Looks like your screen is a bit too small

The page you are attempting to view is not currently compatible with the dimensions of your device. Please visit this page on a larger screen.

2012 Barrie Arts Awards

Please join the Department of Culture in celebrating and honouring the 2012 Arts Awards Recipients on Monday March 25, 2013 in the City Hall Rotunda. Light refreshments will be served and several of the deserving recipients will be performing between 6:00 and 7:00 pm. The award recipients will then be officially introduced at City Council shortly after 7:00 p.m.  All are welcome, no need to rsvp.

2012 Barrie Arts Awards Winners

Arts Awards Recipient Profiles

• Barbara McCann: Contribution to the Community
• John Hartman: Excellence in the Arts
• Joe Anderson: Business Award
• Cassadra Fox: Emerging Artist
• Julie Choi: Most Promising Youth

A Big Thank You To Our Arts Awards Sponsors

The Barrie Arts Awards program is made possible by the City of Barrie Department of Culture and the generosity of several local businesses that have provided either financial or inkind donations. 

The title sponsor for the Barrie Arts Awards since it's inception in 2008 is TD Trust.  The design sponsor is Rhubarb Media and the media sponsor this year was CTV Barrie.  Thank you!

A big thank you as well to Georgian College and The Barrie Advance for their award sponsorship.

This year we would like to thank a new event sponsor, the Rotary Club of Barrie.

The gala evening was held on Tuesday November 29^th at the new Mady Centre for the Performing Arts at #1 Dunlop Street.   

For more information on the Barrie Arts Awards, please contact the Department of Culture at (705) 739-4299 or culture@barrie.ca.

History of the Arts Awards Program

“Building A Creative Future” the City of Barrie’s ten year plan for culture was approved by City Council in May of 2006.  One of the recommendations in the plan was for the City to provide oversight of the arts community.  This was to be achieved in a number of ways; namely the development of a Cultural Department that would support the arts, the cultural grants program that provides funding to non for profit organizations, organizing a data base of statistical information on the arts groups, to better predict and monitor growth, and to develop an arts awards program.

The awards program is designed to raise the profile of our dynamic arts community and provide local artists with well deserved recognition. 

Nominees can be recognized for contributions in one of five areas:

• Excellence in the Arts
• Contribution to the Community
• Emerging Artist
• Most Promising Youth
• Best Business

The Arts Awards program was also the inspiration for the Poet Laureate program that rolled out in 2010 when the Department of Culture crowned it’s first Poet Laureate, Dr. Bruce Meyer.  Bruce was nominated for his many contributions to poetry and the literary arts.  Bruce has many published works and has received much recognition for his significant body of published works.  Bruce is acting as an amazing ambassador for the City of Barrie in his new role, and created a delightful poem for the opening of the Mady Centre for the Performing Arts.

Each year five individuals are honoured for their contributions to the arts and here is the list of those recognized since the inception of the awards program.

2011 Barrie Arts Awards Winners 

• Excellence in the Arts: Curley Bridges - Curley Bridges is the last of the great bluesmen of the Twentieth Century. Mr. Bridge’s career began with the original Motley Crew, an early blues band of the 1940’s after his release from service in the United States military. Along with Motley Crew alumnus King Herbert and drummer Frank Pelly, Curley later formed a trio called the Rounders, which mainly toured northern Ontario playing a funky style of music. In 1968 Bridges played organ for Jackie Shane's album, Jackie Shane Live! Also about that time, he established his own band called Bridge Crossing, which he fronted on vocals and organ. In 1972, Bridge Crossing collaborated with Frank Motley to record a funky, jazz-tinged LP entitled Chip Dip for the Paragon label. Over the years Curley has kept busy with a succession of bands then, in 1981 when he tired of the big city he moved north to Barrie, Ontario. Since then he has concentrated on solo gigs, delighting area audiences with his mix of jump, jive and down-and-dirty blues. This blues and R & B titan was the hit attraction at Toronto's Harbourfront Soul 'n' Blues Festival in 1997.

• Contribution to the Community: Carla Tucker - After completing her undergraduate degree at McMaster University, Carla was accepted into York University’s Education program where she specialized in Fine Arts integration. Currently Carla is an elementary school teacher with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, as well as a dance educator and choreographer in Simcoe County and York Region. Carla is a registered teacher with the Canadian Dance Teacher’s Association, the Imperial Society of Dancing and the Royal Academy of Dance and she has achieved standards with each of these organizations in the disciplines of Jazz, Modern Theatre, Tap and Ballet. Carla has been teaching dance in Barrie for over 20 years and she has choreographed many musicals including Gypsy, Fiddler on the Roof, BIG, the Musical,(where she received the THEA award for the best choreographer), Jesus Christ Superstar and Seussical the Musical. Carla works closely with many local theatre companies including Theatre by the Bay’s young company and the Kempenfelt Community Players, all the while running her own performance art and education centre, Moving Art.
• Business Award: Scott Elliott - Scott Elliott is the owner and CEO of the Sarjeant Company Ltd., Sarjeant Asphalt and Custom Concrete (Northern). Scott has been the lead supporter for the MacLaren Art Centre’s VanGo programme for many years, ensuring that the gallery’s signature outreach education programme in the local schools continues to thrive. With Scott’s support the MacLaren brings professional artists into local and regional schools for hand-on art-making workshops in the class. In the 2010/11 school year more than 8,500 school students participated in VanGo. A new initiative, the Sarjeant Design Project was launched last spring and strengthens Scott’s commitment to the creative talents of young people in the community. For some time Scott has seen the potential for using his fleet of concrete trucks as a canvas for student artworks and with his vision in mind the MacLaren saw an opportunity to develop this exciting mobile public art initiative. Scott’s generosity and vision for the community extends far beyond the wall of the MacLaren as he has been an active supporter of many other community organizations and arts organizations such as Talk is Free Theatre.
• Most Promising Youth: Abigail Johnson - Abigail’s music teacher, Cheryl Graham nominated her for this award and in her letter she wrote, “ I have been teaching piano for over 30 years and Abigail’s accomplishments far exceed the norm”. At the ripe old age of 16 Abigail completed her RC Grade 10 Piano examination with a First Class Honours mark of 88%. She also completed her RCM Elementary Piano Pedagogy and her RCM Grade 8 Flute. Abigail was Runner Up in the 2011 Ontario Music Teachers Provincials in Grade 10 piano, competing against 32 competitors from across the province. Ms. Johnson was the winner of many top senior awards and scholarships at local festivals, for example 2011 Winner of Barrie Branch ORMTA Competition, 2011 Winner of ORMTA Zone level and the 2011 Winner of the Ester Su Memorial for the Most Promising Student at the Ontario Registered Music Teachers Provincial Competition. Not only is she a gifted musician but Abigail is a teacher, that volunteers for several organizations and sings Alto in her church choir.
• Emerging Artist: Sarah Melody - Sarah Melody is a singer songwriter that is well poised to launch her career in the Canadian music scene. Sarah is a dynamic vocalist with a unique tone and a natural ability to perform in different styles. Sarah is a seasoned performer and has been featured on YTV, CFTO, Much Music, TV Ontario, Rogers Cable and numerous print publications including CHART ATTACK. Sarah is not only a performer but an accomplished public speaker that represented Canada in Geneva, Switzerland in 2009 at the World Youth Summit. Sarah is passionate about human rights and after the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia Sarah recorded and released “Letter of Hope” with the proceeds going to the tsunami relief efforts. Sarah boasts an extensive list of singles, including “Easy Come, Easy Go, Song of Peace, Love is, Hooked and Real Love”. You can check Sarah out on her youtube video entitled “Yearbook” filmed at the Holly Community Centre in Barrie. Congratulations to all our 2011 Winners!!

2010 Barrie Arts Awards Winners

• Contribution to the Community - Claudine Forget-Benoit, founder of the Barrie Film Festival and local graphic designer. Claudine’s clients include Donald A. Stuart’s Homage, Frances Thomas’ BUT WAIT, the MacLaren Art Centre, Theatre By the Bay, Talk Is Free Theatre, YMCA and Lawnchair Luminata. She is a founder and Chair of the Board of the Barrie Film Festival and has been instrumental in its phenomenal growth.
• Excellence in the Arts - Ted Fullerton, sculptor, painter and Director of Georgian College's School of Design and Visual Art. Ted is a Professor who has been exhibiting professionally for over 30 years. His sculptures adorn public places in numerous communities across North America. In 2009 Ted Fullerton became a member of the Royal Canadian Academy.
• Emerging Artist – Leigh-Anne Martin, opera singer currently studying at the Glenn Gould School of Music. Leigh-Ann currently sings in the Toronto Orpheus Choir and the choir of the Humbercrest United Church. Earlier this year Leigh-Ann was invited to Vienna to sing courtesy of the Belvedere Singing Competition.
• Emerging Artist - David Ball, triple threat performer (dance, drama and music) currently in second year at Sheridan College. He has performed with an impressive array of local performing arts companies in plays ranging from Music Man, Pirates of Penzance and Seussical the Musical to Kiss of the Spiderwoman and The Inspector General. David is in year two of Sheridan College’s Musical Theatre Program and in his first year was awarded the Brain Linehan Triple Threat Award.
• Most Promising Youth - Madison Angus, triple threat (dance, drama and music) has studied many forms of dance, as well as Shakespearean theatre, four instruments and voice.  Madison is a coloratura soprano with a Grade 9 in voice.  Madison has also studied visual art in multiple mediums, has a 90+ average at school and does significant community work including a community project Kenya.

At the 2010 Barrie Arts Awards we also celebrated the crowning of our first Poet Laureate, Dr. Bruce Meyer. Bruce is a well known poet and author who will hold the position for a term of 4 years.

2009 Barrie Arts Awards Winners

• Contribution to the Community – Bruce Owen, a solicitor by trade, is also a vocalist and has been an active member in many councils promoting the arts.  For over fifty years Bruce has generously shared his time and energy in enriching the cultural life of the City of Barrie.  He began his work with the Barrie Concert Series which expanded to include the Georgian Music Series and the Colours of Music. He recently fundraised for a Shigeru Kawaii grand piano, which spurred him to begin yet another music series, known as Midday Music with Shigeru.  Bruce has been honoured by Minister of Culture, Lily Munro for his work with the Barrie Concert Association and in 1999 was given the Spirit Catcher Award from the City of Barrie for outstanding contribution to Barrie’s cultural life. In 2000, Bruce received the National Arts Centre award for outstanding contribution for touring music across Canada. He was also given the Governor General’s award for “Caring Canadian” in 2007. Thanks to Bruce’s passion for the arts, the culture sector in Barrie has greatly benefitted and been enriched.  
• Emerging Artist – Niall Donaghy, who's educational journey began at Fanshawe College where he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts diploma before obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax. Leaving the east,   he went on to do a Masters in Fine Arts at York University receiving an Academic Entrance Scholarship and Social Science and Humanities research council grant. Niall is primarily a sculptor and a sculpture based installation artist and has been exhibiting his work since 2000. His most noteworthy group exhibitions include Woodlot, at the Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, Showcase ’07 at the Cambridge Galleries and Flight Dream at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. In 1999 Niall won the Jurors Choice Awards in the Grimsby Public Arts Gallery’s Annual Juried Exhibition and in 2003 he won first prize at the Glenhurst Art Gallery’s Biannual Juried Exhibition in Brantford.   Niall has been awarded a number of corporate commissions for large scale sculptures including one for the Executive Dining Hall at the Schulich School of Business in Toronto, as well as through the distinguished design firm of Yabu Pushilburg for their lobby’s in New York and Moscow, Russia.

Excellence in the Arts: 3 winners were :

• Larissa Mair – Larissa is best known in our community as the Artistic Producer for Theatre by the Bay a theatre company that she co-founded with her husband Nick Baillie in 2001. Theatre by the Bay has greatly enriched the community in Barrie by providing many wonderful Shakespeare shows as well as musicals and a childrens theatre program. Larissa’s mandate has always been to bring affordable professional theatre to beautiful downtown Barrie and she has certainly achieved just that. Theatre by the Bay also tours an abridged Shakespeare production to Simcoe County Schools entertaining and educating over 15,000 students on an annual basis. When Larissa isn’t working on Theatre by the Bay she  heads the Film, Television and Theatre Division at Jigsaw Casting Ltd. In Toronto. She recently cast the hit Family Biz, as well as the upcoming highly anticipated Paramount show The Bridge for CBS and CTV, airing early in 2010. She has worked on many series as well as feature films that have starred the likes of George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta –Jones and Mathew Broderick.
• Scott Hurst – Scott is an acclaimed actor and director in our community having directed more than a dozen musicals for the South Simcoe Theatre, Kempenfelt Community Players and Sunshine Festival. He has acted at the Stratford Festival, National Arts Centre, St. Lawrence Centre, Charlottetown Festival, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Citadel Theatre and the Blyth Festival. Currently he is playing Friar Tuck in the play Robin Hood at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto, after having come off a run at the Gananocque Theatre in Kingston in the Drowsy Chaperone. Under Scott’s tutelage, many local artists have developed successful careers in the arts, among them Jason Allin, Leanne Miller and Carleigh Aikins. Scott teaches drama and still finds time in his schedule to volunteer for the Downtown Community Theatre. Scott recently wrote and acted in his own man show premiere at Talk is Free Theatre called “Laughton Common” , at true gem.
• Renee Cingolani – A Barrie native, Renee comes from 3 generations of musicians, so you could say she got an early start. At the age of 8 she was invited to sing at the opening of the Epcot Centre in Florida and at age 13, Renee was cast to sea for her first job performing on the Princess Cruise Lines. From there, Renee became involved with the Barrie Music Festival and represented Barrie five different times in 3 disciplines at the Ontario provincial finals and twice provincially with the Canadian National Music Competition, representing Ontario at the national level in opera. She is a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in piano, voice and oboe, and continued her post graduate education as the winner of the prestigious Reinhold Scholarship at the Glenn Gould  Professional Schools’ opera program. Renee is a freelance musician, vocal coach, private music teacher, composer, professional music director, as well as a singer actor. She has worked on and off stage in the last 15 years with many respected theatrical productions. Besides operating the Cingolani Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Barrie she works as a session musician, music director and professional accompanist. In 2008 her production of Urinetown was nominated for 7 THEA Awards by the Association of Community Theatre in Central Ontario. The show received the Best Musical Award and Renee herself won for Best Musical Direction.

2008 Barrie Arts Awards Winners

• Contribution to the Community - William Moore arrived in Barrie as a Fine Arts instructor at Georgian College in 1982, and has woven himself into the fabric of the community as a visionary leader and champion of the arts. Largely due to his efforts we have witnessed the development of the MacLaren Arts Centre from humble beginnings to one of the finest art galleries in the Province and in Canada. During his work at The Maclaren William was responsible for developing the dynamic education program, Van Go, which provides students in Simcoe County schools with the opportunity to engage with regional artists in the classroom. William was instrumental in securing the “Spirit Catcher” and arranging for it to find its permanent home in Barrie. William was also the driving force in the Fafard Field Project – the 50 acre field horse at the 1997 International Plowing Match; Shorelines 2003 – which brought some of the leading national and international environmental artists to Barrie and ArtCity, his personal dream to create a city of art that would make Barrie a cultural destination. Many organizations will share with you that William has assisted them greatly in developing their niche within the community, such as the Barrie Film Festival. Williams work extends well beyond the walls of our community with organizations such as the Ontario Arts Council and the Metcalf Foundation. William truly is our community gem!
• Emerging Artist - Heather Tobin is a graduate of Niagara College that during her time there received the Bob Johnson Award for best all around student in academics and practical work and the award for Best Cinematography for a Short Film. Heather was a finalist for the 2003 National Apprenticeship Training Program with the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. Upon her graduation in 2003 she started her own independent film company entitled “To Each Her Own” films. Heather recently completed a broadcast commercial with Olympic Figure Skater Steven Cousins and a film entitled Envoy. Her feature length documentary “I Do” about same sex marriage received the Best Gay Film award at its world premiere at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in 2008 “To Each Her Own” is Heather’s debut feature film and tells the story of a closeted, young married whose life is turned upside down after a chance meeting with an openly gay friend. Written and directed by Heather it makes it premier at Fresno Reel Pride in California.

Excellence in the Arts: 3 winners were :

•  Don Stuart is one of Canada’s leading gold/silversmiths and has earned an international reputation for his exquisite work in jewellery and hollowware. Don has received over 30 significant awards for his artistry in gold, silver, platinum, and diamonds and has  participated in over 100 national and international exhibitions.  Honours bestowed on Don include membership in the Royal Academy of Arts (RCA), 1985, the John Mather Award for Service to the Crafts, 1986, the Jean A. Chalmers Award for Craft, 1994 and the Order of Canada (O.Ont.) in 2000 and the Queens Golden Jubilee Medal, 2002. In October 2002, Donald A. Stuart was awarded Canada’s highest honour, that of the Order of Canada (C.M.) in recognition of his illustrious career as a craftsman and educator. As his investiture his citation read, “his effect on Canada’s arts and crafts industry has been profound and lasting” Mr. Stuart is the only craftsperson to hold all three honours – the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario and the RCA.
• Trudee Romanek completed a B.A. in English and Drama at the University of Toronto and began her career as an editor for an educational publisher. From editing books she moved into editing trade books, working as the in house editor for OWL books and eventually becoming a freelancer. Trudee contributed dozens of articles to science and history educational programs while working on her first book, The Technology Book for Girls and Other Advanced Beings. Other books Trudee has written are Squirt, The Most Interesting Book You’ll Ever Read about Blood; Switched On, Flushed Down, Tossed Out! Investigating the Hidden Works of Your Home; Wow! The Most Interesting Book You’ll Read about the Five Senses; Achoo! The Most Interesting, Book You’ll Ever Read about Germs; and  ZZZZZZ! The Most Interesting Book You’ll Ever Read about Sleep! Trudee’s works have been translated into Korean, Chinese, Dutch, Indonesian and Arabic. 
• Arkady Spivak graduated from York University, Glendon College in 2000 with a BA in Theatre and Business. Arkady is an artistic force in our community, with a determined vision, and a relentless will to lead the charge of Barrie’s cultural revolution. Arkady’s recent jaunt to Kiev, Ukraine, speaks volumes of his quest to achieve an international profile for Talk is Free Theatre, the successful theatre company to which he is the brain child. The invitation to Bulgakov Festival to revive excerpt of TIFT’s 2005 production of Moliere or League of Hypocrites is remarkable and sets him apart in his ability to get extraordinary mileage out of an entire proposition, not just for the theatre company but for our community. Some of the 27 productions in Barrie include: the environmental production of Oliver!, the World Premieres of Canadian Musicals such as Playground and Moving Day, and two productions of Canadian musical, Emily. TIFT’s 6^th season, currently in progress, most recently featured the Canadian professional premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Anyone Can Whistle.

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO OUR PAST BARRIE ARTS AWARDS WINNERS!!