The Hnatyshyn Foundation and TD Bank Group Awards for Emerging Curator of Contemporary Canadian Art and Emerging Visual Artist
The Hnatyshyn Foundation - TD Bank Group Awards supported emerging curators and artists under the age of 35 whose body of work incorporates a public presence and peer recognition. From 2013 to 2015, one curator was selected annually to receive an award of $10,000. From 2016 to 2019, one artist and one curator were selected annually to receive an award of $10,000 each.
Award Recipients
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Emerging Curator of Contemporary Canadian Art
Tarah Hogue
Tarah Hogue is a curator, cultural worker and writer. She was the inaugural Senior Curatorial Fellow of Indigenous Art at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and has been an uninvited guest on unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ territories since 2008. Her work often responds to complex histories of place through adjacent or resonant gestures embodied within contemporary artistic practices, and utilizes process-based and collaborative working methods. At the time of this award, her recent curatorial projects included Ayumi Goto and Peter Morin: how do you carry the land? at the Vancouver Art Gallery (2018), The Commute, co-curated with Freja Carmichael, Sarah Biscarra Dilley, Léuli Eshragi and Lana Lopesi at the Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane (2018), and #callresponse, co-organized with Maria Hupfield and Tania Willard in partnership with grunt gallery (2016–19). Her writing has appeared in BlackFlash, c magazine, Canadian Art, Inuit Art Quarterly, MICE Magazine and others. Hogue served as co-chair of the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective. She holds an MA in Critical and Curatorial Studies from the University of British Columbia and a BA(H) in Art History from Queen’s University. Raised in Red Deer, Alberta on the border between Treaty 6 and 7 territories, she is a member of the Métis Nation with French Canadian and Dutch ancestry.
"I approach curating as a form of research, as speculative propositions where complex, layered understandings emerge in the relational space between artworks, bodies, and space. This involves attending to the conceptual and material conditions of artworks, and what these demand spatially, as well as being responsive to context, including institutional and local histories, and how these relate to broader global concerns."
Emerging Visual Artist
Walter Scott
Walter Scott is a Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk) artist working in diverse media, including sculpture, drawing, video, performance and graphic novels. Scott explores the navigation of social and emotional worlds. His Wendy comic strip and books have gained critical acclaim and a cult following. Other areas of his practice are interconnected, yet distinct. In 2018, Scott presented a new suite of sculptures at the Remai Modern in Saskatoon. At the time of this award, he was preparing to develop a new body of work as an Artist in Residence at the International Curatorial and Studio Program in Brooklyn, New York.
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The laureates received their awards on September 4th, 2018 at a special reception at the headquarters of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society in Ottawa.
Emerging Curator of Contemporary Canadian Art
eunice bélidor
Born in Tiohtia:ke /Montreal, eunice bélidor is a curator, critic and researcher specializing in contemporary Haitian art and interested in fashion design, performance, Black studies, and feminism. Her curatorial practice aims to create intersectional links between her research interests, as well as the art object/subject and the institution. She is the founder of #CuratorialTips, a research and help tool for emerging curators and their practice. She questions everything, believing that asking the right questions are the best ways to come up with creative and thoughtful answers.
Bélidor’s writing has been published in Hyperallergic, the Journal of Curatorial Studies, Invitation (Art Mûr gallery), InCirculation, and Espace Art Actuel. She regularly takes part in various juries and committees. At the time of this award, she was on the Visual Arts Evaluation Committee at the Conseil des Arts de Montréal and worked as programming coordinator at articule, an artist-run centre in Montreal.
"This award will help me pursue the research and development of my upcoming exhibition on the Black body and how heavily codified it is, and how performative it is represented. It will also help me to focus more on critical writing, developing the tools and improving this skill, so that I can better write and disseminate ideas on curating, intersectionality, gender and the different issues affecting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour’) lives."
Emerging Visual Artist
Anique Jordan
A self-trained, Scarborough born, Trinidadian, multi-disciplinary artist Anique Jordan specializes in 3 areas: costume, performance, and photography. Jordan integrates these three diverse art practices to create a unique and distinctive artistic style called performance-photography. These three elements are influenced by a practice rooted in the dying art of Trinidadian carnival masquerade costume making and street performance.
“My work is deeply rooted in exposing what is invisible, erased or absent from historical narratives, particularly focusing on Black Canadian history. Of Black bodies, I ask where can we see what is historically, socially and politically deemed invisible in Canada? Yet hyper-visible in Canadian institutions? I have found what is central to these answers are the creation or recognition of bodies that are capable of possessing both spaces, a hybridity of sorts. Visualizing these bodies and sites is the at nucleus of my practice and fuels the vision of my work.”
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John Hampton and Jennifer Aitken received their awards on May 8, 2017 at a special reception at the Art Museum, University of Toronto.
Emerging Curator of Contemporary Canadian Art
John Hampton
At the time of this award, John Hampton was the Executive Director of the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba and an Adjunct Curator at the Art Museum at the University of Toronto. He holds an MVS in Curatorial Studies from the University of Toronto. They are Chickasaw/Canadian, living in Treaty 2 territory, Brandon, Manitoba.
“I curate exhibitions because of their potential to create experiences that enrich communities, minds, and lives by making complexity accessible.”
Emerging Visual Artist
Jennifer Aitken
Jennifer Aitken’s sculptures center around the built environment but are persistently ambiguous. Aitken is based in Toronto and holds an MFA from the University of Guelph and a BFA from Emily Carr University. At the time of this award, recent solo exhibitions included Kaloune at YYZ Artists’ Outlet and Numa at Battat Contemporary.
“My core drive as an artist is to encourage intuitive intelligence. I aim to subvert language and interpretation in order to emphasize direct experience.”
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From 2013-2015, only the curatorial award existed. Kim Nguyen received her prize on April 27, 2016 at a special reception at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Emerging Curator of Contemporary Canadian Art
Kim Nguyen
Photo: Erik Hood
Curator and writer Kim Nguyen received her Master of Arts in Critical and Curatorial Studies from The University of British Columbia and her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) from The University of Manitoba. From 2011-2016, she was the director and curator of Artspeak, where she presented exhibitions and publications with artists such as Erica Stocking, Abigail DeVille, Yuji Agematsu, Valérie Blass, Aaron Flint Jamison, Marina Roy, and Danh Vo.
Nguyen has received awards from the Canada Council for the Arts, British Columbia Arts Council, and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada for her curatorial work and research. She was a member of the 2013 Canada Council Asia Pacific Visual Arts Delegation and in 2014 was a resident at the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin.
“My work is a constant balance between taking great care of artworks and artists while operating as if I have nothing to lose. I can, and do, present things out of a deep affection for them (and with affection comes criticism), and I can be, and am, in service to artists always.”
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Emerging Curator of Contemporary Canadian Art
cheyanne turions
cheyanne turions is an independent, Toronto-based writer and curator.
“Her curatorial vision stands out for being highly considered and articulated, as well as being relevant, provocative, risky and ambitious,” said curator Daina Augaitis.
In turions’ words, “[My] work approaches the space of exhibition as alive—the gallery is a space of dialogue where artists, curators and publics can reflect on and experiment with ways of seeing (and being).”
“Congratulations to turions for her impressive career to date – and to the many other inspiring submissions from young curators for this award,” said Pamela Meredith, Senior Curator, TD Bank Group. “As a dedicated supporter of arts and culture in Canada, we’re committed to creating opportunities for young people to embrace and pursue their passion in the arts.”
The jury was impressed with turions’ breadth of work, its intelligence, and sensitivity.
At the time of this award, turions had recently co-curated the series Canadian Ecstasy with poet and performance artist Ariana Reines at Gallery TPW and reviewed the Kuwait Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture for C Magazine.
Her exhibition at the Art Gallery of Windsor, Other Electricities, was presented the inaugural award for Innovation in a Collections-based Exhibition by the Ontario Association of Art Galleries in 2014.
She has presented other curatorial projects at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Video Fag, SBC Gallery, Nuit Blanche (Montréal), Art Metropole, A Space, Gallery TPW, the Images Festival, VIVO Media Arts and the Western Front. Her writing has been published by Monte Cristo Magazine, the Blackwood Gallery, General Fine Arts, Prefix Photo, Syphon, the MacLaren Art Centre, Gallery 44, the Museum of the Near Future, FUSE and Canadian Art.
At the time of this award, turions was a member of the co-creative team for the Art and Society theme within the Cities for People project and worked as a Curatorial Assistant at the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery while pursing a master’s degree in Visual Studies at the University of Toronto. She also sat on the Board of Directors for Fillip Magazine and is the director of No Reading After the Internet (Toronto).
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Emerging Curator of Contemporary Canadian Art
Jon Davies
Jon Davies is a Montreal-born curator and writer.
"Davies’ personal approach is a bridge between artist and audience. He routinely demonstrates that his curatorial vision is one rooted not simply in rigorous curatorial exercises (at which he excels), but also in creating opportunities for lasting engagement between audiences, art and ideas. This commitment to advancing contemporary art discourses is fundamental to Jon’s work as a curator. The writing accompanying his exhibitions is mature, well-researched and reflects his passion and perspective,” wrote the jurors.
Davies’ curated contemporary art exhibitions include: People Like Us: The Gossip of Colin Campbell (2008), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For (2012–13), Kelly Jazvac: PARK (2013) and Sonny Assu: Possession (2013–14) for Oakville Galleries, where he was Associate Curator, as well as Ryan Trecartin: Any Ever (2010, co-curator), To What Earth Does This Sweet Cold Belong? (2011) and Coming After (2011–12) for The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery. His writing has appeared in publications such as C Magazine, Canadian Art, Journal of Curatorial Studies, Fillip, Little Joe, No More Potlucks and Cinema Scope, as well as in numerous books and anthologies on artists such as Daniel Barrow, Candice Breitz, FASTWÜRMS, Luis Jacob and Andy Warhol. He has organized many artists' film and video screenings with the collective Pleasure Dome, and at the time of this award, he was on the board of Gallery TPW.
Adjudicators
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The laureates were chosen by a panel of art experts, including Nigel Price, Executive Director of Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver; Michelle Jacques, Chief Curator at Arts Gallery of Greater Victoria, and Wanda Nanibush, Curator at Art Gallery of Ontario.
"Congratulations to this year's recipients of the TD Bank Group Awards for emerging artists and curators," says Stuart Keeler, Senior Art Curator, TD. "We are committed to working with groups like the Hnatyshyn Foundation to help amplify all voices in the arts. The jury, composed of art professionals from coast to coast, were united in the vision of building an inclusive future. In doing so, we hope we can help people feel more connected by seeing themselves reflected in arts and culture.”
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The laureates were chosen by a panel of art experts, including Brandy Dahrouge, Director of Visual Arts, Banff Centre; Dominique Fontaine, Curator / Researcher / Cultural Advisor / Founding Director, aPOSteRIORI, Montréal; Stuart Keeler, Senior Art Curator for TD Arts, Global Corporate Citizenship; and Tania Willard, Curator and 2016 recipient of The Hnatyshyn Foundation’s Mid-Career Award for Curatorial Excellence in Contemporary Art.
"It was a pleasure to join this year's art panel to help the Hnatyshyn Foundation select the 2018 award recipients," says Stuart Keeler, Senior Art Curator at TD Arts, Global Corporate Citizenship. "The work and intention of the group selected will help increase access to Canadian contemporary art through new ideas and mediums that everyone can engage with and feel connected to."
The 2017 prize was awarded in 2018.
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The award winners were selected by a jury of arts professionals, including Robyn McCallum, Curator, TD Bank Group, Kim Nguyen, recipient of the 2015 curatorial award and Curator/Head of Programs at the CCA Wattis Institute, and Brandy Dahrouge, Program Manager of Creative Residencies at the Banff Centre.
“At TD, we believe that a thriving arts ecosystem is essential to the overall health and vibrancy of our communities. TD is thrilled to support such an important initiative through the Hnatyshyn Foundation," said Robyn McCallum.
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Kim Nguyen was selected by a jury of arts professionals, including Candice Hopkins, Chief Curator at The IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts and recipient of the 2015 Hnatyshyn Foundation Mid-Career Award for Curatorial Excellence; Reesa Greenberg, art and exhibition historian; and Pamela Meredith, Senior Curator, TD Bank Group, Toronto.
“As a dedicated supporter of arts and culture in Canada, we're committed to creating opportunities for young people to embrace and pursue their passion in the arts,” said Pamela Meredith, Senior Curator, TD Bank Group.
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cheyanne turions was selected by a jury of arts professionals, including Daina Augaitis, Chief Curator/Associate Director at the Vancouver Art Gallery and recipient of the 2014 Hnatyshyn Foundation Mid-Career Award for Curatorial Excellence; Reesa Greenberg, art and exhibition historian based in Ottawa; and Pamela Meredith, Senior Curator, TD Bank Group, Toronto.
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Davies’ selection was made by a jury of arts professionals from across Canada, including Jean-François Bélisle, Executive Director of Arsenal Gallery, Montreal and Toronto; Paul Butler, multi-disciplinary artist and Contemporary Art Curator, Winnipeg Art Gallery; Reesa Greenberg, art historian and museum consultant, Ottawa; Pamela Meredith, Senior Curator, TD Bank Group, Toronto.
Guidelines
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This program is no longer offered.
To be eligible to apply, candidates had to:
Be under age 35 as of December 31st of the application year;
Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
Have curated a minimum of two exhibitions;
Demonstrate evidence of potential to contribute to the legacy of art in Canada.
And have a body of work that incorporates:
Specialized training (not necessarily gained at an academic institution);
A public presence and peer recognition
Thoughtfulness;
Relevance;
Exemplary selection of work;
Visual clarity;
Strong visual and contextual connections;
Audience engagement – methods, feedback, reviews;
Impact of exhibitions (on community, art world, curatorial practice).
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This program is no longer offered.
To be eligible to apply, candidates had to:
Be under age 35 as of December 31st of this year;
Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
Be a professional artist (see definition of professional artist below);
Be an emerging artist whose work demonstrates a strong potential to contribute to the legacy of art in Canada;
Have produced a body of work;
Have a history of public exhibition in a professional context;
Be recognized as a professional artist by his or her peers.
Definition of a professional artist
For the purposes of this program, a professional artist was defined as an artist who:
Has completed specialized training in the artistic field (not necessarily in academic institutions);
Is recognized as a professional by their peers (artists or art professionals working in the same field);
Is committed to devoting more time to their artistic activity or practice;
Has a history of public presentation in a professional context.
