2023 Jurors

Tanda Francis

Tanda Francis is a Brooklyn based artist with a primary focus of creating monumental African presence in public and personal spaces. Francis explores digital and traditional forms of art while working and exhibiting her art in solo and group exhibitions locally and internationally. Tanda Francis has created several site-specific monumental public art pieces including BIGGIE (2014), New York City; Everyone Breaks, Riverside Park, New York City (2015-2016); And We Breath (collaborative), Van Cortlandt Park, New York City (2015-2016); Take Me With You, Socrates Sculpture Park, New York City, (2017-2018); Adorn Me, Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn (2017-2018); RockIt Black Queensbridge Park, Long Island CIty, New York (2021). Her work was most recently on display at New York’s MAD Museum of Art and Design and the cover spread of New York Times Arts and Leisure.

Mathieu Grodet

Mathieu Grodet was born in Orleans, France where he first studied art and drawing at the Visual Art Institute of Orleans. In 1999, he discovered the medium of glass and began his career in this ancient art by training at several studios across France and Europe. He began learning flame work at CERFAV (the European Centre for Research and Training in Glass Art). After many travels, Mathieu dropped his suitcases in Canada where he now applies the di erent techniques acquired over the years. His work includes Venetian style thin goblets, original enamel drawings on glass, murrini and various glass creations. With all his work, he attempts to bring the past of glass together with the present - the outside world inside. His work explores themes of contradiction, power, duality and the absurdity of life. Mathieu also lectures and teaches the techniques he has learned. His recent workshops, lectures and classes have included various cities in China, France, Canada and the United States. His work is in private collections across Europe and North America and can be seen at the Corning Museum of Glass and the Art Institute of Chicago along with several galleries in Canada.