The national winner receives $10,000 and regional winners each receive $5,000. As the ultimate accolade, the national winner's artwork becomes part of the BMO Corporate Art Collection, which includes works by historical and contemporary Canadian masters such as Kenojuak Ashevak, Emily Carr, Paterson Ewen, Marc-Aurele Fortin, Lawren Harris, Wanda Koop, Micah Lexier, Kent Monkman, Ian Wallace and many others.
"Congratulations to the winners for their thoughtful and engaging work," said Gilles Ouellette, Group Head, Wealth Management, BMO Financial Group. "We are fully committed to supporting and nurturing these up-and-coming artists and look forward to their continued success."
"Each year, this competition introduces us to artists whose work continues to exemplify the breadth of creativity and talent this country has to offer," said Dawn Cain, Curator, BMO Financial Group, Corporate Art Collection. "We are proud to present and celebrate their work."
Deans and instructors of undergraduate certificate, diploma, and degree arts programs were invited to select three graduating students who stood out among their peers due to their skill and imagination. A panel of esteemed judges chose an overall national winner and one winner from each eligible province and territory.
The diverse works produced by the 2014 winners cover a range of themes in a variety of media. They include:
-- An evocative photograph created using expired stocks of Polaroid film
that explores concepts of material transmutation and the "living image"
in a digital age (de Lange, National Winner)
-- An oil on canvas painting portraying the process of re-creating memory
through the abstraction of photographic imagery (Osahor, Alberta)
-- An installation created from vinyl stickers, plastic objects, AstroTurf
tiles, wooden dowels, and electrical tape arranged and rearranged in
search of spatial relationships that were animated, comfortable and
playful (Mendoza, Manitoba);
-- A miniature sculpture made of sterling silver, copper wire, metal sheet
and dix gold to create a strong powerful tree signifying the
preciousness of what they represent (Aitaok, Nunavut);
-- A mechanical sculpture created with tissue paper, fabric, wax, fur,
feathers and a small motor which when turned on mimics the movement of
moths trying to flee, representing the feeling of being trapped (Koshan,
Yukon);
The 2014 BMO 1st Art! 2014 winners are:
National Winner
Samuel de Lange, University of Guelph
Regional Winners
Alberta: Emmanuel Osahor, University of Alberta
British Columbia: Isaac Thomas, Emily Carr University of Art & Design
Manitoba: Katrina Marie Mendoza, University of Manitoba
New Brunswick: Sandra Racine, New Brunswick College of Craft & Design
Newfoundland & Labrador: Maria Mercer, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Nova Scotia: Adrienna Matzeg, Nova Scotia College of Art & Design
Nunavut: Elijah Aitaok, Nunavut Arctic College
Ontario: Lisa-Marie Bissonnette, OCAD University
Prince Edward Island: Amy Wells, Holland College
Quebec: Stephanie Auger, Universite Laval
Saskatchewan: Brandon Sieber, University of Regina
Yukon Territory: Lucy Koshan, Yukon School of Visual Arts
The winning pieces can be viewed on BMO Financial Group's website here.
Representing the best of Canada's newest generation of artists, all of the BMO 1st Art! winners' works will be on display at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA), 952 Queen Street West in Toronto from October 2 to Oct 26, 2014.
About BMO Financial Group
For more than 195 years, BMO Financial Group has believed in community reinvestment and corporate and social responsibility in the communities it serves. In 2013, BMO contributed more than $56 million in community donations to charitable, not-for-profit and community based institutions and organizations that help build and sustain resilient, vital and healthy communities.
Click here to download images of this year's award winning works.
Contacts: Media Contacts: BMO Financial Group Karen Cleveland, Toronto (416) 927.6823 karen.cleveland@bmo.com Valerie Doucet, Montreal (514) 877-8224 valerie.doucet@bmo.com To arrange to speak with any of the winners, please contact: Touchwood PR (416) 593-0777 Press@touchwoodpr.com