KAC Awards
for Excellence in the Arts
The Shortlist: Champions of the Arts
Patricia Beharriell (Award Winner)
Patricia Beharriell has received much praise and recognition
for her assistance in development of the dramatic arts
including Theatre Ontario's highest accolade, The Maggie
Best Award, and the Government of Canada's Lescarbot
Award, in recognition of outstanding contributions to
community cultural activities. Most recently, Patricia
published the 50-year history of Domino Theatre, entitled
The Domino Affair.
Michael Davies
& The Davies Charitable Foundation (Award Winner)
Michael Davies, the founder and President of The Davies
Charitable Foundation has been active in the arts and
other cultural activities in Eastern Ontario for many
years. Mr. Davies has received numerous awards for community
services including the Order of Canada and an Honourary
Doctorate from Queen's University. Founded in 1990,
the Davies Charitable Foundation has been dedicated
to supporting individuals and organizations in the arts,
education, personal health and sports.
Rob Doak & Wally High
Six years ago following the loss of their close friend,
Rob Doak and Wally High began the annual Joe Show which
helps fund the Joe Chithalen Musical Instrument Lending
Library. Joe Chithalen was a long-time supporter of
growth and development through the art of music, and
Joe's friends and family knew instantly that he would
have been honoured to have seen the Musical Instrument
Lending Library become a reality. The library consists
of an assortment of more than 300 instruments, and now
offers music lessons as well.
Jeri Harmsen
Born in Ottawa, Jeri Harmsen has been a supporter
of the arts since her high school days at K.C.V.I where
she worked painting sets for school productions. She
pursued a Teacher Training Diploma at the University
of Toronto and began seeking ways to incorporate meaningful
art teachings into schools and galleries. Jeri worked
at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre for almost 15 years
as Education Officer, where she created exhibition-based
programs for primary school children, seniors, artists
and students.
H'art Studios
Since 1998, H'art Studios have been offering innovative
programming to nurture literacy, computer literacy,
and life skills to those aged 21 or older with developmental
challenges by using fine arts as inspiration and as
an educational tool. Their program harnesses the ability
of the individual to communicate in a way that crosses
the barriers of language and ability, while alleviating
frustration and creating an inner sense of dignity and
self-esteem.
Ian Hodkinson
Ian Hodkinson has been a long-time supporter of the
arts both in Kingston and abroad. Educated at Edinburgh
University, the Edinburgh College of Art, and the Central
Institute for Restoration in Rome, Ian established the
Master of Art Conservation Program at Queen's University,
where he was Director until his retirement in 1995.
Ian's work over the years has been heavily involved
in the promotion of other artists and he currently sits
as the Vice-President of the Modern Fuel Artist-Run
Centre.
Kingston Publications
Mary Laflamme and her team at Kingston Publications
have been committed to encouraging Kingstonians and
visitors alike to discover and delight in our multi-faceted
and sophisticated city. Their publications provide intelligent
and informative editorials through a family of specialized
publications including Kingston Life Magazine.
K-ROCK 105.7FM
Since the first beat hit the airwaves in early 2001,
K-Rock 105.7 has been proudly committed to the promotion
of local artists and musicians in the area. K-Rock has
developed programs to provide a platform for emerging
artists such as K-Rock's Band Slam and the Kingston
Musical Instrument Lending Library, and are media sponsors
for the Big Sister's Art Auction and the Limestone City
Blues Festival.
Kingston Symphony Orchestra Association
Celebrating its 50th season in 2004, the Kingston
Symphony Association is the umbrella organization for
five performing ensembles: the Kingston Symphony Orchestra,
the Kingston Choral Society, the Kingston Youth Orchestra,
the Kingston Junior Strings, and the Kingston Community
Strings. The Symphony Association continues to increase
its involvement in training young people and providing
them with performance opportunities. It is dedicated
to the musical development of the greater Kingston region,
providing opportunities for life-long learning in music.
The Kingston Whig-Standard
Fred Laflamme and his team at The Kingston Whig-Standard
have been committed to helping community groups and
events by assisting more than 30 major non-profit and
charitable causes each year. Their contribution to the
arts and cultural community in Kingston has consisted
of both financial, volunteer time and in-kind support
to groups such as H'art Studios, the Grand Theatre,
Kingston Canadian Film Festival and the Kingston Buskers
Rendezvous, to name just a few.
The Shortlist: Emerging Artists (under the age of
29)
Betablokka
Kingston's Betablokka is a four-piece rock band comprised
of Matt Hanlon, Zane Whitfield, Jon Midwood, and Shayne
Brampton. Betablokka has opened for Canadian bands like
the Tea Party, Pilate, and the Trews. Upon the release
of their self-titled debut the band has been seeking
exposure and received it, with a sold out album release
party, and a featurette on local radio K-ROCK 105.7FM.
Mark Bond
Talented musician, composer, teacher, and performer
are all words that describe Kingstonian Mark Bond. Mark
has been arranging and composing original music for
over 12 years. Primarily a pianist, Mark is also trained
as a saxophonist, drummer and violinist. When he isn't
teaching at the Kingston School of Music, he is performing
in support of his recent CD,Outlines.
Julie Fiala
Julie is a feminist artist/activist working predominantly
in performance and installation. She has collaborated
with artists and non-artists alike to produce works
that articulate a social critique, and is interested
in exploring the creative potential of collaboration
as a tool for art-making and collective action. Currently,
she is the Program Director of the Modern Fuel Artist-Run
Centre in Kingston. Julie was recently awarded a Commonwealth
Scholarship for 2004-2005 and will be leaving Kingston
in September to begin a Master's in Fine Art at the
University of Leeds (UK).
Splash n' Boots
Taes Leavitt and Nick Adams are musicians and performers
who pride themselves on providing children with positive
perspectives on life. The dynamic duo has provided fun
for children across Ontario, with rave reviews following
them in their wake. Graduates of Queen's University
this year, the duo shared the distinction of co-valedictorians.
Their first CD, Getting Our Feet Wet has already sold
over 700 copies in the Kingston area, with a new disc
slated for release in August.
Cameron Tomsett
Cameron Tomsett has been a visual artist for as long
as he can remember. A graduate of Sheridan College,
Tomsett has had his share of recognition including the
2003 Bank of Montreal Corporate Purchase Award. His
work most recently appears on the cover of the Tragically
Hip's 11th album In Between Evolution.
The Shortlist: Professional Artists
Kristi Allik
Kristi Allik has received degrees from the University
of Toronto, Princeton, and the University of Southern
California. She's received numerous commissions and
awards, including Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council
grants. Her works include electro-acoustic music, multimedia
works, orchestral works, opera, and chamber music that
has been performed in the U.S, Europe, South America
and Canada.
Shayne Dark
Shayne Dark began his artistic career in the mid 1980's,
creating mainly sculptural works. His works often evoke
the contrasts between urban settings and the natural
world, and are meant to stimulate a spiritual and visceral
reaction in the viewer. Shayne has been the subject
of a documentary produced by HD Vision Studios in Los
Angeles that is currently airing on Discovery HD Theatre
Network across the United States. Most recently, Shayne
has been selected to represent Canada at the 2004 Summer
Olympics in Athens where he will work with 170 artists
from around the world to create a display to be showcased
for the duration of the Olympics.
Steven Heighton
Steven Heighton is a prize-winning poet and author.
His works include two volumes of short stories - Flight
of Paths of the Emperor and On Earth As It Is. Steven's
first novel The Shadow Boxer was hailed by The Globe
and Mail as a "splendid" and "symphonic".
His poems, stories and essays have appeared in magazines
and anthologies world-wide and have been translated
into French, German, and Spanish.
J.C. Heywood
For the last twenty years, Carl Heywood has been balancing
a life as both an artist, working mostly in silkscreen,
litho and etching and an educator at the secondary and
post-secondary school level. Carl is a Professor in
the Bachelor of Fine Art Program at Queen's University,
where he has worked for the past fourteen years. His
works have been exhibited internationally in Yugoslavia,
Germany, Japan, The United States, Poland, and Canada.
Mark Sirett
Dr. Mark Sirett is the Artistic Director of the Cantabile
Choirs of Kingston. He holds both masters and doctoral
degrees in Choral Conducting and Pedagogy from the University
of Iowa and has taught at the University of Alberta,
the University of Western Ontario and Queen's. Dr. Sirett
is also an award-winning choral composer whose works
have been published in Canada, the U.S. and Sweden and
frequently heard on CBC. Since founding the Cantabile
Choirs in the fall of 1996, the choirs have received
numerous distinctions including first prizes and trophies
at the Ontario Provincial Music Festival and the National
Music Festival Finals.
Otis Tamasauskas
Otis Tamasauskas has taught at the University of Toronto,
McMaster University, and is currently an Assistant Professor
in the Bachelor of Fine Arts Program at Queen's University.
Otis has exhibited internationally and is regarded for
his printmaking career which has focussed on lithography,
etching and custom printing.
Greg Wanless
Born in Brockville, Greg Wanless graduated from the
National Theatre School Acting Program in 1972. He received
his BA in Drama and English from Queen's University
in 1972. He spent five years acting at the Stratford
Festival and performed in such productions as Romeo
and Juliet, King Lear, and The Merchant of Venice. In
1982, Greg founded the Thousand Islands Playhouse in
Gananoque where he remains the Artistic Director and
General Manager today.
The Award
The Kingston Arts Council selected the design of Kingston
artist Fred Hedgcock as the official statuette for the
Awards for Excellence in the Arts from a juried competition
in 2003. The Jury selected Fred's sculptural piece as
it represents celebration, triumph and the joy of life.
The commission of the Award design was generously provided
by The Davies Charitable Foundation.
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