Cultural Leader Legacy Artist Award Winners Announced at Sold-Out Mayor’s Lunch for Arts Champions
NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
February 25, 2013
(Calgary AB) – Six artists were recognized Thursday at the inaugural Mayor’s Lunch for Arts Champions, hosted by Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Calgary Arts Development Authority. The winners of the Cultural Leader Legacy Artist Awards, a legacy initiative spearheaded by Calgary 2012, were:
▪ Emma Bresola (Calgary Catholic Immigration Society New Canadian Artist Award)
▪ Michelle Minke (Enbridge Emerging Artist Award)
▪ Eric Moschopedis and Mia Rushton (MacLachlan Family Community Beacon Award)
▪ Onalea Gilbertson (SANDSTONE City Builder Award)
▪ Jean Grand-Maître (Doug and Lois Mitchell Outstanding Calgary Artist Award)
Winners received a $5000 cash prize, and Jean Grand-Maître also received a residency at the Banff Centre as the winner of the Doug and Lois Mitchell Outstanding Calgary Artist Award.
Each Legacy Award is funded by a $10,000 donation from a local philanthropist or organization with equal matching money from Calgary 2012. The awards will be given annually for four years with winners determined by a jury of peers. In addition to the five existing awards, the TELUS Young Artist Community Innovation Award will be presented for the first time in 2014 to support emerging Calgary artists under the age of 25 in any artistic discipline.
Luncheon attendees had the opportunity to meet and speak with some of Calgary’s top creative dynamos, who were seated at each table and distributed $50 InvestYYC gift card to each attendee. Through these gift cards, a total of $3100 was invested as a result of this event on InvestYYC.com, a new crowdfunding platform for cultural projects in Calgary.
Attendees also heard about the power of the arts to vitalize a city from keynote speaker John Michael Schert of the Trey McIntyre Project, an internationally renowned dance company from Boise, Idaho, and from Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
”I challenge all Calgarians to become Arts Champions in Calgary,” says Mayor Nenshi. “If every one of us commits to attending, promoting, and investing in the arts, we will make our great city even better.”
The Mayor’s Lunch for Arts Champions sold out weeks in advance, and will be expanded for next year’s event.
About Calgary 2012
In 2012, Calgarians celebrate the city’s collective cultural achievements as a Cultural Capital of Canada. Calgary 2012 is an independent, non-profit organization, co-chaired by Doug & Lois Mitchell, created to showcase Calgary’s culture and create legacy projects to encourage future cultural achievements. The goals of the organization are to raise awareness of the richness of Calgary’s cultural assets, empower cultural celebration and participation in every community in Calgary, to build a stronger sense of identity and have local and national impact.
About the Cultural Leaders Legacy Artist Awards
A legacy initiative spearheaded by Calgary 2012, the legacy artist awards are $5000 cash prizes that support artists or arts organizations in the following categories: Calgary Catholic Immigration Society New Canadian Artist Award; Sandstone Asset Management City Builder Award; Enbridge Emerging Artist Award; MacLachlan Family Community Beacon Award; and the Doug and Lois Mitchell Outstanding Calgary Artist Award. Each Legacy Award is funded by a $10,000 donation from a local philanthropist or organization with equal matching money from Calgary 2012. The awards will be given annually for four years with winners determined by a jury of peers.
About Calgary Arts Development
Calgary Arts Development plays a leadership role to promote, foster and direct investments that develop the capacity of Calgary’s arts sector to achieve public and artistic impact. As the city’s designated arts development authority, we are a central hub that learns about, promotes, connects, advocates for, and leads strategic initiatives in the arts to animate Calgary as a vibrant cultural centre. Calgary Arts Development allocates municipal funding for the arts provided by The City of Calgary through granting programs that support operations and innovation for more than 190 arts organizations in Calgary.
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Further Information
Cadence Mandybura
Community Manager, Calgary Arts Development
Phone: 403.264.5330 x 201
Email: cadence.mandybura@calgaryartsdevelopment.com
