The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art announces winner of the MOCCA Award 2013!
The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art is pleased to announce that the pioneering Toronto philanthropic group Partners in Art (PIA) is the recipient of the $25,000 MOCCA Award in Contemporary Art 2013!
TORONTO, Ontario, October 17, 2012 – As the fourth recipient of The MOCCA Award, the volunteer organization Partners in Art (PIA) being recognized for 10 years of tirelessly championing contemporary art through meaningful collaborations with established art institutions, as well as educational initiatives aimed at raising its members’ awareness and understanding of contemporary art.
Presented by BMO Financial Group, The MOCCA Award will be given to Partners in Art – a group comprised of seventy-five highly dedicated, talented and engaged art supporters– at a gala event on the evening of April 13, 2013, to be held in Baillie Court at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Upon naming the recipient MOCCA noted that throughout its ten years, PIA has cultivated key alliances among artists, gallerists, curators, art institution directors, educators, the business community and the public, developing vital and exciting contemporary art projects that promote Canadian art and artists on the national and international stage. To support these efforts, Partners in Art has raised and distributed more than $800,000 over its ten-year history.
Donating significant funds and invaluable volunteer time, Partners in Art has collaborated with 14 partner organizations, including the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, the Art Gallery of Ontario, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, the Canadian Art Foundation, the Ontario College of Art and Design University, The Institute for Contemporary Culture at the ROM and the Galerie de l’Université du Québec à Montréal among others.
Among its many recent achievements, PIA has contributed to exhibition and publication programs at MOCCA. PIA was also instrumental in launching the AGO’s first Artist-in-Residence Program, an initiative that occupies the purpose-built Weston Family Learning Centre (2011).
By hosting the 2013 MOCCA Award at the Art Gallery of Ontario – the recipient of PIA’s first institutional gift – MOCCA pays tribute to the collaborative spirit of Partners in Art and their remarkable ten years of pioneering philanthropy. Each guest at the event will receive a limited edition plate by celebrated Toronto-based artist Shary Boyle created specifically to commemorate the occasion.
Quotes:
- David Liss, Artistic Director and Curator, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art:
“The very name ‘Partners in Art’ embodies a spirit of active collaboration towards the creation of culture – an objective that is also at the core of the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art’s mandate and mission. The efforts of PIA have been key in supporting the success and advancement of MOCCA’s artistic and operational vision.”
- Gilles Ouellette, President and CEO, Private Client Group, BMO Financial Group – sponsor of the MOCCA Award:
“PIA understands and promotes the necessary element of collaboration for the creation and support of modern art in Canada. Its efforts have positively benefited countless artists and cultural organizations since 2002. We all owe our gratitude to this important organization – a worthy recipient of the 2013 MOCCA Award.
- “Yvonne Fleck and Mimi Joh, Co-Chairs, 2012-14, Partners in Art (PIA)
“On behalf of PIA we are honoured to receive this prestigious award from MOCCA. Indeed, to be in the same league as past MOCCA Award recipients is quite humbling and we are very thankful to all of you at MOCCA.We’re proud to say that since our beginning 10 years ago, PIA has helped change the contemporary Canadian art scene by forging a type of patron involvement that includes a collaboration of ideas and an active engagement with chosen institutions like MOCCA. We look forward to creating future collaborations in the years to come.”
Highlights/Key Facts:
- The biennial award was established by MOCCA in 2007 to honour a Canadian active in the field of visual arts for innovation, accomplishment or contribution over time, or for a specific project that has national or international significance.
- Michael Snow received the MOCCA Award 2007; Matthew Teitelbaum, Michael and Sonja Koerner Director, and CEO of the Art Gallery of Ontario received the MOCCA Award in 2009 and Edward Burtynsky received the award in 2011.
- BMO Financial Group has been sponsor of the Award since its inception.
About Partners in Art (PIA)
Partners in Art (PIA) is a volunteer-based, not-for-profit corporation of Toronto art supporters with an interest in promoting contemporary visual arts within Canada and internationally. For the past 10 years, PIA has cultivated alliances to develop vital and exciting art projects that raise the awareness of contemporary art and artists nationally and internationally.
This year, during its 10th anniversary, PIA is proud to be the lead sponsor of the annual photography symposium at the new Ryerson Image Centre and a multifaceted, multimedia project at the Art Gallery of York University with artist Deanna Bowen.
About MOCCA
The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA) was founded from the former Art Gallery of North York in 1999. In 2005, MOCCA relocated to the West Queen West Art + Design District in downtown Toronto, in the heart of one of North America’s most dynamic arts communities. Our facility is modest in scale, impressive in design, and functions effectively as a nucleus of energies for cultural production and exchange.
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Media Contacts:
MOCCA
Fayiaz Chunara, Head, Communications and Marketing, 416.395-7490, fchunara@mocca.ca
Partners in Art
Ethan Pigott, beSPEAK Communications, (416) 558-2783, ethan@bespeakcommunications.com
or
Eileen Tobey, beSPEAK Communications, 416-540-4047, eileen@bespeakcommunications.com