150 years of OCAD U
The OCAD University Community congratulates Ryan Rice on his award from the Toronto Arts Foundation!
Rice, Onsite Gallery’s executive director and curator of Indigenous art, received the Margo Bindhardt and Rita Davies Cultural Leadership Award at the Mayor’s Arts Lunch on April 29. The annual event, hosted by Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, honours excellence, diversity and innovation in Toronto’s arts sector.
The Margo Bindhardt and Rita Davies Cultural Leadership Award celebrates an artist, creator, volunteer or administrator who has demonstrated cultural leadership in the development of arts and culture in Toronto. Finalists in this category receive $1,000, with Rice receiving a $10,000 prize as the ultimate recipient.
Rice’s curatorial career spans 30 years in museums, public spaces and galleries. His research and writing have focused on contemporary and Onkwehón:we art. In 2022, Rice received the Changemakers BIPOC Award from Galeries Ontario/Ontario Galleries for his scholarship and community-based advocacy. He is a co-founder of the Indigenous Curatorial Collective and a board member of the Inuit Art Foundation.
Rice’s next major curatorial project is Rosalie Favell | Belonging (1982-2024), the first retrospective of renowned Red River Metis artist Rosalie Favell, showcasing a curated selection of her lens-based works from 1982 to 2024.
Founded in 1995, the Toronto Arts Foundation is focused on bringing the arts to communities throughout the city. Since its inception, the Foundation has been recognized as a champion of the arts, bringing attention and investment to the sector. This year, award finalists included Rice, two OCAD U graduates and a current student.