Tickets are now available for the Peterborough Arts Awards reception in June at the Canadian Canoe Museum, where six winners and 12 runners-up in six categories will be announced.
After a five-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Electric City Culture Council (EC3) announced the return of the awards last November, with nominations accepted until January.
An independent not-for-profit service organization supporting the arts in Peterborough and the surrounding region, EC3 established the awards to honour and recognize excellence and outstanding achievement of professional artists, arts organizations, and arts supporters living and working the city and county of Peterborough.
“Peterborough’s arts community is the shining gem in our stunning natural and built heritage landscape,” says EC3 executive director Su Ditta in a media release. “Celebrating some of our very best artists and arts supporters at this festive event builds our extraordinary cultural profile.”
Funded entirely by private-sector sponsors, corporations, and businesses, the Peterborough Arts Awards provide cash awards of $2,000 to winners in each of the six categories listed below and — for the first time — cash awards of $250 for each of the two runners-up in each category, for a total of $15,000 in awards.
- Outstanding Emerging Artist, recognizing outstanding achievement by an artist, working professionally in any discipline, who has been practising in their field for at least two years.
- Outstanding Mid-Career Artist, recognizing outstanding achievement by an artist, working professionally in any discipline, who has been practising in their field for at least five years.
- Outstanding Senior Artist, recognizing outstanding achievement by an artist, working professionally in any discipline, who has been practising in their field for at least 15 years.
- Outstanding Achievement by an Indigenous Artist, recognizing outstanding achievement by an Indigenous artist, working professionally in any discipline, contemporary or traditional form.
- Arts Champion, recognizing a person who has consistently provided outstanding support and encouragement for the development of the arts in Peterborough through philanthropy, volunteerism, or the development of partnerships and collaborations (this prize is given to an individual who, in turn, gives it to a local not-for-profit professional arts organization).
- Arts Catalyst, recognizing outstanding achievement by a professional arts administrator or manager, fundraiser, art critic, curator, educator, programmer, or producer who has worked behind the scenes to build excellence in the arts.
The winners of the awards are selected by a peer jury from a multi-disciplinary pool of nominated candidates.
The sponsors for this year’s awards are Tim Barrie of Merit II Realty, Bill Lockington of LLF Lawyers, Paul and Kristine Hickey, Kate and Alex Ramsay, Paul Bennett of Ashburnham Realty, and one “deeply appreciated” anonymous donor.
While the awards have previously been presented during an event known as the Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts, this year’s awards event will take the form of a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 12 at the Canadian Canoe Museum (2077 Ashburnham Dr., Peterborough).
Along with the announcement of the award winners, the event will feature canapes and cocktails and pop-up performances by some of the city’s best artists.
Missy Knott, an acclaimed musician from Curve Lake First Nation and a member of the Ontario Arts Council Board, will be the guest speaker.
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at eventbrite.ca/e/1363584972359.
The Peterborough Arts Awards were established in 2018 through the efforts of Bill Lockington of LLF Lawyers, who led the sponsorship campaign to successfully raise $60,000 to support each of the awards over five years.
The winners of the inaugural awards in 2018 were Melody Thomas (Outstanding Emerging Artist), Brad Brackenridge (Outstanding Mid-Career Artist), Robert Winslow (Outstanding Senior Artist), Leanne Betasamosake Simpson (Outstanding Achievement by an Indigenous Artist), Krista English (Arts Catalyst), and Beth McMaster (Arts Champion).
The winners of the 2019 awards were Nimkii Osawamick (Outstanding Emerging Artist), Patti Shaughnessy and Beau Dixon (Outstanding Mid-Career Artist), Alice Williams (Outstanding Senior Artist), Hilary Wear (Outstanding Achievement by an Indigenous Artist), Ryan Kerr (Arts Catalyst), and Charlie Werger (Arts Champion).
