Richmond is getting ready to honour those in the local arts community who have contributed either through their talent, time or support.
On May 17 at City Hall, winners of the eighth annual Richmond Arts Awards will be announced.
The 18 finalists, spread out over six categories, in the event were announced this week. Chosen from a total of 80 nominations that were reviewed by a selction committee, they include:
Artisitic Innovation
Aarthi Naidu — Naidu is an educator and founder of Footloose Dance competition, an event she inaugurated as a new teacher at R.C. Palmer secondary a decade ago to include students who were not involved in traditional sports teams or achieving academic excellence. It started with 16 hip hop dance teams from across the Lower Mainland. Today, 32 are signed up in advance for the event which also raises funds for a variety of arts-related projects at the school, charity donations and Grade 12 dance scholarships.
Jordan Paterson —Paterson is a media producer whose documentary films often focus on stories of migration and social dynamics of communities through history. Paterson has worked in the Film and TV industry for almost 20 years and has written, produced and directed many award winning documentaries and commercials for CBC, Knowledge Network, TVO, Bravo! Canada, Fairchild TV, Omni TV Rogers, Guangdong Television, CCTV 10 China and TV5. In 2013 Paterson received four Canadian Screen Award nominations for his documentary film From C to C: Chinese Canadian Stories of Migration.
Marina Szijarto — Szijarto is a professional artist with more than 25 years experience in diverse contemporary arts practices including community-engaged arts, celebrations and installations. She is also an award-winning theatre professional who designs and creates sets, costumes and more for professional performance events. Since moving to Richmond in 2009, she has been active in the community. Among her many activities, in 2015 she was the Artist in Residence at the new City Centre Community Centre.
Arts Education
Melanie Devoy —Devoy is an educator and school art program coordinator with the Richmond Art Gallery.
Ted Hesketh — Hesketh is a music educator and author.
Mumtaz Khokhar —Khokhar is a vocational counsellor with the Richmond Society for Community Living.
Business and the Arts
Ampri Real Estate Development Group. As CEO of Ampri Real Estate Deevelopment Group, Amit Sandhu has been a supporter and funder of local public art commissions.
Innovation Networks —
Local IT company Innovation Networks explains its reason for being a supporter of the arts in Richmond by stating, “Business supporting community. Because without community and those that support it, there is no business”
TD Bank Group — TD Bank Group plays a philanthropic role with the Richmond Art Gallery’s School Art Program.
Cultural Leadership
Cinevolution — Cinevolution Media Arts Society was founded in 2007 and is a Richmond-based, non-profit society founded and run by artists, filmmakers, community activists and volunteers who share a passion for media arts, critical discourse and intercultural exchange.
Community Arts Council of Richmond. — The arts council has been a supporter of arts, artists and artisans in Richmond since the 1970s. Its purpose is to provide and broaden opportunities for citizens of all ages to participate in, and benefit from, the creative arts.
Bilal Hamoud — Hamoud is an artist, art collector and philanthropist.
Volunteerism
Dale Bailey — Bailey is an art educator and volunteer with the Richmond Art Gallery School Art Program.
Margaret Stephens — Stephens is a volunteer and board member with the Community Arts Council of Richmond.
Jiliang Yao —Yao is a master calligrapher, painter, art educator and mentor.
Youth Arts
Emily May — May is a visual and digital artist, and a community and arts festival supporter.
Anna Toth —Toth is a singer, songwriter, illustrator, community supporter and writer.
Nancy Zhang — Zhang is a musician and community supporter.
This year’s selection panel for the awards includes artist and composer, David Dorrington; Artistic Director of the Children’s Arts Festival and teacher, Debbie Tobin; Richmond Arts Coalition Board member and performing artist, Susan Skemp; and Community Development Coordinator of South Arm Community Centre and piano teacher, Winnie Wong.
The awards program was developed in 2009 by the City of Richmond in partnership with the Richmond Arts Coalition, and is presented with support from The Richmond News.
