When Anita Krebs and Eric Carstens arrived in Kingston in 1980, they did what they always do in a new city: they went to the museum and the art gallery first. Their Son, Conrad Krebs-Carstens essentially grew up in the Kingston Library and was keen on the children’s Saturday morning programs. He particularly loved their reel-to-reel movies, which we rented for birthday parties.
"We're scientists," Anita explains. "We go to the museums and the art galleries to get to know the city." That instinct, to understand a place through its culture, has shaped the couple's deep roots in Kingston's arts community and, ultimately, their decision to establish a donor fund with the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area.
The arts were woven into their Kingston life from almost the very beginning. Soon after arriving, friends introduced them to opening night at Domino Theatre, complete with a dinner party beforehand. They have held seasons tickets ever since. When the Kingston Symphony moved to a new venue, the experience transformed for them. "When The Isabel Centre opened up and we heard the symphony playing there, it was fantastic," Eric recalls. They have been subscribers ever since.
Their Krebs-Carstens Family Fund, established through the Community Foundation, directs annual support to three organizations that reflect their local passions: the Kingston Frontenac Public Library, the Kingston Symphony, and The Spire, the community performance hub that grew out of Sydenham Street United Church, the congregation the couple has called home for decades.
The decision to give now, rather than through their estate, was a deliberate one. The couple had originally planned to leave money to charity through their will. Over time, their thinking shifted. "We started thinking about it and thought, well, maybe we should do it while we're still alive, rather than after we're dead," Eric says. After learning about the Community Foundation through a chance connection with staff at their Ontario Street office, they saw a way to make that commitment meaningful and enduring. They contribute approximately annually, building an endowment that generates reliable support for the arts organizations they love.
For Eric, who also served on the Arts Council for Kingston, the motivation comes back to community. "When you live as long as we have, there's an opportunity to do things. Finance seems to be one of the contributions that people can make. We love the Kingston arts community and we just like trying to support that financially because we can.”
