Concordians garner pair of Governor General's Awards
Two of eight recipients of the $25,000 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts are Concordia University alumnae: visual artist Jana Sterbak and former curator of the National Gallery of Canada Diana Nemiroff.
Sterbak is a Montreal-based visual artist most famous for her controversial meat dress, Flesh Dress for an Albino Anorectic, first exhibited in 1987.
She continues to define contemporary art. Over her 30-year career, she has produced artworks, sculptures, videos, installations and performances. Her work appears in major museum collections across Europe, North America and Australia. Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, she earned her BFA at Concordia in 1977.
Nemiroff has made an enduring impression on the Canadian art landscape by bringing Aboriginal and women artists to the fore. As curator at the National Gallery of Canada for more than 20 years, as well as director of the Carleton University Art Gallery since 2005, she has also been an adjunct professor at Carleton University’s School for Studies in Art and Culture and the University of Ottawa’s Department of Visual Arts.
Nemiroff holds a BFA (1974) and an MA (1985) in art history from Concordia University. Born in London, U.K., she grew up in Montreal and now lives in Ottawa.
“We are very proud of our association with such eminent figures on the Canadian and international arts stage,” says Catherine Wild, dean of Concordia’s Faculty of Fine Arts.
Concordia University now claims seven laureates of Governor General’s Awards since the inception of the visual and media arts category in 2000. Recipients include faculty members Geneviève Cadieux and Françoise Sullivan, retired faculty members Irene Whittome and Gabor Szilasi, as well as Concordia attendee Betty Goodwin.
These latest awards will be presented by the Governor General of Canada at Rideau Hall on March 28. In addition to a cash prize, winners will also receive a special issue medallion sponsored by the Royal Canadian Mint.
Funded and administered by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts recognize distinguished career achievements in the visual and media arts by Canadian artists, as well as outstanding contributions through volunteerism, philanthropy, board governance, community outreach or professional activities.
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