Press Releases

For immediate release
13 May 2005

Winners - Artflight 2005 competition

Ottawa—Winners of Canada’s thirteenth annual competition in aviation art were announced yesterday at the Canada Aviation Museum in Ottawa. Charles Kadin from Toronto, Ontario, took top honours for the work entitled Mapping the Yukon. The Artflight 2005 exhibition includes 48 works from across Canada and the United States. Digital images of some of the works are available upon request.

The other winners were: Second Prize, Helene Croft from the Northwest Territories for Northern Pioneer ; Third Prize, Ron Hart from Oregon for Two Four Poppa ; and four honourable mentions went to, Geoff Bennett from Nova Scotia for Norseman Study; Ardell Bourgeois from British Columbia for Northern Nostalgia; Don Connolly from Ontario for The Mapping of the High Arctic; and Lotti Thomas from Ontario for First Flight Over Desolate Ice, Richard E. Byrd, North Pole, 1926. A jury prize was also awarded to Simon Tookoome from the Nunavut for Imagination of Flight Arrival.

Since 1992, the Canada Aviation Museum has held regularly this aviation art competition and exhibition and 2005 marks the 13th anniversary of this Artflight program. Since its inception over 1000 works have been submitted to the competition and over 500 have been selected for display, showcasing the work Canadian and International artist.

More than 120 works were submitted from across the world. Each competition is given a theme, with Art Flight 2005 focusing the artists to offer their interpretation of Northern Wings. This year, 48 works were chosen for display including for the first time, works by Canadian aboriginal artists.

The jury members were Mrs. Heather Campbell, Curator Inuit Art, Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, Mrs. Laurie McGaw, Freelance Illustrator, Picture Book Illustrator and Portrait Artist, and Mr. Charles Vinh, Artist, Illustrator and Portrait Artist.

The competition itself has a number of goals: to encourage Canadian artists work with aviation subjects; to stimulate experimentation with a wide range of styles in the depiction of the subject, and to provide a stimulating and changing addition for visitors to the Canada Aviation Museum.

The Canada Aviation Museum, Canada’s premier aeronautical collection, and among the best in the world, is located at the intersection of the Aviation and Rockcliffe Parkways in Ottawa. The Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.. Free parking.

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