celebration of Al Rasko’s life will be held on Friday, October 7 at 7pm, at L’UniThéâtre, 8627 91 Street. 

To read the complete Edmonton Journal article, please click here.

Photo: Veteran arts administrator Al Rasko – SUPPLIED.