Oshawa Culture Counts Awards
The City of Oshawa is proud to announce our 2018 Oshawa Culture Counts Award Winners!
The winners for each category were awarded at the Council Meeting on Tuesday, February 20, 2018.
Thank you for joining us for a special program at The RMG's First Friday's on Friday, March 2, 2018 to honour the Winners!
| Professional Artist Award: Ronald Lambert |
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Ronald Lambert was born in Oshawa, Ontario in 1927. He was a student of Painters Eleven member Alexandra Luke as an eight year old, studied with A.Y Jackson as a teenager, and trained under American artist Hans Hoffman in his early 20’s. Still in his teens, his work was included in Canada’s first travelling exhibition of abstract painting in 1952 entitled Canadian Abstract Exhibition. 
Lambert put painting aside to concentrate on his graphic design business in order to make a living for his growing family. He maintained a connection with the arts through his work as an illustrator. He returned to painting later in life with great excitement and public encouragement. In 2014, he was an invited guest for the downtown art project Space Invaders (an anniversary project of Durham ArtFest from the mid-1990s) showing both his work from the 1940s and 50s, as well as his magnificent recent paintings. At an age when most artists would be retired, Lambert was offered solo exhibitions at Visual Arts Mississauga and the Kent Farndale Gallery in Port Perry, as well as a commercial gallery on Queen Street West in Toronto. He produced new work – hard-edged abstractions – to be included in these exhibitions. Finally, Lambert’s work – a tribute to his predecessors – was included in the RMG’s opening 50th anniversary exhibition, Durham Reach. Through his practice and participation in regional exhibitions, Ronald Lambert has contributed significantly to the landscape of the Visual Arts in Oshawa. He is supportive of other artists’ practices and generous with his time and is enthusiastic in recalling the origins of abstraction in Oshawa that would be pivotal in expanding its reach beyond the city’s borders into the province and country. Lambert’s works can be found in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario and The Robert McLaughlin Gallery. |
| Emerging Artist Award: Crown Lands |
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Cody Bowles (drums and lyrics) and Kevin Comeau (keyboards and guitar) make up Crown Lands. Formed in 2015, the duo has quickly built a buzz around Durham Region. Crown Lands brings classic psych-rock into the modern musical landscape. They are renowned for their energetic live shows, owed to their exhaustive multi-tasking.
As a product of Oshawa, Crown Lands reflect the city’s culture in in their music, juxtaposing hard rocking riffs with introspective poetic lyrics that strive for self-improvement and adventure. After releasing their Mantra EP in 2016 they set off to tour. Mantra received airplay on 94.9 The Rock – Oshawa’s preeminent rock station. Industry pundit Alan Cross (102.1 The Edge, Ongoing History of Modern Music) praised Crown Lands, prophesizing “If you haven’t heard of Crown Lands you will.” The duo wrapped up a successful 2016 by heading to the legendary Chalet Studio in Uxbridge, ON to record their sophomore EP Rise Over Run. Their music has been well received by local press. Oshawa This Week and Oshawa Express have written features on the band for their impact on the local music scene. Not content to rest on their laurels, they then embarked on an Ontario tour with One Bad Son – known for their #1 hit Raging Bull. The tour included near-capacity sold-out nights at the Music Hall in Oshawa. Crown Lands began 2018 by signing with APA Booking agency – known for building the careers of The Arkells, Nickleback, Billy Talent, and fellow Oshawa rockers The Standstills by bringing all the grit and determination they learned by playing in Oshawa, Crown Lands prove that hard work does pay off. There is stardom in store for these two! |
| Innovation and Creation Champion Award: Mary Krohnert and The LivingRoom Community Art Studio |
Mary Krohnert is an art therapist, actor and writer, who is committed to bettering the lives of Oshawans through the Arts. She is the founder and Executive Director for The LivingRoom Community Art Studio in Oshawa; a registered non-profit that provides a safe space where people from all walks of life can gather to express themselves and connect with others through the experience of art making, skill sharing and dialogue at no or little cost. The space’s mission is to promote positive self-identities, build relationships, and inspire community driven action through providing a safe, inclusive space for creative social interaction to occur.
The LivingRoom Community Art Studio has significantly enriched the Oshawa arts sector, fostered a sense of community for many in the downtown core, and gained national praise for its innovative practice. At present, they enjoy 5000 visits per year by drop ins, self-referrals, agency referrals from over 30 health, wellness and social organizations in Oshawa/Durham Region, artists and crafters from Oshawa. Mary and her team make every effort to collaborate with organizations across the City. Mary in particular, played a key role in the creation of the City of Oshawa’s Art Park, the “Tell Us About Your Tattoo” Exhibition, the “Handmade with Heart” Holiday Marketplace, “Culture Squared” events, The Reconciliation Project Exhibition, “Occupy Oshawa” and much more. |
The Oshawa Culture Counts Awards celebrate and honour the creative and cultural achievements of the community.
The winners from each award will receive a $200 honorarium.
Individuals, collectives and/or organizations can be nominated or apply for three categories:
| Oshawa Culture Counts Professional Artist Award |
| This Award will recognize an established artist of any arts discipline (includes performing, visual, cinematic, design, architecture and literary arts) who has demonstrated creativity, originality, professional maturity and artistic leadership in the community.
The following criteria will be used to select award recipients:
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| Oshawa Culture Counts Emerging Artist Award |
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This Award will recognize an artist in the early stages of their career in any arts discipline (includes performing, visual, cinematic, design, architecture and literary arts) who is both skilled and determined to advance their artistic capabilities. This individual understands the value of their gift within the community, and leverages these skills to inspire and enrich the lives of fellow citizens. This individual is between 12 to 30 years or has begun their artistic practice within the past 5 years. The following criteria will be used to select award recipients:
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| Innovation and Creation Champion Award |
| This Award honours individuals, collectives and/or organizations in the creative and cultural industries who have created or enhanced an event, product, program or partnership in the past year. The award recognizes work that is unique, transformative, and positive in its impact on arts, culture, and heritage in Oshawa.
The following criteria will be used to select award recipients
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Eligibility
- Nominees must be a current or former resident of the City of Oshawa.
- A nominee may be the recipient of only one award per year.
- City of Oshawa staff are not eligible for an award, but may nominate individuals.
- An individual cannot be nominated posthumously.
Review Process
For each category noted above, City staff will develop an evaluation matrix and guideline for assessing the awards recipient. Applicants will be required to demonstrate their artistic merit, critical acknowledgement of the work/ initiative, evidence of recognition by the local community, and describe their career path/ organizational background and association to the arts discipline/ initiative. A sub-committee comprised of members of the Cultural Leadership Council will jury the applications and select the award recipients.
Background
In February 2014, City Council approved the Culture Counts: Oshawa's Arts, Culture and Heritage Plan. Developed through in-depth community and stakeholder consultation, the plan provides Oshawa City Council, City staff and the community with a set of six strategic directions and action items to strengthen and encourage growth in the sector.
The fourth strategic direction entitled "Build a Strong, Vital and Connected Arts, Culture and Heritage Sector," recommends "the creation of a civic arts, culture and heritage award program."
In our inaugural year of the awards program, the City of Oshawa will present three awards to community members. The awards program is called the Culture Counts Awards in acknowledgment of the plan that suggested their creation.