Ontario Visual Arts Awards ceremony. Photo: Salomeh Ahmadi
Friday, September 21, 2012, 6 p.m.
Great Hall at the University of Toronto’s Hart House
Joint Reception: OAAG and Justina M. Barnicke Gallery from 4 – 6 p.m. in Hart House.
7 Hart House Circle.
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H3
T: 416-598-0714
communications@oaag.org
Join us at the Ontario visual arts awards Friday night at 6 pm!
The Ontario Association of Art Galleries (OAAG) announces its landmark 35th annual Ontario visual arts awards on Friday, September 21 at 6 p.m. at the Great Hall at the University of Toronto’s Hart House.
Thirty-two visual art galleries from 19 cities across Ontario are nominated this year.
The OAAG Awards recognize artistic merit and excellence in nine major categories:
Exhibition, Curatorial and Art Writing, Public Program, Education, Art Publication, Design, Partnership, Colleague and Volunteer. The program is one of the most comprehensive and best known among Ontario’s art awards.
“It’s astounding how much high quality work is produced in the visual arts sector each year. The OAAG Awards acknowledge and support work that could otherwise be overlooked,” says Olinda Casimiro, President of OAAG’s Board of Directors.
Olinda Casimiro, President of OAAG’s Board of Directors. Photo: Roberta Baker for OAAG
She adds, “The OAAG Awards ceremony has become a place visual arts professionals want to be. Highly distinguished and emerging visual arts professionals from across Ontario come to celebrate the year’s achievement in our dynamic public art galleries.”
The visual theme of this year’s celebration draws upon the trailer for Frederico Fellini’s 1972 film Roma. Hélène Joy and Thom Ernst will help present the OAAG Awards. Hélène Joy is an award-winning actress whose roles include playing Dr. Julia Ogden on CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries. Thom Ernst is the host and producer of TVO’s Saturday Night at the Movies.
The ceremony also features a performance project contributed by visual artist Derek Liddington and a performance from singer-songwriter Zoe Henderson whose music is a hybrid of jazz, country and folk.
Ontario visual art award winners announced
The Ontario Association of Art Galleries (OAAG) announced its 35th annual OAAG Award winners on September 21, 2012 at the University of Toronto’s Hart House to a full house.
Seventeen awards and one honourable mention were presented.
Television personalities Hélène Joy and Thom Ernst helped present the OAAG Awards. Hélène Joy is an award-winning actress whose roles include playing Dr. Julia Ogden on CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries. Thom Ernst is the host and producer of TVO’s Saturday Night at the Movies. Curators Patricia Deadman, Andrea Fatona and David Liss also acted as presenters.
In addition to the Award winners and guest presenters, those in attendance included artists Diane Borsato, Kim Tomczak and Lisa Steele, Deirdre Logue and Allyson Mitchell, John Greyson, Richard Fung and Michele Pearson Clarke, new director of The Power Plant Gaëtane Verna, and graphic designers Barr Gilmore and Lisa Kiss, among many others.
The ceremony featured performances by visual artist Derek Liddington and singer-songwriter Zoe Henderson whose music is a hybrid of jazz, country and folk.
2012 Ceremony Highlights:
The Art Gallery of York University’s Will Munro: History, Magic and Glamour, a posthumous exhibition for an iconic Toronto artist, was named Exhibition of the Year. It was curated by Philip Monk and Emelie Chhangur. The artist’s parents Margaret and Ian Munro were in attendance for the presentation of the award. Curator Emelie Chhangur’s large-scale participatory performance collaboration between Panamanian artist Humberto Veléz and the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation and Toronto’s Urban Runners (parkours) from the Monkey Vault Gym presented in Walker Court at the Art Gallery of Ontario was recognized with the Public Programs Award.
Philip Monk and Emelie Chhangur. Roberta Baker for OAAG
Kim Tomczak was singled out with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his groundbreaking work in video art preservation and media arts heritage. Mr. Tomczak is an internationally renowned artist. His list of artistic production and accomplishments exceeds 20 pages in length. Vtape, The Canadian Cultural Workers Network, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Art Gallery of York University supported the nomination.
In the category of Art Publication of the Year, the surprise winner was Do You Read Me? – a book dedicated to youth-based zines and printed material. Published by Oakville Galleries, the project was authored by young writers from Oakville Galleries’ Youth Council, the Art Gallery of Ontario Youth Council, Bronte Youth Centre & Oakville Public Library Youth.
Calder Harben, Art Publication of the Year. Photo: Roberta Baker for OAAG
Peter Allen, philanthropist and volunteer, was recognized with the Key Gallery Partnership Award for his significant contributions to the University of Toronto Art Centre.
Peter Allen. Photo: Roberta Baker for OAAG
A comprehensive website produced for the exhibition William Kurelek: The Messenger received the Education Award (www.kurelek.ca). The project was a successful collaboration between the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Andrew Kear, curator at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, travelled to Toronto to receive the award.
Out of 32 nominated galleries, 16 galleries from 10 cities across Ontario were acknowledged:
Art Gallery of Hamilton
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
Art Gallery of Peterborough
Art Gallery of York University, Toronto
Blackwood Gallery, Mississauga
Cambridge Galleries
Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa
Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography, Toronto
Oakville Galleries
The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa
Rodman Hall Art Centre / Brock University, St. Catharines
Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto
University of Toronto Art Centre
Vtape, Toronto
Varley Art Gallery of Markham, Unionville
Four partnering organizations were also acknowledged:
Canadian Cultural Workers Network
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Southern Alberta Art Gallery
The OAAG Awards recognize artistic merit and excellence in nine major categories:
Exhibition, Curatorial and Art Writing, Public Program, Education, Art
Publication, Design, Partnership, Colleague and Volunteer. The program is one of the most comprehensive and best known among Ontario’s art awards. “It’s astounding how much high quality work is produced in the visual arts sector each year. The OAAG Awards acknowledge and support work that could otherwise be overlooked,” said Olinda Casimiro, President of OAAG’s Board of Directors.
The visual theme of this year’s celebration drew upon the trailer for Frederico Fellini’s 1972 film Roma.
The 2012 OAAG Award was created by Joe Vinski, an artist from Mississauga.
This year’s jurors included visual art professionals Alexandra Badzak (The Ottawa Art Gallery), Marlee Choo (Harbourfront Centre), Patricia Deadman (Woodstock Art Gallery), curator Andrea Fatona (Toronto), Nancy Gareh-Coulombe (Art Gallery of Sudbury), Srimoyee Mitra (Art Gallery of Windsor), Valentine Moreno (Koffler Centre), and Olexander Wlasenko (Station Gallery).
Sponsors:
Gold: Art Toronto, Creativ Festival, Flash Reproductions, The Globe and Mail, Hart
House (University of Toronto)
Silver: Diamond Schmitt Architects, Elgin Picture & Frame Inc., Stephen Bulger Gallery
Bronze: CARFAC Ontario, Gallery Express, OCAD University, Ontario Cultural
Attractions Fund, Museumpros Art Services Inc., University of Guelph
In-Kind: Aboveground Art Supplies, C Magazine, Canadian Institute of Floral Design,
Cineplex Entertainment, Francesco’s Limousine & Coach Services Inc., Gourmet Food &
Wine Expo, Metro, SLATE Art Guide
Design by Donderdag
More information at: http://oaag.org