McMaster multimedia alumni recognized with Distinctive Design Award

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/OAAG_grp1.jpg” caption=”Pictured left to right: Geoffrey Rockwell, Katrina Jennifer Bedford, Andrew Paulin, Liss Platt and Shirley Madill. Absent for photo: Audrey Carr. Photo credit: Dave Kemp”]McMaster multimedia students and faculty were recognized recently for their work on Virtual Cities, a collaborative project with the Art Gallery of Hamilton.

Virtual Cities was the online companion site to the AGH exhibit titled Future Cities. The Merchant Capital Group Design Award was awarded to multimedia graduates Audrey Carr '05, Andrew Paulin '05, Katrina Jennifer Bedford '04, to multimedia professors Geoffrey Rockwell and Liss Platt, and to AGH director of programming Shirley Madill.

At a ceremony held in the Art Gallery of Hamilton on Friday, May 27, the Ontario Association of Art Galleries (OAAG) presented 31 2005 Juried Awards of Merit to curators, educators, designers, volunteers, community partners and public art galleries across Ontario. Approximately 200 people attended the reception and ceremony.

The 2005 OAAG Awards are annual juried awards that distinguish prominent achievement in the visual arts in seven categories: exhibitions, writing, book design, exhibition design and installation, education programs, partnerships and volunteers. This is the 28th year.

Demetra Christakos, executive director, Ontario Association of Art Galleries said, “We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of public art galleries across Ontario every year and are excited to shine a spotlight on their significant achievements in the visual arts.”

An evening of understated Hamilton glamour awaited guests and award nominees alike with featured works from performance and visual artists. Drag queen, artist, curator and writer Andrew Harwood hijacked the AGYU Performance Bus with a whirlwind trip from downtown Toronto to the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Hamilton's Staircase Theatre's improv troupe performed as faux-paparazzi at the pre-award reception. Toronto artist Charlene Lau presented a performance on piano. Musician and performance artist tiny bill cody took the stage opening the ceremony. Christy Thompson created an exclusive edition of artist multiples, Good For You, awarded to the evening's winners, by Enza Supermodel.

The Merchant Capital Group Design Awards recognize excellence in design in gallery publications. OAAG presented 10 awards to graphic designers for excellence and achievement in the design of visual art books, newsletters, brochures, and web sites produced by public art galleries in Ontario.

The Art Gallery of Hamilton and McMaster University were acknowledged for its major collaboration on the website www.virtualcities.ca for the project Future Cities with the design award for web projects. The students that designed and executed the project are graduates from the multimedia program in the Faculty of Humanities. The project was lead by multimedia professors Geoffrey Rockwell and Liss Platt, along with AGH director of programming Shirley Madill.

Demetra Christakos, executive director, Ontario Association of Art Galleries, also commented: “The Awards are an exciting time for us. We celebrate the collaborations galleries initiate with artists, audiences and community partners. Public art galleries really are a dynamic part of our cultural life. More than three million people in Ontario visit public art galleries annually and we see that number growing every year. Overall, the quality of visual art exhibition and art book publication in Ontario is world-class. This year, our juries were largely artist-driven. As an observer of the jury process, I am thoroughly impressed by the clear thinking behind the jurors' deliberations, their care and patience.”

The Ontario Association of Art Galleries (OAAG), located in Toronto, is a component of the visual arts infrastructure in Canada. With a membership made up of public art galleries, art museums, artist-run centres and arts-related organizations, OAAG represents the shared interests of its members through a range of services including an awards program, professional development seminars, conferences, publications, targeted communications strategies and special projects.