CAFKA was founded by local artists in the spirit of an artist-run initiative: to bring challenging and experimental contemporary art to the community, to create an artistic dialogue between artists in the Region and in the wider world, and to share the energy, passion and excitement of contemporary art with our friends and neighbours here in the Waterloo Region. CAFKA’s commitment to public art and to bringing contemporary art to the general public is a major part of its mandate. Because of CAFKA, people of all ages, from all backgrounds and from all walks of life have been able to experience contemporary art, and participate in discussions about it. Since its inception, CAFKA has produced eleven major exhibitions, and has exhibited 206 art installations, interventions, projections and performances by 192 artists from every continent. The biennial exhibition galvanizes the community of artists in the Region, who in 2014 dedicated 3,500 hours of volunteer labour to help make it happen. CAFKA is an anchor for many in the community of artists who call the Waterloo Region their home. Through participation in the curatorial and programming committees, as installation hands, and as hosts for visiting artists, CAFKA has helped make the Waterloo Region a destination and a home for contemporary art.