February 7, 2007

FINALISTS NAMED FOR PREMIER’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE ARTS
Inaugural Event February 26 at The Royal Ontario Museum

TORONTO — Judith Thompson, Peggy Baker, De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Group, Juan Geuer, Ottawa Chamber Music Society and Le Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario are the six finalists for the very first Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, Ontario Minister of Culture Caroline Di Cocco announced today.

The winner will receive $35,000 and an additional $15,000 will be given to a promising newcomer in the same field, chosen by the winner. The remaining finalists will each receive $2,000.

“Arts and culture are profoundly human.  A society does not reveal itself through its golf courses and its roads but through its songs, dance, poetry, plays, paintings and architecture,” said Premier Dalton McGuinty.  “This award honours the important contribution our artists make to Ontario and gives them opportunities to showcase their talent.”

The Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts recognizes outstanding achievement and contribution to arts and culture in Ontario by an individual or group. Nominees must be engaged in a professional arts practice including arts, crafts, dance, music, opera, theatre, visual and media arts, writing or cultural industries such as book and magazine publishing, digital media, film, television and sound recording. The Ontario Arts Council administers the award on behalf of the Government of Ontario.

The finalists are:

Peggy Baker, of Toronto, one of Ontario’s and Canada’s finest dancers, has long been recognized and acclaimed internationally as a performer, choreographer, teacher, and mentor. For more than a decade she has been artist-in-residence at the National Ballet School in Toronto.  Baker has also performed with Mikhail Baryshnikov. She has inspired several generations of dancers across Canada and internationally, in both modern dance and ballet.  The Ballet Review of New York states: “There are good dancers. There are great dancers. And then there is Peggy Baker”.

De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Group of Wikwemikong, Manitoulin Island, is a professional community based non-profit organization dedicated to using theatre to reflect the issues, concerns, dreams and realities of Aboriginal communities, and translate knowledge among native and non-native people. De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Group also delivers arts education programming in schools throughout Ontario. Since founded by Shirley Cheechoo in 1984 at West Bay, Manitoulin Island, the group has produced 45 original works.

Juan Geuer, of Almonte, has been a pioneer in the field of “scientific art” in Canada over the past 30 years. Geuer combined his passion for art with his professional career as a draftsman to construct models and displays to help scientists visualize geographical phenomena. His work is recognized in museums around the world. Geuer is also an abstract painter whose work has been sold to private collections in North America and Europe.

The Ottawa Chamber Music Society (OCMS) is internationally recognized as a leader in chamber music. Its International Chamber Music Festival is the world’s largest in number of concerts, total attendance and number of works played.  The group has won the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for the Arts seven times. The OCMS has launched a campaign, with 70 per cent of funds already raised, for a $27.6 million concert hall for use by the entire arts and festival community in Ottawa.

Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario, Sudbury, is a 35 year old professional theatre company dedicated to producing new works, to supporting Franco-Ontarian dramatic arts and to presenting mostly Canadian works. The company creates, presents and welcomes theatrical productions to develop, enrich and support the artistic and cultural life of its community. Along with touring its productions across the country and elsewhere in the world, the Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario was the first francophone company outside Québec to build and manage its own professional black box theatre. The Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario, its productions and artists have won numerous awards, including two Governor General Literary Awards.

Judith Thompson, of Toronto, is a playwright, innovator, scholar, teacher and mentor who has transformed Canadian theatre and given Canada a unique voice onstage. Thompson’s work has yielded a phenomenal record of prestigious awards and nominations including Officer of the Order of Canada. She is also a two-time recipient of the Governor General’s Award – Canada’s highest literary honour.

“Artists play a vital role in each and every community throughout Ontario,” said Di Cocco. “They are at the centre of our creative society, reflecting the best of who we are to ourselves and to the world. The Premier’s Awards provide a showcase for our artists and help ensure the vibrancy and competitiveness of the culture sector.”

The culture sector supports more than 250,000 jobs and generates $17.9 billion for Ontario’s economy.

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Contacts:
Mark Thompson, Minister’s Office, (416) 325-4071
Guy Lepage, Communications Branch, (416) 314-3497