150 years of OCAD U
Congratulations to OCAD U alums January Paige on receiving the Changemaker BIPOC Award and Michael Beynon on receiving the Colleague of the Year Award from the Galeries Ontario Galleries (GOG). Paige is an artist instructor and mentor at the MacLaren Art Centre and Beynon is a gallery installer with 24 years of service at the Art Gallery of Mississauga.
The GOG recently announced the Personnel Award Winners, which include these two awards as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award given to Shirley Madill, executive director at The Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery and Volunteer of the Year, awarded to Debby Keating and Catherine Blastorah, president and past president of the Board at the Art Gallery of Peterborough.
The awards celebrate the outstanding achievement, artistic merit and excellence of arts institutions and professionals in the public art gallery.
The GOG also announced the full shortlist for a series of awards, which included many alums and faculty members. The recipients will be announced on November 30.
EXHIBITION AWARDS
Exhibition of the Year Budget Over $50,000
“Earthwork,” curated Mikinaak Migwans. The exhibition included work by alums Michael Belmore and Lisa Myers as well as #BUSH Gallery (whose members include OCAD U Professor Peter Morin).
"Metamorphoses: Visions of Antiquity in the Modern Era,” curated by Dr. Amy Wallace. The exhibition included works by alums Shary Boyle, Kathleen Daly, Esmaa Mohamoud, Rae Hendershot and honorary doctorate recipient Dr. Kent Monkman.
Exhibition of the Year Budget Over $20,000 Thematic
“My Mother’s Tongue,” curated by Musha Neluheni and the installation team included alum Michael Beynon.
Exhibition of the Year Budget Over $20,000 Monographic
“Shary Boyle: How We Are,” curated by alum Shary Boyle and Tobi Bruce. The exhibition featured work by Shary Boyle.
“Between the Current and the Echo,” curated by Anik Glaude. The exhibition included work from the Z’otz* Collective whose members include alums Nahúm Flores and Ilyana Martinez. Alum John Abrams was the exhibition coordinator and on the installation team.
Exhibition of the Year Budget Under $20,000 Thematic
“Beneath the Surface: Stories of Kinship and Connection,” curated by Anik Glaude. Alum John Abrams was the exhibition coordinator and installation team. The exhibition featured works by OCAD U Associate Professor Emma Nishimura and Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona.
Exhibition of the Year Budget Under $20,000 Monographic
“Iris Häussler: Divided Heavens,” curated by John Geoghegan. Alum Dax Morrison was a member of the installation team.
“Kejie Lin: A Garden of My Own.” Curated by Yuluo Wei. Alum John Abrams was one of the exhibition’s coordinators and a member of the installation team.
“Shaheer Zazai: A Petal for a Petal, A Deed for a Deed – The Garden We Could Have Been,” curated by Shannon Anderson featured work by alum Shaheer Zazai. Alum Michael Beynon was a member of the installation team.
Exhibition of the year Budget Under $10,000
“From Cloth to Code: New Media Responses,” curated by Ignazio Colt Nicastro. The exhibition included work by alums Roda Medhat and Zebv Diez.
“From There to Here: Walking for Tomorrow,” curated by Tyler Durbano. The exhibition featured work by alum Jill Price.
INNOVATION IN A COLLECTIONS BASED EXHIBITION
“Edwards Poitras: Big Iron Sky & Public Dance Performance,” curated by alum Penelope Smart.
“Holding Patterns,” curated by Rachel Deiterding. This exhibition included works by alums Thomas Hodgson, Suzy Lake, Meryl McMaster, Shelley Niro, Michael Snow and David Blackwood, and honorary doctorate recipients Dr. Jamelie Hasson, Dr. Tim Whiten and Dr. Joyce Wieland. Work by Arthur Lismer, vice-principal of the Ontario College of Art was also in the exhibition.
“Ndishnikaaz | Nugwa’a̱m | My name is,” curated by alum Mary Anne Barkhouse and Emily McKibbon. The exhibition featured work by Mary Anne Barkhouse.
FIRST EXHIBITION IN A PUBLIC GALLERY
“L’air est lourd,” created by Cassandra Lesage Fongué. The exhibition included work by alum Hala Alsalman.
“The Great Unseen,” curated by alum Christina Leslie. This exhibition included work by alums Delali Cofie and Aaron Jones, and honorary fellow of OCAD Eric Freifeld.
EXHIBITION DESIGN AND INSTALLATION
“Museum of Closetry,” curated by Lucas Azevedo Cabral featured work by OCAD U Instructor Spencer J. Harrison.
PUBLIC PROGRAM
“Our Park 2025: Learning From Mushroom,” curators/public programmers were Yan Wu, Catherine Dean and Karen Law and featured work by alum Annyen Lam.
“Xwat Maanzháapǔyak: BIG BEADS,” curators/public programmers were Julie Rae Tucker, Sophie Hinch, OCAD U Lecturer Vanessa Dion Fletcher, Marc Ngui, Shane Lyon. Vanessa Dion Fletcher was among the artists who participated in this public program.
ART PUBLICATION
“All Hands On Deck!, edited reader, designed and developed by Matthew Hoffman and Alan Woo. Among the writers are OCAD U Associate Professor Nina Leo, student Maryam Hafizirad and alum Cleopatria Peterson. Related exhibition, “The Whole World in Our Hands.”
EXHIBITION CATALOGUE DESIGN
Alum Lauren Wickware is among the shortlist in this category as the graphic designer for “Helen Pelletier: Wiigwas Manidoog Descendants,” for the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.
OTHER PUBLICATION DESIGN / DESIGN BUDGET UNDER $1,500
Alum Sanjit Dhillon is among the shortlist in both these categories as the graphic designer for “What’s On: Upcoming Programming at the Textile Museum of Canada,” and “From Cloth to Code: New Media Responses – Catalogue,” both produced for the Textile Museum of Canada.
IDENTITY RENEWAL DESIGN
Bruce Mau Design is among the shortlist in this category as graphic designer for the McMichael Canadian Art Collection Identity Renewal and Rebrand. Bruce Mau is an OCAD honorary fellow who studied at OCAD.