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.

Other Recent News

Partial x OCAD University Artist Showcase Fall 2025 Call for Artists

Partial and OCAD U’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers are excited to announce the return of our partnership which provides an exceptional career opportunity for OCAD U student artists and recent alumni. Selected artists will be given complimentary 2 year Pro Accounts ($240 value) on Partial and permanent inclusion as featured artists within the OCAD University Artist Showcase on Partial to display their works, and administrate artwork sales and rentals.

2026 Sankofa Square Black History Month Digital Exhibition Call for Artists

Sankofa Square and the Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers are excited to announce the return of the annual Black History Month Digital Exhibition Career Launcher providing an exhibition opportunity for artists from the OCAD U community to exhibit their work on the square’s digital screens. Artists are invited to submit artworks to be displayed across five (5) digital screens for the duration of Black History Month in February 2026.

Call for OCAD U Vendors – Bamtori Studio JingleBam Market

OCAD University’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD) is partnering with Bamtori Studio, a Toronto-based creative design and lifestyle brand that celebrates local and emerging artists by hosting community art markets in the GTA. A small, curated group of OCAD U students and recent alumni will be invited to share an OCAD U table to sell products and artworks as part of Bamtori Studio’s JingleBam Market.