Arts Notes
Request for artists to participate in survey on needs of Canadian senior artists
A group of Canadian arts organizations is assessing the situation and needs of senior artists in Canada. The Senior Artists Research Project is designed to improve available services and to determine the needs and interests of senior artists in the areas of artistic activity, health care, housing, retirement, financial issues, community connections and social networks.
An online survey aimed at artists 60 years and older will gather data on the subject.
In addition, there will be town hall discussions about the Senior Artists Research Project. For locations and dates, click here
Participating Organizations include: the Actors Fund of Canada; Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA); American Federation of Musicians; Canadian Actors’ Equity Association; Canadian Artists’ Representation (CARFAC); Canadian Music Centre; Cultural Careers Council of Ontario; Dancer Transition Resource Centre;; Directors Guild of Canada; PAL Canada Foundation; Union des artistes; Writers Guild of Canada and Writers’ Union of Canada.
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Aboriginal organization joins Exhibition Assistance program
We have invited Neto Hatinakwe Onkwehowe Native Arts Canada to evaluate Aboriginal applications for the Exhibition Assistance program . Neto joins two other Aboriginal organizations, the Woodland Cultural Centre and the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation . If you are an Aboriginal artist working in crafts, visual arts or media arts and have a confirmed upcoming exhibition, you can send your application to these organizations.
We also added two other recommenders: The Ontario Crafts Council , an organization that will accept applications from Ontario-based craft artists; and the Agnes Jamieson Gallery , which will focus on applications from artists living in eastern Ontario, including Cobourg, Kingston, Minden and Ottawa.
A recommender is a third-party organization that receives applications directly from artists, then forwards their grant recommendations to OAC for authorization and payment. The Exhibition Assistance program provides grants of $500 to $1,500 for individual artists, to help pay for costs related to presenting their work in confirmed upcoming exhibitions.
About the Exhibition Assistance program
For this program, artists submit applications to one of OAC’s third-party recommender organizations, which include public art galleries, artist-run centres, cultural organizations located in their region. The organizations agree to take on this role as a service to the artists in their communities. They do not receive any administrative compensation from OAC.
There are now 65 Exhibition Assistance recommenders located in all regions of Ontario. Several recommenders have specialized expertise serving Aboriginal or Francophone artists or artists working in photography, crafts or media arts. Exhibitions can be provincial, national or international.
As a result of the $5 million increase to OAC’s annual funding base in April 2009, the program budget for Exhibition Assistance grants was increased by 25 per cent this year, and is now $500,000 .
Applications will be accepted until mid-February 2010.
For more information
Contact Lisa Wöhrle, Associate Visual and Media Arts Officer, 416-969-7419, toll free 1-800-387-0058 extension 7419.
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Upcoming deadline for Cultural Strategic Investment Fund
The
Cultural Strategic Investment Fund (CSIF) supports projects that contribute to Ontario’s cultural development and that achieve economic and creative growth. CSIF is open to not-for-profit organizations working in arts, heritage and Ontario-based research—including academic institutions—with a focus on the cultural sector.
The deadline for applications is November 16, 2009.
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OAC hosts panel discussion on creative cultural expression
On Wednesday, October 28, a group of music artists, professionals and policy makers gathered at the Royal Conservatory of Music to attend “The Promise of Music,” a one-day symposium on music education. The goal was to raise awareness about the connections between youth, social change and music programming.
There were panel presentations, interactive sessions and performances, including an OAC sponsored panel called The Postcolonial Approach—Making Space for Creative Cultural Expressions . Discussions explored how an open approach—one that embraces diverse forms of musical genres, ensembles, cultural practices and activities—can lead to successful music programming in underserved communities.
The panel was made up of Resource Coordinator Derek “Drex” Jancar from The Remix Project, Ajay Heble , Artistic Director of the Guelph Jazz Festival, and Marcela Davison Aviles , Director of the Mexican Heritage Corporation. University of Toronto PhD candidate and artist educator Lise Vaugeois moderated the panel.
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Call for nominations for the 2010 Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts
The deadline for the
Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts is just around the corner. If you know an artist or an arts organization that would make an excellent candidate for this award, please submit a nomination
by December 1, 2009.
The Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts recognizes outstanding achievement and contribution to arts and culture in Ontario that occur over a significant period of time. The award is conferred in two categories, valued at $50,000 each, one for an individual artist and one for an arts organization.
For more information about who is eligible for the award, or to request a hard copy of the nomination guidelines and nomination form:
Phone 416-961-1660 extension 6666, toll free 1-800-387-0058 extension 6666. or info@arts.on.ca
Download the nomination guidelines and nomination form
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Sudbury Symphony Orchestra recipient of the 2009 Vida Peene Orchestra Award
The $5,000 award was presented by OAC Board Member Adrien Lamoureux at the orchestra’s second concert of the season, the playful “Trick or Treat evening with the SSO,” on Friday October 30 at 7 p.m.
at Sudbury’s Glad Tidings Auditorium.
Read the press release
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Kyrie Kristmanson wins the 2009 Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award
Singer/songwriter
Kyrie Kristmanson is the 2009 recipient of the Ontario Arts Council’s
Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award for her
Song X. Nominations for the 2009 Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award were received from the
Ontario Council of Folk Festivals’ “Songs from the Heart” jury.
Read the press release
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Robert Cram first recipient of $20,000 award named for composer Oskar Morawetz
Flutist
Robert Cram is the first recipient of the Ontario Arts Council’s
Oskar Morawetz Award for Excellence in Music Performance . The presentation of this national biennial award took place on Friday, October 16, during the opening concert of the University of Ottawa Orchestra’s 2009–2010 season.
Read the press release
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OAC invites experts to discuss cultural appropriation
Cultural appropriation occurs when one culture adopts identifiable elements of a different cultural group. Elements include art, cultural practices, clothing, personal adornment, music, religion and language. In the 90s, cultural appropriation spurred heated debates. The controversy has died down somewhat, but it’s an issue we often grapple with. To help us in our dialogues, we invited Marlene Castellano, Richard Fung, Stephen Henighan, Lata Pada and James Young to a panel discussion on October 6, 2009. Each panelist brought a unique perspective to the conversation, which generated a lot of discussion.
The panelists
- Dr. Marlene Brant Castellano is a Mohawk of the Bay of Quinte Band and was Professor Emerita at Trent University, where she provided leadership in the development the emerging discipline of Indigenous Studies (1973–96).
- Richard Fung is an award-winning video artist, cultural critic and associate professor at the Ontario College of Art and Design.
- Professor Stephen Henighan is Head of Hispanic Studies at the University of Guelph. He is the author of six books of fiction, set in many different cultures, three books of literary criticism and a travel memoir.
- Lata Pada is the founder, director and principal teacher of SAMPRADAYA Dance Academy. Ms. Pada's choreography and dance repertoire reflect the range of her creativity within traditional and non-traditional spheres of artistic expression, including intercultural dance collaborations with artists of diverse dance genres.
- Dr. James O. Young , professor and chair of philosophy at the University of Victoria, has written about cultural appropriation, including Cultural Appropriation and the Arts (2008) and The Ethics of Cultural Appropriation (2009), a collection of essays co-edited with Conrad Brunk.
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Staff comings and goings
The summer of 2009 was a period of transition for OAC.
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| From left, Jenny Florence, Larissa Momryk, Kadija de Paula and Eric Dubeau. (Photo: Martin Quilaneta) |
- We are pleased to welcome Claudette Jaiko , OAC’s new Franco-Ontarian Arts officer . Claudette replaces Eric Dubeau, Franco-Ontarian Arts Officer and Manager of Francophone Partnerships.
- Colleen Dauncey , Touring and Compass Program Assistant, joined us in September after the departure of Larissa Momryk .
- Visual and Media Arts Program Assistants Kadija de Paula and Lia Kyranis have recently joined the ranks of OAC alumni. The latest addition to the visual and media arts team is Anne Garde Gravestock , Visual and Media Arts Program Assistant.
- We would also like to welcome Nazanin Shoja , Granting Support Assistant, who took over for Louise Giroux .
New faces in the corporate area
- The Communications team recently welcomed Geneviève Vallerand , Communications Coordinator, Government and Media Relations. Geneviève replaces Hamal Docter .
- Following Jenny Florence ’s departure, Christina Cassaro was hired as Scheduling and Administrative Assistant.
- Congratulations to Martin Quilaneta, who is now our full-time Operations Assistant!
Photo: From left, former OAC staff Jennifer Florence, Laryssa Momryk, Kadija de Paula and Eric Dubeau. (Photo: Ontario Arts Council)
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Show off your photos on our website and publications
Your images reflect the variety, innovation and creativity of the arts in Ontario. We want to display your images on our website, or include them in print publications such as our annual report.
We are looking for high-quality, high-resolution (300 dpi+) photographs of your artistic projects. Send your digital images to communications@arts.on.ca
If your files are more than 1 MB please use www.yousendit.com , an easy-to-use service for files up to 2MB. (Direct the service to send to communications@arts.on.ca )
We also accept CDs/DVDs and hard copies
Mail your photos to the Ontario Arts Council at
151 Bloor Street West, 5 th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5S 1T6.
When you send your images, please let us know:
- your name and contact information
- the date (approximately) the photos were taken
- the name of the photographer
- the names of artists whose work is represented
- titles of artwork/performance pictured
- any other contextual details—for example location—important to interpreting the image
- written consent for OAC to use your images on websites, in the annual report or other print and electronic publications
Thank you for your help with this project. If you have questions or concerns, contact Ashleigh Hodgins, Communications Assistant, 416-969-7462, toll free 1-800-387-0058 extension 7462, ahodgins@arts.on.ca
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A fresh look for OAC website!
If you visited our website recently, you will have noticed significant changes to both the look and content of the site. We revamped the website to include new sections and features to help you find information more quickly. For a breakdown of these new features,
click here
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