Winners of 2010 Open Studio National Printmaking Awards Announced
Artist Laura Widmer Wins Top Prize for Canadian Printmakers

Laura Widmer, One of the Daves I Know, Linocut (43" × 29"), 2009

Open Studio is pleased to announce the winners of the third annual Open Studio National Printmaking Awards, presented on May 12, 2010 at Open Studio’s 25th annual 100 Prints fundraising event at the Palais Royale. The winners are:

First Prize ($3,000): Laura Widmer (Kelowna, BC)
Second Prize ($1,500): Briar Craig (Kelowna, BC)
Third Prize ($500): Tammy Ratcliff (Guelph, ON)

Artists Barbara Balfour (Toronto, ON), Nadine Bariteau (Toronto, ON) and Jenn Law (Toronto, ON) were also recognized with Honourable Mentions. Click here to view all of the shortlisted work.

Open Studio National Printmaking Award nominees with jury members & 100 Prints Committee members (missing: honourable mentions Barbara Balfour and Nadine Bariteau).
Back Row (L to R): 100 Prints Committee Co-Chair Robyn Scott; Tammy Ratcliff (third prize); Open Studio's Director, Heather Webb; Laura Widmer (first prize); Briar Craig (second prize).
Front Row (L to R): 100 Prints Committee Co-Chair Allison Chang; Jenn Law (honourable mention); jury member Nancy Jacobi; jury member Matthew Brower; jury member David Kaye.
Photo by Michael G. Pierson

“Congratulations to the artists who received honourable mentions and the three award winners of the 2010 Open Studio National Printmaking Awards,” said Heather Webb, Director of Open Studio. “In their third year, these awards continue to celebrate and recognize the vital role of print media in the visual arts today.”

The award winning prints were selected by a distinguished jury of Canadian arts professionals: Matthew Brower, Curator, University of Toronto Art Centre & Lecturer in Museum Studies; Nancy Jacobi, Owner, The Japanese Paper Place; and David H. Kaye, Director, David Kaye Gallery. "Participating on the jury for the Open Studio National Printmaking Awards was both an honour and a pleasure,” said Brower. “The strength of the work submitted reveals the breadth and depth of contemporary Canadian printmaking."

The Open Studio National Printmaking Awards were launched in 2008 in response to a void in the artistic landscape left after the Ernst & Young Great Canadian Printmaking Competition come to an end 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. 

Open to all Canadian printmakers, 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. 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 our gratitude to the sponsors of this year’s 100 Prints event:

Media Sponsor: Canadian Art

Gold Sponsors: Arvan Rehab Group; BMO Capital Markets; Allison & Jason Chang; and TD Securities