Left: Jan Sterbak, Atlas, 2002, colour photograph, 38 x 25 cm. Collection: AFFA, Paris. Photo: ©Jana Sterbak
Right: Ron Martin, Bocour Rose Red #2, 1972, acrylic on canvas, 213.4 x 182.9 cm. Photo: courtesy of Christopher Cutts Gallery


For immediate release

Canada Council for the Arts honours eight Canadian greats for the
2012 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts

Toronto, February 28, 2012 – The winners of the 2012 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts were announced today by Robert Sirman, Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Each has, in their own way, made a mark on Canada's dynamic art scene through their groundbreaking work. They are:

• Margaret Dragu, performance artist
• Geoffrey James, photographer
• Charles Lewton-Brain, artist-goldsmith (Saidye Bronfman Award)
• Ron Martin, visual artist
• Diana Nemiroff, art gallery director and curator (Outstanding Contribution)
• Jan Peacock, visual artist – media and installation
• Royden Rabinowitch, sculptor
• Jana Sterbak, visual artist

In addition to a $25,000 prize from the Canada Council, the winners will each receive a special issue medallion sponsored by the Royal Canadian Mint.

An electronic press kit complete with video interviews, biographies and images of the artists and their works is available on the Canada Council website.

"Throughout their careers, the 2012 winners of the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts have surprised, touched and inspired us," stated His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada. "Let us celebrate these Canadian artists whose creativity and talent we can all be proud of."

"Artists are alchemists, and the 2012 Governor General's Visual and Media Arts laureates are masters at transforming everyday experience into gold," said Robert Sirman, Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts. "These awards celebrate artists who have played a key role in shaping the Canada of today, and who continue to have a lasting and positive impact on our culture."

Exhibition and film screening
The National Gallery of Canada exhibition held in conjunction with these awards will run from March 30 to June 17. In addition to the exhibition, on March 21 at 7 p.m., TIFF will hold a special screening of Jan Peacock's work as part of The Free Screen, TIFF Cinematheque's ongoing showcase of independent and avant-garde media arts work.

Peer committees
This year's independent peer assessment committee for the Awards consisted of John Bentley Mays (Toronto), Dana Claxton (Vancouver), Yvon Cozic (Sainte-Anne-de-la-Rochelle, Que.), Michael Fernandes (East Dover, N.S.), Mary Scott (Calgary) and Bill Vorn (Montreal).

The peer assessment committee members for the Saidye Bronfman Award were Leslie Manning (Medicine Hat, Alta.), Marcel Marois (Québec City) and Lillian Yuen (Dartmouth, N.S.).

Canada Council for the Arts
The role of the Canada Council for the Arts is to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. To fulfill this mandate, the Council offers a broad range of grants and services to professional Canadian artists and arts organizations in music, dance, integrated arts, media arts, theatre, visual arts, and writing and publishing. It also promotes public awareness of the arts through its communications, research and arts promotion activities.

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Visit our website at www.canadacouncil.ca.
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To arrange interviews with the winners:

National publicist
Diane Chaperon-Lor
Office: 416-653-0849
Cell: 416-788-8271
chaperonlor@sympatico.ca

Tous les documents du Conseil des Arts du Canada sont offerts en français et en anglais.