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Press
release
The Canadian Conference of the Arts announces
its national arts awards winners for 2006
Ottawa, ON (August 23,
2006) - The Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) is pleased
to announce that its Diplôme d'honneur will be presented
to philanthropist and theatre producer, Bluma Appel, while
the Keith Kelly Award for Cultural Leadership will be given
to one of Canada's long time arts advocates, Pat Durr. The
2006 CCA National Arts Awards ceremony will be hosted by the
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Honourable James K. Bartleman,
at Queen's Park in Toronto on September 15, 2006.
Over
the course of her career in the cultural sector that spans
over 50 years, Bluma Appel has dedicated immeasurable hours
and financial resources, not only to theatre but to opera,
orchestras and artist-run coops. "The list of beneficiaries
is probably longer and more extensive than we will ever know," says Alberta G. Cefis, Chair of Opera Atelier. An Officer
of the Order of Canada and recipient of the Order of Ontario
, Bluma Appel has sat on the Boards of several cultural institutions
over the years including the Ontario Crafts Council, the Niagara
Symphony, Telefilm Canada and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Perhaps
the greatest monument to Bluma Appel's achievements is the
theatre named in her honour. Reopened in 1983, the St. Lawrence
Centre's main stage was dubbed the Bluma Appel Theatre recognizing
the significant financial contribution that greatly facilitated
the theatre's rebuilding. Her dedication has been felt not
only within the cultural sector but in matters of health as
well, as she is Founder and Chair of the Canadian Foundation
for AIDS Research and helped establish the Clinical Simulation
Learning Centre (SINS Lab) at the Faculty of Nursing, University
of Toronto .
Contributing
over four decades to Canadian arts and culture, Pat Durr has
been relentless and successful in securing the rights of artists
in matters of copyright, taxation, as well as health and safety.
An activist dedicated to both local and national affairs,
Pat Durr has extensive experience tenaciously defending Canadian
visual artists before federal and municipal governments. "Highly
intelligent, persistent and analytical, she uses reason and
strategy to step by step dismantle bureaucratic roadblocks," said Jennifer Dickson, C.M.
Although
Pat Durr has dedicated her life to supporting other artists,
much of her advocacy work is informed by her own artistic
practice as a printmaker, a practice she regularly put on
hold whenever she felt an advocacy issue needed attention.
Despite her numerous obligations she has succeeded in maintaining
a vital art practice and continues to exhibit work nationally
and internationally.
Recipients
of the Canadian Conference of the Arts National Arts Awards
are selected by the CCA's Awards Committee, based on nominations
received from CCA members. The Diplôme d'honneur is
presented annually in recognition of a sustained contribution
to the cultural life of the country, whether through volunteer
activity, mentoring, patronage, individual arts practice or
other recognized support. More than 70 of the visionaries
and creators of Canada 's rich cultural identity, including
Glenn Gould, Maureen Forrester, Oscar Peterson, and Pierre
Juneau have been recognized since the award's inception in
1954. The award is in the form of a silver talisman designed
by the late West Coast craftsmith, Bill Reid. The Keith Kelly
Award for Cultural Leadership has been awarded annually since
1998, when it was established to recognize the leadership
shown by the former National Director of the CCA during his
tenure from 1989-98. It is presented to a Canadian who has
made a significant contribution to the arts through advocacy
work or the development of cultural policy, or who has otherwise
demonstrated leadership in the field. The award is an inscribed
medal designed by Ottawa medallic artist Susan Taylor.
The
Canadian Conference of the Arts is the national forum for
the arts and cultural community in Canada . The oldest and
largest coalition within the cultural sector the CCA represents
over 250 thousand individuals. The CCA serves as a leader,
an authority and a catalyst to ensure a clear headed debate
on cultural policy issues in Canada . The CCA's mission is
to ensure that artists and cultural institutions and industries
can contribute freely and fully to a creative, dynamic, and
civil Canadian society.
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For
more information on the CCA Awards, visit our website at http://www.ccarts.ca/en/awards/
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