From The Publisher: Local Art Award Nominations Needed

from the publisher Awards Recognition For A Job Well Done

By Deborah Jones

As businesses, organizations and area professionals work hard to get revenues back to pre-pandemic levels, it is important that the community takes time to highlight these “survivors”. And this appears to be the case with all the award ceremonies in Windsor Essex this spring!

To start, the winners of the Tech Awards, organized by WEtech Alliance, take place, virtually, March 21 to 27 as part of the fifth annual TeCK Week YQG (see page 43 for further details). Then on March 30, the seventh annual Best of Windsor Essex recipients are announced, hosted by Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island. And on May 19 the Windsor-Essex Chamber of CommerceBusiness Excellence Awards gala reveals the final winners in 10 categories and honours two amazing local individuals (more on page 40 of this edition).

Plus in a few months (mid-July) the categories for the 25th annual Biz X awards will open up for nominations too.

So, for my column now, I want to help the Windsor Endowment for the Arts (WEA) and the City of Windsor in their search for 2022 nominations and applications for the WEA Awards/Grants and the Mayor’s Arts Awards.

Windsor Endowment for the Arts welcomes applications via their online application platform at: WEA-Arts.com until 11:59 p.m. on Friday,

March 25, 2022.

Nominations are open for one of four Art Leadership Awards of merit, presented to recognize and celebrate outstanding individuals, philanthropists, businesses and/or organizations devoted to the arts, in community, literary, performing and visual arts.

WEA is also looking for nominations for their 11 art grants totalling $29,000 as follows . . . Emerging Artist Grants: Three grants of $3,000 each presented to support the professional and creative development of emerging artists in literary arts, performing arts and visual arts. Emerging Artist in Film Arts Grant: A $3,000 grant for a local filmmaker to create a short fiction film, short documentary, or feature-length documentary. Arts Infrastructure Grants: Four grants of $3,000 each to individual professional artists/arts professionals, ad hoc groups, collectives, organizations and businesses dedicated to developing the arts in community arts, literary arts, performing arts and visual arts. Elizabeth Havelock Grant in the Arts: A $2,000 grant to foster and support the artistic excellence of the mid-career artist in any artistic discipline. The Morris and Beverly Baker Foundation Youth Grant in the Arts: A $2,000 grant to a graduating high school student registered in an arts program at a college or university. The Eric Jackman Youth Grant in the Arts: A $1,000 grant for a Grade 11 or Grade 12 student who completes a summer internship at an arts organization in 2022.

For the Mayor’s Arts Awards (WMAA), applications and nominations are accepted until March 25, 2022 at 3 p.m. on: CityWindsor.ca/residents/Culture/Pages/ Mayor-Arts-Awards.aspx

There are three categories for the WMAA. First, Individual Artist: $1,000 to an individual artist engaged in a broad spectrum of activities having to do with creating, practicing or demonstrating art. Art is broadly conceived to include all genres and disciplines including performance, visual, literary, media/new media, and design. Second, Arts Organization: $1,000 to a community arts organization demonstrating a clear commitment to creating, practicing and demonstrating art. Third, Arts Volunteer:$500 to an individual supporting the arts by providing his/her own time and services, without receiving payment for their volunteer work.

This year WEA and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens plan to present the awards at an in-person event in May.

Good luck to all participating in these great awards programs!