Finalists for this year’s Toronto Arts Foundation Awards range from established leaders to emerging artists creating vital work.
Among the finalists is Ryan Rice, Kanien’kehá:ka, independent curator and Associate Dean, Faculty of Liberal Arts/School of Interdisciplinary Studies, OCAD University.
Rice's career spans 25 years in the curatorial field and recent curated projects include: raise a flag: work from the Indigenous Art Collection 2000-2015, You’re Welcome, Listen to the Land, and BAIT: Work by Couzyn van Heuvelen.
“I am honoured and excited to be considered for the Celebration of Cultural Life Award,” said Rice, in an interview posted on the Toronto Arts Foundation website. “I am also grateful for my nominators who put my practice and achievements forward. An award such as this, and its juried recognition, aligns with my aspiration to champion creativity and Indigenous visual culture through curatorial practice, education and public engagement.”
Congratulations, as well, to the finalists in the Arts for Youth Award category:
- The Truth & Dare Project, including OCAD U alumni: founder Zahra Y. Aqjee and curators Samaa Ahed and Iman A. Bhatti
- Jayu, including OCAD U alumni Rose Sauqillo and Vuk Dragojevic
The recipients of the 2020 Toronto Arts Foundation Awards will be announced at a reimagined virtual Mayor’s Arts Lunch on Thursday, September 24, where a total of $86,000 in prize money will be distributed.
Toronto Arts Foundation is a charitable organization that sparks creative connections, spotlights artistic excellence, and supports vibrant cultural growth in Toronto through private-sector investment.