Eight Newcomer Artist Projects Get a Jump Start
Toronto Arts Foundation is thrilled to announce the recipients for the first round of the RBC Arts Access Fund, administered by Neighbourhood Arts Network.
TORONTO, March 16, 2017 – Toronto Arts Foundation is thrilled to announce the recipients for the first round of the RBC Arts Access Fund, administered by Neighbourhood Arts Network. The Fund celebrates and spotlights newcomer artists with micro awards of up to $1,500, awarded to newcomer artists looking to jump-start their community-engaged arts projects.
The Fund is a component of the RBC Newcomer Artist Spotlight program, which is designed to convene and incubate newcomer artists to grow into Toronto’s new generation of cultural leaders and innovators. This program in partnership with RBC Foundation builds on the potential of newcomer artists and breaks down the barriers they face when it comes to arts access.
The recipients in the first round are:
Mariana Bolaños is a Mexican multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto. In her work Mariana makes use of different media such as ceramic, metal, wood and found objects with both a two- and three dimensional approach. Over the last few years she has been working as a ceramic sculptor and actively participating in her community. Mariana is a member of Sick Muse Art Projects, where she is a leading Artist Facilitator, and is part of the group Latin American Artists which delivers Community Arts Projects to Refugee Kids in Toronto. Mariana has participated in exhibitions including: Trust me, I'm an artist at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, Art to the power of 31, Art and violence and Zona Animal. She has also been part of residencies at 3rd Land Art Festival- Paricutin in Mexico and El evento de Ramon in Cuba.
Mirna Chacin is a Toronto based photographer from Venezuela. In 1988, she received the first prize in the Fine Arts category at the Visual Arts Biennale of Maracaibo, Venezuela. She then developed a prolific career as a visual artist and professional photographer. Shortly before immigrating to Canada in 2011, The University of Zulia (LUZ) awarded her a gold medal for her artistic achievements in Venezuela. Mirna is currently working on the curatorial phase of the photo series: Children of the Sunrise, Living by the Lake / Summer Tales and Dancing Devils. She is member of Neighbourhood Arts Network and G44 Centre for Contemporary Photography.
Teo Milea is an award winning Toronto-based pianist and composer from Romania. His work in classical/crossover music, has been presented in Europe & North America. He was the first pianist to be invited to play at the NATO’s headquarters in Belgium to perform his work Agony and Ecstasy at The International Ballet Festival in Germany. His latest release,Open Minds,won Best Ambient/Instrumental Album at The Akademia Music Awards US and 2015 Classical Album of the Year on SoloPiano.com Radio US. He was also top 5 at CBC’s Music Canada Searchlight 2016 contest and winner of Popular Vote for his song ‘Irreversible’. He was selected to give the Postludes performance after Ludovico Einaudi’s concert at Koerner Hall in Toronto.
Neda Mirbagheri is a visual artist from south east Asia. Her work is inspired by the amalgamation of South Asian Art, Persian carpets and geometry. Currently, Neda is a volunteer at the Gardiner Museum and ROM where she contributes her international contemporary art and business expertise to educate and provide cultural context to museums’ visitors.
Maha Munaf is a Iraqi/Syrian photographer and architect. In 2015, Maha was finalist of Toronto Arts Foundation’s TELUS Newcomer Artist Award. Since then, she has been part of five group shows and three solo exhibitions: Forgotten Memories [CONTACT Photography Festival 2015], Faces & Places [Toronto Centre for the Arts, 2016] and Scent of Jasmine[CONTACT Photography Festival 2016].
Azadeh Pirazimian is an Iranian visual artists and arts educator based in Toronto. In 2015 Azadeh moved to Canada and studied at OCAD University Continuing Studies. She has worked as an artist assistant for Vibe Arts and has been selected for the Mural Career Development Certificate Program with Mural Routes. This has led to work at Blinc Studios as a muralist and in 2017 she started a course in English called "Embodied Language" at the Canadian Centre for Language and Cultural Studies (CCLCS).
Sarvenaz Rayati is an Iranian visual artist with eleven years of experience; her work has been exhibited internationally. Since arriving to Canada, she has been part of several community arts projects, including East End Art’s 2016 Coxwell mosaic mural. In addition, Sarvenaz has worked in public schools and community centres, organizing visual arts workshops.
Amber Williams-King is a multi-disciplinary artist from Antigua. She seeks to challenge notions of a monolithic Black experience; exploring sexuality, gender, race, representation and intersections of identity. Williams-King uses found texts and images to excavate new possibilities and future imaginings. Through her work, she investigates collective colonial history, legacies of resistance that challenge oppression, and current social/political landscapes.
About Toronto Arts Foundation
Toronto Arts Foundation is a charitable organization that sparks creative connections, spotlights artistic excellence, and supports vibrant cultural growth throughout our diverse city, through private sector investment. To learn more or to make a donation, visit www.torontoartsfoundation.org.
Contact information:
For more informaiton about Toronto Arts Foundation, please contact Francesca Perez, Community Investment Manager, Toronto Arts Foundation, at francesca@torontoarts.org or at 416 392 6802 x 204.
For more information about Neighbourhood Arts Network, please contact Parul Pandya, Manager of Community Engagement, Neighbourhood Arts Network, at parul@torontoarts.org or 416-392-6802 x 215.