TAF Awards Finalists Announced

May 12, 2012 - On May 10th Toronto Arts Foundation (TAF) announced the fifteen finalists for the 2012 Toronto Arts Foundation Awards, celebrating those individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to Toronto’s vibrant artistic and cultural life.

This year’s nominees were chosen by a stellar multi-disciplinary jury which included Francisco Alvarez, Hilario Duran, John Farrell, Darlene Gilliland, Angela Grabham, Bonnie Kim, Moynan King, Richard Lee, Chris Lorway, Shauna McCabe and Natalyn Tremblay. Winners of the 2012 Toronto Arts Foundation Awards will be announced on Thursday, June 21, 2012 at the Mayor’s Arts Awards Lunch.

2012 Toronto Arts Foundation Awards Finalists:

Arts for Youth Award:

Art Starts, Regent Park Focus Youth Media Arts Centre and Supporting Our Youth (SOY)

This $15,000 cash prize established in 2007 by Martha Burns, Jim Fleck and Jim Pitblado, celebrates an individual, collective or organization that has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to engaging Toronto youth in the arts. The two runners-up will each receive $2,000, made possible by Diana Bennett and Spencer Lanthier.

Toronto Arts and Business Award:

TELUS, The Daniels Corporation and Sun Life Financial

This award celebrates a local business that has made an important contribution to the arts in Toronto through innovative, transformative and entrepreneurial partnerships. Established in 2006, this award is presented in partnership with Business for the Arts, The Toronto Star and Toronto Arts Foundation.

RBC Emerging Artist Award:

Chris Curreri, Daniel Karasik and Sandy Pool

This $7,500 cash prize is presented to an emerging Toronto artist working in any discipline in celebration of current accomplishments and future potential. In addition, finalists will receive $1,000 each. Established in 2006 by RBC Foundation, this award is intended to support the development or completion of new work.

Roy Thomson Hall Award of Recognition:

Lydia Adams, Alan Davis and Michael M. Koerner, C.M.

This $10,000 cash prize is presented to an individual, ensemble or organization to recognize creative, performing, administrative, volunteer or philanthropic contributions to Toronto’s musical life. This award was established by the Volunteer Committee of Roy Thomson Hall in 1984 to recognize and thank the community that supported the conception, building and establishment of the new concert hall. In 2002, the Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall asked the TAF to manage the award.

William Kilbourn Award for the Celebration of Toronto’s Cultural Life:

Patricia Fraser, Mi Young Kim and Jini Stolk

This $5,000 Cash prize is presented to an individual performer, teacher, administrator or creator in any arts discipline, including architecture and design, whose work is a celebration of life through the arts in Toronto. Established in 1996, this award is funded through an endowment made possible by private donors who wished to celebrate and remember the life of William Kilbourn who died in 1995. Kilbourn was a writer and teacher who spent seven years as a member of Toronto City Council, and served as Toronto Arts Council president from 1982 to 1984.

In addition, each award winner will receive an original work of art commissioned by the Toronto Arts Foundation. This year TAF has chosen Toronto-based artist An Te Liu, renowned for his sculptures and installations, to create the piece. Also this year, each finalist will be photographed as part of the Finalists Portrait Series. These beautiful stills will be shot by Denise Grant Photography, and will be featured online, courtesy of NOW Magazine.

About Toronto Arts Foundation

A non-profit charitable organization, Toronto Arts Foundation has the exclusive focus and unique strengths to design effective programs which unite art making and city building. TAF leverages the knowledge and experience of its sister organization Toronto Arts Council to spearhead initiatives to strengthen arts accessibility. It seeks to achieve increased social and economic benefits from the arts for our city, increased citizen participation in the arts, increased recognition of Toronto’s artistic excellence and increased financial investment in the arts. Toronto Arts Foundation is powered by a vision, Creative City: Block by Block – a commitment to connect every Toronto neighbourhood to the transformative power of artistic activity. Toronto Arts Foundation is generously supported by the Government of Ontario, Canadian Heritage, The Ontario Trillium Foundation and The Minto Group. For more information on TAF please visitwww.torontoartsfoundation.org

The Mayor’s Arts Awards Lunch is generously supported by Founding Sponsor RBC, Media Sponsors NOW Magazine and The Toronto Star, and Venue Sponsor Oliver & Bonacini. For more information on the Toronto Arts Foundation Awards and the Mayor’s Arts Awards Lunch please visit http://torontoartsfoundation.org/Our-Programs/Arts-Awards-Lunch

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Media Contact:

Karen Lorenowicz, KL Strategic Communications, 416-347-9661, karen.l@sympatico.ca