1st Art! Prize Honors Outstanding Canadian Art Students

BMO Financial Group’s 1st Art! Invitational Student Art Competition celebrates the creativity of art students from post-secondary institutions across Canada. Deans and instructors of undergraduate certificate, diploma, and degree programs in visual art were invited to select from their graduating classes three students, whose ability and imagination place them 1st among their peers. A distinguished selection committee chose a national winner and one winner from each eligible province and territory.

The national winner received $5,000 and the regional winners each received $2,500 for his or her artwork. The national winner’s work becomes part of BMO’s corporate art collection, which includes historical and contemporary Canadian masters such as Kenojuak Ashevak, Emily Carr, David Milne, Tom Forestall, Marc-Aurèle Fortin, Lawren Harris, Thaddeus Holownia, Margaret Priest, Denyse Thomasos and others. All winning entries will be on display at the 1st Art! 2008 exhibition, held at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto, in October 2008.

The 2008 distinguished Selection Committee members were:

Dawn Cain, Curator, BMO Financial Group
Gary Michael Dault, Arts Writer, Artist
Steve Loft, Director, Urban Shaman Gallery
Landon Mackenzie, Artist
Gilles Ouellette, President, BMO Private Client Group
Camilla Singh, Curator, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art

2008 Winners:

National Winner - Alberta
Jeremy Jeresky
Alberta College of Art & Design
Ignition
Light-jet print C-print on paper
48 x 56 in; 121 x 142 cm

Alberta
Penny Chase
Alberta College of Art & Design
My Urus Maritimus
Acrylic, beads, frames, on board
68 x 44 x 5 in; 172 x 111 x 12.7 cm

British Columbia
Alistair Rance
University of British Columbia, Okanagan
Unassailable Crosswalk
Acrylic, oil on canvas
74 x 74 in; 188 x 188 cm

Manitoba
Maria Baker
University of Manitoba
Working Grandma
Chromogenic print
24 x 30 in; 60.9 x 76 cm

New Brunswick
Cheryl Ryan
New Brunswick College of Craft & Design
We Are All Cells
Watercolour, machine embroidery on muslin
5 parts, each 10 in; 25.4 cm

Newfoundland
Stephanie Power
Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, Memorial University
Untitled
Birchwood
24 x 18 x 13.5 in; 60.9 x 45.7 x 34.2 cm

Northwest Territories
Ruth Wright
Aurora College
Jamboree Debut!
Mittens and hat set, beaver fur, cow hide, arctic fleece,
stroud, bias tape, rickrack, embroidery thread, wool,
felt, and seed beads
Mittens 14.5 x 9.5 in; 36.8 x 24 cm;
Hat 8 x 7.5 x 8 in; 20.3 x 10 x 20.3 cm

Nova Scotia
Thomas Chisholm
Nova Scotia College of Art & Design
Untitled
Acrylic on canvas
72 x 60 in; 182.8 x 152.4 cm

Nunavut
Jamasee Pitseolak
Nunavut Arctic College
What’s the Catch
Lino cut print on paper
16 x 16 in; 40.6 x 40.6 cm

Ontario
Devin Jeffrey
Ryerson University
Soldier
Chromogenic print
40 x 60 in; 101.6 x 152.4 cm

Prince Edward Island
Stephanie Martens
Holland College
Mirrors and Cameras
Digital print
22 x 9 in; 55.8 x 22.8 cm

Quebec
Keren Epstein
Concordia University
Untitled (From the Ema series)
Chromogenic print, ed. 1/7
30 x 40 in; 76 x 102 cm

Saskatchewan
Rowan Pantel
University of Saskatchewan
Fort á la Corne, Trail Three, Inversion One
Waterless lithography, chine-collé on paper, ed. 1/1
40 x 55 in; 102 cm x 139.7 cm

Yukon Territory
Mitch Holder
Klondike Institute of Arts & Culture
Void
Ink stamp, acrylic on plywood
48 x 48 in; 122 x 122 cm