Ottawa, May 23, 2006 -- The Canada Council for the Arts will pay tribute to its former Director, John Hobday, with two new annual awards celebrating outstanding achievement in the field of arts management.
The John Hobday Awards in Arts Management are made possible by a $1 million donation from The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation, which will create a permanent endowment for the awards. John Hobday, who left the Canada Council in January of this year, was Executive Director of the Foundation between 1983 and 2002.
Beginning in late 2007, two $10,000 awards will be presented each year. The awards will allow recipients to enhance their own professional development by taking part in a recognized program, seminar, workshop or a mentorship with another experienced arts manager; or to pass their knowledge on to the next generation by acting as a mentor for a young arts administrator. The competition will be open to both senior and mid-career arts managers.
"These awards will provide tangible and meaningful recognition of the arts management profession, recognize excellence and accomplishment, and contribute concretely to both the revitalization of experienced managers and the transfer of knowledge to the next generation," said Canada Council Chair Karen Kain. "We are grateful to The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation for its generosity in enabling the creation of these awards in John Hobday's honour as the Canada Council approaches its 50th anniversary."
"We are very pleased to honour John Hobday's long-term service with our Foundation and his tireless commitment to the quality and professionalism of Canadian arts managers," said Stephen Bronfman, President of The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation. "Through the creation of the John Hobday Awards in Arts Management, we celebrate his more than four decades of exceptional contribution to the arts in Canada and his role as a true nation-builder. The Canada Council has been a partner with the Foundation in the Saidye Bronfman Awards for nearly a decade and we are pleased that the Council has accepted to expand our longstanding relationship through the administration of the new Fund and these awards."
A reception celebrating the creation of the awards will take place on Tuesday, June 20, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts, 5170 Côte-Ste-Catherine Road, Montreal. Representatives of the media are welcome to attend.
Information on the award criteria and how to apply will be posted on the Canada Council's web site in the fall of 2006.
General information
The Canada Council for the Arts, in addition to its principal role of promoting and fostering the arts in Canada, administers and awards prizes and fellowships to over 100 artists and scholars annually in the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural and health sciences, and engineering. Among these are the Killam Prizes, the Killam Research Fellowships, the Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prizes, the Governor General's Literary Awards, the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts and the Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts.
For more information about these awards, including nomination procedures, contact Janet Riedel Pigott, Acting Director of Endowments and Prizes, at 613 566-4414, or 1 800 263-5588, ext. 5041, or Danielle Sarault, Acting Endowments and Prizes Officer, at 613 566-4414, or 1 800 263-5588 ext. 4116.
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Media contact:Donna BalkanSenior Communications Manager1-800-263-5588 or (613) 566-4414, ext. 4134 Email this contactCarole BretonPublic Relations Officer1-800-263-5588 or (613) 566-4414, ext. 4523 Email this contact
