Media

Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts ceremony at Rideau Hall

March 16, 2006

OTTAWA–Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, will preside over the seventh annual Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts ceremony at Rideau Hall, in Ottawa, on Wednesday, March 22, at 6 p.m.

The Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts recognize distinguished career achievement by Canadian artists in these artistic fields, as well as outstanding contributions to the visual and media arts through voluntarism, philanthropy, board governance, community outreach or professional activities. These prestigious awards are funded and administered by the Canada Council for the Arts. Since their creation in 1999, they have been awarded to 50 recipients.

This year’s laureates are:

Mowry Baden – sculptor
Micheline Beauchemin – textile artist and weaver
Vera Frenkel – multidisciplinary artist
Peggy Gale – independent curator and critic (Outstanding Contribution Award)
Kenneth Lochhead – painter
Arnaud Maggs – photographer
Peter Wintonick – documentary filmmaker

The recipients’ biographies can be obtained from the Canada Council for the Arts’ Web site at http://www.canadacouncil.ca.

Media representatives wishing to cover the event are asked to arrive at the Princess Anne Entrance no later than 5:30 p.m.

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Media information

Lucie Brosseau
Rideau Hall Press Office
(613) 998-0287
www.gg.ca

Donna Balkan
Canada Council for the Arts
(613) 566-4305
www.canadacouncil.ca