Nominees announced for 2020 St. Catharines Arts Awards

February 6, 2020 — The nominees have been announced for the 2020 St. Catharines Arts Awards, and if the diverse list is any indication, the city has a vibrant arts scene worth celebration and recognition.

With the awards set to celebrate the city’s arts community, and those who champion it, on May 1, the jury has made its selection for this year’s nominees.

“The city’s cultural and artistic community has exploded in recent years, there are so many diverse voices and visions out there,” said acting supervisor of Cultural Services Kathleen Powell, adding, “these nominees represent some of the best our city has to offer, they are world-class talents who call St. Catharines home and step up to build a community we can all be proud of.”

This year’s nominees range from visual artists like painters to filmmakers to musicians and so much more.

Nominees for the Arts in Education Award, celebrating individuals and groups committed to engaging residents through arts education, include:
• Steven Azzopardi, visual arts education
• Jean Paul Dupont, music education
• Katia Perez Mendez, visual arts education
• Curtis Tye, performing arts education
• Willow Arts Community, multi-disciplinary arts education
• Kari-Lynn Winters, literary and performing arts education

Artists in their first 10 years of a creative career will be recognized with the Emerging Artist Award. Nominees for 2020 include:
• Kate Gottli, visual artist
• Erica Sherwood, media and film artist
• Colleen McTigue, visual artist

The Establish Artist Award 2020 nominees include:
• Danny Custodio, visual artist
• Floyd Elzinga, visual artist
• Jon Shaw, visual artist

Nominees for the Making a Difference Award — celebrating entrepreneurs, administrators, organizations and volunteers contributing to the growth of arts and culture — include:
• Mazie Bishop, Artisan Market organizer
• Juliet Dunn of the TD Niagara Jazz Festival
• Bart Gazzola of The Sound STC
• Music director Thomas Inglis
• Music librarian Alison Thomson
• Candice Turner-Smith, formerly of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra

“All these individuals represent amazing talent that makes our community a better place to live,” said Powell, adding, “we can’t wait to celebrate them, and the city’s arts community as a whole.”

The 2020 St. Catharines Arts Awards take place May 1 at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. Tickets go on sale March 1. For more information visit www.stcatharines.ca/ArtsAwards.