(Barrie, ON) – The Barrie Arts Awards were held on Tuesday, November 12 at the MacLaren Art Centre. These awards honour individuals and organizations for their contributions to the arts sector.
“Barrie’s arts community represents the heart of our city's cultural landscape, and the Arts Awards are a testament to the talent, creativity, and dedication we have in this city,” said Mayor Alex Nuttall. “These awards celebrate not only the achievements of individual artists but also the transformative impact they have on our community’s vibrancy and economic growth. From our first site-specific public art exhibition, Seeds to Sow, to our approval of a new performing arts centre, we see the arts shaping Barrie’s identity and future. The City of Barrie is proud to support and recognize the invaluable contributions of our creative sector.”
Nominations were accepted in the below categories and were reviewed by a third-party panel of adjudicators who selected the following winners.
- Artist Beyond Barriers Award presented by City of Barrie Seniors and Accessibility Advisory Committee – Carolyn M. Boyd
- Business Champion Award – Ryan Farley
- Contribution to the Community Award – Iain Moggach
- Emerging Artist Award presented by Georgian College Design and Visual Arts (DVA) – Sarah Hancock
- Excellence in the Arts Award – Bruno Smoky
- Most Promising Youth Award – Jules Ozon aka JULES IS DEAD
The award statuettes were created by artist Aylan Couchie. The gala event also featured performances by Barrie’s Poet Laureate, Tyneisha Thomas, Neda Mazhab Jafari and the Iranian Folk Music Ensemble, the Simcoe County Chinese Association, Lyric Dubee, and Choir Revolution.
The Barrie Arts Awards are generously supported by MacLaren Art Centre, Rhubarb Media, Multi Tech Audio Visual, Rock 95, 107.5 KOOL FM, Barrie 360, Georgian College Design and Visual Arts, City of Barrie Seniors and Accessibility Advisory Committee, Allegra Barrie, Ted Handy and Associates, Tamarco Contracting, and Stephen Elliott Photography.
Learn more about each Barrie Arts Awards winner at barrie.ca/ArtsAwards.