Libby Hague, Smile, Woodcut and handcolouring
Winners of 2009 Open Studio National Printmaking Awards Announced
Artist Libby Hague Wins Top Prize for Canadian Printmakers
Libby Hague, Smile, Woodcut and handcolouring
Open Studio is pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Open Studio National Printmaking Awards, presented on May 13, 2009 at Open Studio’s 24th annual 100 Prints fundraising event at the Palais Royale. The winners are:
Artists Yael Brotman (Toronto, ON), Karen Curry (Gabriola Island, BC) and Midori Fullerton (Tottenham, ON) were also recognized with Honourable Mentions. Click here to view all of the shortlisted work.
Artist Libby Hague accepting the first place Open Studio National Printmaking Award.
“100 Prints 2009 was a wonderful celebration of contemporary Canadian printmaking,” said Heather Webb, Director of Open Studio. “For the second consecutive year the Open Studio National Printmaking Awards have drawn national attention to the exceptional creative talent of Canadian artists. Congratulations to this year’s honourable mentions and award winners.”
The award winning prints were selected by a distinguished jury of Canadian arts professionals: Betty Ann Jordan, arts journalist and founder of Art InSite; David H. Kaye, Director, David Kaye Gallery; and Brenda Rix, Assistant Curator, Prints and Drawings, Art Gallery of Ontario. "It was an honour to participate in this year's jury for the Open Studio National Printmaking Awards,” said Rix. “The range and diversity of the work submitted, both conceptually and technically, are very encouraging signs for the future of printmaking in this country."
The Open Studio National Printmaking Awards were launched in 2008 in response to a void in the artistic landscape left after the final Ernst & Young Great Canadian Printmaking Competition in 2004. Although awards exist to recognize Canadian artists working in other media, the conclusion of the Great Canadian Printmaking Awards meant that there was no longer an award for artists working specifically in print media. As one of Canada’s leading printmaking centres, Open Studio was perfectly poised to take on the task of recognizing and rewarding the artistic talents that exist within the Canadian printmaking community, and so the Open Studio National Printmaking Awards were born.
Top (L to R) - Open Studio National Printmaking Awards Jury: Brenda Rix, David Kaye and Betty Ann Jordan
Bottom (L to R) - Open Studio National Printmaking Award Nominees: Libby Hague, Yael Brotman, Midori Fullerton and Loree Ovens (missing: Karen Curry and Pawel Zablocki)
Photo by Gennady Lemud
The Open Studio National Printmaking Awards are presented in conjunction with Open Studio's annual event, 100 Prints. Combining the elements of a fine art exhibition and a lottery, 100 Prints is a much-anticipated event in the Canadian arts community, drawing ticket holders who come annually from around Ontario and beyond. The event provides a chance for art lovers to come face to face with works from celebrated Canadian visual artists, as well as pieces by promising emerging talents. It is also a major annual fundraiser for Open Studio, an artist-run, Toronto-based charitable organization that provides professional development opportunities for artists and promotes original fine art prints.
Open Studio extends their gratitude to the sponsors of this year’s 100 Prints event:
Event Media Sponsor: Canadian Art
Gold Sponsors: Anonymous; Arvan Rehab Group; BMO Capital Markets; TD Securities
Silver Sponsors: Akau Framing and Art; Avenue Dental; Dr. Martin Bourgeois; Allison & Jason Chang; C.J. Graphics Inc.; Dr. Bruce Freeman; MJ Braide Corporate Development; Pace Law Firm; Rosenthal Zaretsky Niman and Co., LLP, Chartered Accountants; Transcontinental Yorkville-O’Keefe.