News
PROVINCIAL VISUAL ART AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
(Toronto)-The 31st annual OAAG Awards were presented Friday, September 26, 2008 in a filled-to-capacity 90-minute ceremony hosted at the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Hart House, University of Toronto.
Fêting outstanding achievement in exhibitions, curatorial writing, education programs, and community partnerships, with a nominee-pool drawn from among 40 public art galleries in 21 cities across Ontario, the awards were determined by nine noncompeting jurors.
The 2008 OAAG Awards jurors included visual artist Catherine Heard, filmmaker b. h. Yael, public art gallery professionals Francisco Alvarez, George Wale, and Diane Wolfe, curator Mia Nielson, art director Barbara Solowan, writer Dot Tuer, and educator Adele Jeffrey.
This year there were 30 nominations for Exhibition of the Year among 158 other comprehensive nominations.
Awards were presented to public art galleries in Cambridge, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, Oakville, Ottawa, Owen Sound, and Toronto.
For the 2008 Awards, Toronto artist Lily Yung created a limited edition of new rings laser-cut in translucent blue and ruby red presented to this year's Award winners. Award winners were fitted with their ring sets as the ceremony progressed. Designer Lisa Kiss contributed the Awards identity campaign based on Lily Yung's design. Sarah Nasby designed the 2008 OAAG Award certificate. Floral displays were designed for the Awards by the company Jackie O.
2008 OAAG Awards Highlights
The Jury recognized major contemporary art exhibitions by the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, the Ydessa Hendeles Art Foundation, The Power Plant, and the Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art.
Francisco Alvarez presented the Exhibition of the Year Award to Barbara Fischer, Curator, for the major 2007 exhibition PROJECTIONS. This video and media art exhibition, organized by the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Hart House, University of Toronto, and presented on the Mississauga, Scarborough and St. George campuses by four University of Toronto art galleries, was lauded by the jury as "a significant contribution to Canadian art history." Artists in the exhibition included David Askevold, Rebecca Belmore, Genevieve Cadieux, Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller, Ian Carr-Harris, Christine Davis, Stan Douglas, Murray Favro, Wyn Geleynse, Rodney Graham, David Hoffos, Nestor Krüger, Mark Lewis, Kelly Mark, John Massey, Nathalie Melikian, Judy Radul, Gar Smith, Michael Snow, Jana Sterbak, Robert Wiens, and Krzysztof Wodiczko.
The exhibition DEAD! DEAD! DEAD! (Ydessa Hendeles Art Foundation, Ydessa Hendeles, Curator) was cited by the Jury for an award of Special Recognition, as was SIMON STARLING: CUTTINGS (SUPPLEMENT) (The Power Plant, Gregory Burke, Curator).
The Power Plant also received the Award for Visual Art Book of the Year for Simon Starling: Cuttings (Supplement).
Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art, Toronto, was distinguished with the Exhibition Design and Installation Award for IMPRINTS FOR A FLEETING MEMORIAL (José Roca, Curator; Oscar Muñoz, Artist; David Ferguson, Scott McLeod, Oscar Muñoz, José Roca, Exhibition Designers; YYZ Artists' Outlet, Collaborating Gallery).
The exhibition was praised for its "great sensitivity to the ephemeral nature of the artist's work and the excellence of its design and installation."
Gallery director Louise Dompierre presented Hamilton residents Bob and Maggie Carr with OAAG's 2008 Partner Award recognizing their lead gift of $500,000 to the Art Gallery of Hamilton's Building a Legacy 2 Endowment Campaign, the single largest gift to date to the Endowment. Bob Carr is a retired mechanical engineer and Maggie Carr currently sits on the Board of Directors. Louise Dompierre said, "This gift has been tremendously stimulating and inspiring for our current and potential donors and for the community at large, and every year will return about $25,000 to the gallery."
The Textile Museum of Canada was cited with six major Awards over the course of the evening. The exhibition Close to You: Contemporary Textiles, Intimacy and Popular Culture was recognized for curatorial writing and book design. Designers of the project Digital Threads, ecentricarts Inc., were recognized with a Web Award and Partner Award. The Digital Threads project also received accolades in the form of an Educator Award for community outreach.
In a touching and emotion-filled moment during the ceremony, Textile Museum director Nataley Nagy presented the 2008 OAAG Volunteer of the Year Award to Nancy Dillow for her outstanding voluntary contribution. Nataley Nagy said, "For 13 years, Nancy Dillow was a leading force behind the volunteer-run fundraiser More Than Just a Yardage Sale, an event that has attracted thousands of attendees annually and generated more than $200,000 for the Textile Museum." The audience accorded Nancy Dillow a standing ovation.
Blackwood Gallery Director Christof Migone also presented Educator Awards to David Huff (Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound) and to the Oakville Galleries Education Team.
Dot Tuer presented Sarah Quinton, Mark A. Cheetham and Kenneth Hayes with Curatorial Writing Awards. Each winning writer received a cheque for $1000.
Toronto artist and curator Andrew Harwood presented OAAG's first award for Visual Art Film produced by a public art gallery for the film Community Matters: the Art of Carole Condé and Karl Beveridge, produced by the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston. Filmmakers Roz Owen and Jim Miller were in attendance to receive the Award. The artists Karl Beveridge and Carole Condé were also in attendance.
Twelve Design Awards were presented this year to graphic designers Bryan Gee, Marie Minas, Laurie Plater, Underline Studio, CO & CO, Cecilia Berkovic, Mark Timmings, Patrick Côté, and Lisa Kiss.
Bryan Gee was recognized for three book designs: Philip Monk, Disassembling the Archive: Fiona Tan (Art Gallery of York University, Toronto, 2007); Kristan Horton, Dr. Strangelove Dr. Strangelove (Art Gallery of York University, Toronto, 2007); and the artist book Geoffrey James, Field Notes (Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, 2008).
The Art Gallery of York University was cited in two more Awards: a Web Award to Toronto artist/designer Ken Ogawa for the online art commission weitiko, accepted on his behalf by AGYU Director Philip Monk, and a Design Award to Cecilia Berkovic for the exhibition poster Fastwürms présente Donky Ninja Witch, accepted on her behalf by artist Lex Vaughn.
Retiring public art gallery director Arlene Kennedy was the recipient of the 2008 Colleague of the Year Award. Catherine Elliot Shaw, her former colleague at the McIntosh Gallery, University of Western Ontario in London, made the heartfelt presentation, which was also supported by Museum London and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Tom Smart, director, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, commented, "The cultural sectors in Ontario and Canada are stronger because of the commitment, hard work, enthusiasm and passion of Arlene Kennedy."
The Post-Event reception was held at the Rivoli.
2008 OAAG Awards
EXHIBITION OF THE YEAR AWARD / PRIX DE L'EXPOSITION
Projections, 2007 (and circulating)
Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, University of Toronto ORGANIZING GALLERY
Barbara Fischer ORGANIZING CURATOR / EXHIBITION DESIGNER
EXHIBITED ARTISTS David Askevold, Rebecca Belmore, Genevieve Cadieux, Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller, Ian Carr-Harris, Christine Davis, Stan Douglas, Murray Favro, Wyn Geleynse, Rodney Graham, David Hoffos, Nestor Krüger, Mark Lewis, Kelly Mark, John Massey, Nathalie Melikian, Judy Radul, Gar Smith, Michael Snow, Jana Sterbak, Robert Wiens, Krzysztof Wodiczko
COLLABORATING CURATORS AND GALLERIES Séamus Kealy, Blackwood Gallery (University of Toronto, Mississauga), Ann MacDonald, Doris McCarthy Gallery (University of Toronto, Scarborough), and Niamh O'Laoghaire, University of Toronto Art Centre
GALLERY COORDINATION AND INSTALLATION TEAM Maiko Tanaka, Day Milman, Erin Peck, Juliana Zalucky, Michael Beynon, Tejpal Ajji, Jon Sasaki, Joe McLean, Fred Mendelson, Cornelius Spek, Matthew Janisse, Doug Moore, Shay Gibson, Terence Cook, Petra Chevrier, Damian Seguin, Darin Yorston, Katie Bethune-Leaman, Jade Rude, Jacob Korczinzki, Riaz Mehmood, Rick Palidwor, and many others, including volunteers, workstudy students and interns. Special installation assistance for specific projects by Richard Gagnier, Brodie Smith, Robyn Moody, Mark Curry, Wade Thomas, and Denis Labelle.
SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS / RECONNAISANCES SPÉCIALES
Dead! Dead! Dead!, 2007-2008
Ydessa Hendeles Art Foundation ORGANIZING GALLERY
Ydessa Hendeles ORGANIZING CURATOR / EXHIBITION DESIGNER
Louise Bourgeois, Bill Brandt, James Coleman, George Cruikshank, Marcel Dzama, Katharina Fritsch, Robert Gober, Charles Ray, Thomas Rose (Professor Roselia), Thomas Schütte, 19th & 20th century "Punch and Judy" glove puppets, 19th century British police truncheons, and Joan Crawford's charm bracelets EXHIBITED ARTISTS
Dean Baldwin, Dustin Baldwin, Michael Buchanan, Corinne Carlson, Kristan Horton, Kelly Mark, Stuart Mullin, James Prior, Todd Selig, Dan Young GALLERY INSTALLATION TEAM
Simon Starling: Cuttings (Supplement), 2008
The Power Plant, Toronto
Gregory Burke CURATOR Simon Starling ARTIST
Reid Shier COMMISSION INITIATOR Infestation Piece (Musselled Moore), 2006/8
Follows the 2005 exhibition Simon Starling: Cuttings at the Museum fur Gegenwartskunst, Basel.
EXHIBITION DESIGN AND INSTALLATION AWARD / PRIX DU DESIGN ET DE L'INSTALLATION D'EXPOSITION
Imprints for a Fleeting Memorial, 2008
Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art, Toronto
José Roca CURATOR Oscar Muñoz ARTIST
David Ferguson, Scott McLeod, Oscar Muñoz, José Roca EXHIBITION DESIGNERS
David Ferguson GALLERY INSTALLATION TEAM
YYZ Artists' Outlet COLLABORATING GALLERY
CURATORIAL WRITING AWARDS / PRIX DES TEXTES DE CONSERVATION
Book / Livre
Sarah Quinton
Close to You: Contemporary Textiles, Intimacy and Popular Culture
Textile Museum of Canada and Dalhousie Art Gallery, 2007 for the exhibition Close to You: Contemporary Textiles, Intimacy and Popular Culture.
Ai Kijima, Scott Kildall, Allyson Mitchell, Mark Newport, Michele Provost FEATURED ARTISTS
Essays / Essais
Mark A. Cheetham
The Transformative Abstraction of Robert Houle
Troubling Abstraction: Robert Houle
McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton, and the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, 2007
Kenneth Hayes
Frank Lloyd Wright's Mother
Lyla Rye: Hopscotch
Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, and Esplanade Art Gallery, 2007
VISUAL ART BOOK AWARD / PRIX DU LIVRE D'ARTS VISUELS
Simon Starling: Cuttings (Supplement)
The Power Plant, Toronto, 2008, for the exhibition Simon Starling: Cuttings (Supplement)
Gregory Burke EDITOR
Gregory Burke, Mark Godfrey, Reid Shier, Simon Starling, Sarah Stanners WRITERS
Simon Starling EXHIBITED ARTIST
HONOURABLE MENTION / MENTION HONORABLE
Logotopia: The Library in Architecture, Art and the Imagination
Cambridge Galleries Design at Riverside
Published 2008 by Cambridge Galleries for the exhibition Logotopia: The Library in Architecture, Art and the Imagination
Sascha Hastings and Esther E. Shipman EDITORS
Lise Bissonnette, Ray Bradbury, Alberto Manguel, Robert Jan van Pelt, Nora Young, Sascha Hastings WRITERS
Adam David Brown, Douglas Coupland, Denis Farley, Guy Laramée, Michael Lewis EXHIBITED ARTISTS
VISUAL ART FILM AWARD / PRIX DU FILM D'ART
Community Matters: the Art of Carole Condé and Karl Beveridge
Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, 2008
Roz Owen and Jim Miller, in consultation with Pat Sullivan
DESIGN AWARDS / PRIX DU DESIGN
Books / Livres
Bryan Gee
Philip Monk, Disassembling the Archive: Fiona Tan
Art Gallery of York University, Toronto, 2007
Marie Minas
Wallworks: Contemporary Artists and Place
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2007
Laurie Plater, Bhandari and Plater Inc.
Logotopia: The Library in Architecture, Art and the Imagination
Cambridge Galleries, 2008
Underline Studio
Burrow/Terrier
Oakville Galleries and Musée d'art de Joliette, 2007
CO & CO
Close to You: Contemporary Textiles, Intimacy and Popular Culture
Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto, 2007
Hardcover / Livre
Bryan Gee; Kristan Horton
Dr. Strangelove Dr. Strangelove
Art Gallery of York University, Toronto, 2007
Artist Book / Livre d'artiste
Bryan Gee; Geoffrey James
Field Notes
Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, 2008
Duotone Separations and Printing: Doug Laxdal, The Gas Company Inc.
Periodical / Périodique
Underline Studio
Prefix Photo 15: Spectral Light
Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art, Toronto, 2007
Poster / Affiche
Cecilia Berkovic
Fastwürms présente Donky Ninja Witch
Art Gallery of York University, Toronto, 2007
Newsletter / Communiqué
Mark Timmings
Og2, 4.2 to 5.1
Oakville Galleries, 2007-2008
Event / Évènement
Patrick Côté
Les arts visuels à Ottawa-Gatineau Art Scene
Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa, and the Canadian Museums Association on the occasion of the Visual Arts Summit, 2007, Ottawa
Lisa Kiss, Lisa Kiss Design
Creative Consultant: Kim Fullerton, AKIMBO Promotions and Consulting
Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound, 2007
WEB AWARDS
Artist Project / Projet d'artiste
Ken Ogawa / Vlackie O
weitiko
www.yorku.ca/agyu/artistsproject/vlackieo/
Art Gallery of York University, Toronto, 2008
Emelie Chhangur
Collection Access / Accès à la collection
Danyon Reeves
Video Art in Canada
www.videoart.virtualmuseum.ca
Vtape, Toronto, ongoing
Dara Gellman, Jean-Paul Kelly, Lisa Steele
Feature / Article
ecentricarts Inc.
Digital Threads
www.digitalthreads.ca
Textile Museum of Canada, 2007
Sarah Quinton, John Dalrymple, Patricia Bentley, Roxane Shaughnessy, Nataley Nagy
Willoughby Associates, Ltd., Concentric Media
PARTNER AWARDS / PRIX DU PARTENARIAT
Bob and Maggie Carr
Lead Gift, AGH Building a Legacy 2 Endowment Campaign
Art Gallery of Hamilton, 2007
ecentricarts Inc.
Digital Threads
Textile Museum of Canada, 2007
2008 EDUCATOR AWARDS / PRIX DE L'ÉDUCATEUR-ÉDUCATRICE
Community Outreach / Développement communautaire
Patricia Bentley, Joanna Berzowska, Angella Mackey, Dorie Millerson EDUCATORS
Digital Threads Network
Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto, with Toronto District School Board, Laidlaw Foundation, Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), and Interaccess Electronic Media Arts Centre
In-School Program / Programme scolaire
David Huff EDUCATOR Trevor Pfeffer ARTIST
The Home Port Project
Tom Thomson Art Gallery, 2007-2008
Ms. Walsh's Grade 7 (2 classes), Strathcona Senior Public School, Owen Sound; Ms. Duncan's Grade 6, Notre Dame Catholic School, Owen Sound; Ms. Reece's Grade 7/8 and Ms. Nelson's Grade 7/8, St. Joseph's School, Port Elgin; Ms. Shaughnessy's Grade 6, Bruce Peninsula District School, Lion's Head; Ms. Johnston's Grade 7/8, G.C. Houston Public School, Southhampton
Gallery Program / Programme muséal
Og2 Education Team
Monique MacLeod, EDUCATION COORDINATOR
Olia Mishchenko, Dominique Prevost, Shaun Dacey, Sarah Lewis, Andréa Lalonde, Gabby Moser, Maria Legault, Mona Filip, Jennifer Matotek, Denise Frimer, Catherine Sicot
Exploring Gairloch Gardens
Oakville Galleries, ongoing
Halton and Peel anglophone and francophone school boards
VOLUNTEER AWARD / PRIX DU BÉNÉVOLAT
Nancy Dillow
More than Just a Yardage Sale, 1995-2007
Textile Museum of Canada
COLLEAGUE AWARD / PRIX DU COLLÈGUE
McIntosh Gallery / McMichael Canadian Art Collection / Museum London
Very Special Thanks / Un merci tout particulier à: Akimbo, C Magazine, Casa Açoreana, SoJin Chun, Dufflet Pastries, Barbara Fischer, Fuse Magazine, Barbara Gilbert, the Hart House Event team, Jackie O, Dave Kemp, Dale and Pamela Krueger, Lisa Kiss Design, Neva Macleod, Katy McDevitt, Clementine Oberst, PPG, The Retail Bag Company, The Rivoli, Michael Ruggles, Nicole Shimura, Erin Walsh, Lily Yung.
Produced by the Ontario Association of Art Galleries / Association ontarienne des galeries d'art
Media Contact:
Barbara Gilbert
members@oaag.org
Phone: (416) 598-0714