Ruth Cuthand, Shary Boyle and Zainub Verjee are receiving honorary doctorates from OCAD University in Toronto. Cuthand is a leading contemporary artist of Plains Cree and Scottish ancestry, and a recipient of the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts. Boyle is an acclaimed multidisciplinary artist who has represented Canada at the Venice Biennale. Verjee, the director of Galeries Ontario/Ontario Galleries, has extensive experience in Canada's cultural sector. Go here for more information.
Calgary artist Chris Cran has been awarded an honorary Masters degree in fine arts from the Alberta University of the Arts. He is a graduate of the institution and taught there for many years. Cran's work is held by major institutions, including the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Alberta. Go here for more information.
Vancouver landscape painter Nicholas Bott has died. "Over five decades, he worked to continually refine his work, explore new locations, and follow in the steps of his favourite artists finding inspiration in the Canadian landscape and sharing his vision with collectors around the globe," said Madrona Gallery, which represents Bott in Victoria. Born in 1941 in the Netherlands, Bott emigrated to Canada with his family in the 1950s, settling in Smithers B.C. The Group of Seven was a major influence on his work.
The Kamloops Art Gallery is using its Open Gallery wall as a space to create dialogue about anti-Asian racism. The wall is carrying the message "Stop Asian Hate" until July 3. The gallery notes that people of Asian descent are Canada's largest racialized community and cites the country's long history of anti-Asian policies. Media outlets have reported that Anti-Asian racism is on the rise, most noticeably in British Columbia.
The Inuit Gallery of Vancouver is moving this month to the Shipyards District in North Vancouver. It will be close to the Polygon Gallery, the new North Vancouver Museum and Archives and the Lonsdale Quay market. Go here for more information.
The Manitoba Arts Council has announced the winners of its $10,000 Prizes in the Arts. Recipients include melannie monoceros, a poet and interdisciplinary artist; Lana Sinclair, an Indigenous, Winnipeg-based fashion designer; and ArtsJunktion, a community-based organization that redistributes reusable materials.
The Ryerson Image Centre in Toronto has acquired an archive of over 5,500 photographs by mother-daughter duo Minna Keene and Violet Keene Perinchief. Before moving to Canada, Minna Keene was, in 1908, the first woman admitted to England's Royal Photographic Society. Her daughter managed the Eaton's portrait studio in Toronto in the 1930s and 1940s, photographing celebrities such as Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw.
Artspeak Gallery in Vancouver has hired Alexandra Bischoff as communications and operations manager. Bischoff previously worked with the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres and the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery at UBC. She serves on the board of the VIVO Media Arts Centre.
The Vancouver Art Book Fair – a free festival showcasing local and international arts publications – has issued a call for exhibitors. The deadline for applications is June 15. The fair runs online from Oct. 18 to Oct. 26. For more details, go here.
