Dennis Tourbin (1946-1998) was a poet, painter, performance artist, novelist and art and poetry-magazine publisher. He was active in the artist-run centres network since the early days; he was a founding member of the Niagara Artists’ Center, he has run Gallery 101 in Ottawa, in addition to having been Chairman of the Board of Artspace in Peterborough. Dennis was a key part of the development of the lively regional art scene since the seventies; he felt that artists have a profound connection to their communities and drew their inspiration from them.