Salah Bachir

On the evening of April 25, 2015, the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art presented Salah Bachir with the MOCCA Award in Contemporary Art 2015, honouring him for his exceptional contribution to the field of contemporary art as a patron of the arts, for his generous and widely recognized philanthropic activities, and for his extensive collection of Modern and Contemporary art.

Collecting art since the late 1980s, Salah Bachir is driven by an authentic love for art, a generosity of spirit and a commitment to supporting artists. His collection, which he shares with artist Jacob Yerex, now includes over 3,000 works of Modern and Contemporary art, and features many works by Canadian artists such as Betty Goodwin, Stephen Andrews and Attila Richard Lukacs, as well as pieces by international icons. His Andy Warhol collection is particularly renowned.

Salah Bachir has generously donated numerous works to the Art Gallery of Ontario (where a room was named in his honour), Hart House (University of Toronto), Oakville Galleries, Canada’s National Gallery, Rideau Hall, the Canadiana Fund and the University of British Columbia. Salah Bachir’s extraordinary collections have been featured in 7 exhibitions, including at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, University of Toronto’s Hart House and Oakville Galleries. Most recently, over 300 works from his collection appeared in MOCCA’s summer 2014 exhibition, Over the Rainbow.

Salah Bachir’s dedication to the arts continues with his philanthropic work. His support of the Ryerson Image Centre enabled one of its most innovative features, the Salah J. Bachir New Media Wall. He has served on numerous boards and committees including those of the Canadian Film Centre (of which he is a founding member), Art Gallery of Ontario, Luminato Festival and Business for the Arts.

Guests at the MOCCA Award Gala will receive a limited-edition plate designed especially for the MOCCA Award 2015 by renowned Toronto-based artist Jacob Yerex.

Committee

MOCCA Award 2015