Emergence 2024 at the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery, Waterloo, ON
Each year, the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery (Waterloo, ON) is proud to host Emergence: an exhibition celebrating the winners and finalists of the annual Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics, and the RBC Award for Glass. Both awards represent the best of the best in emerging ceramic and glass artists living and working in Canada.
Winifred Shantz was a driving force for the arts of Waterloo Region, and part of her philanthropy was the legacy of support dedicated to this prestigious award – the only of its kind in Canada. The winner of the Winifred Shantz Award receives a grand prize of $10,000 to undertake a period of independent research, or any activities that will advance their professional and artistic practice. The 2024 winner of the Winifred Shantz Award is Lael Chmelyk of Calgary, Alberta. Chmelyk is both a ceramic and fiber artist, whose work focuses on themes of identity, bodily agency, and the legacy each of us leaves behind. The juror’s of this year’s award noted the clear confidence of Chmelyk’s practice, her dedication to the growth of her local community, and her technical expertise of vessel making. The runner-up winner, Benjamin Oswald (Edmonton, AB), will also receive a $5000 prize to expand his career. Oswald’s work was praised by jurors for his sensitive and poetic exploration of vessels and their making. Finalists Nichol Marsch (Stonewall, MB), Alejandra Vera (Markham, ON), Sami Tsang (Toronto, ON), and Tomo Ingalls (Surrey, BC) will each receive a prize of $1000. Winners and finalists are selected by a team of jurors based on the applicants’ previous works, and the scope of their proposed project. Each juror grades every applicant before meeting as a group to discuss and select the final candidates. This year’s jurors were ceramic artist Marissa Y Alexander, ceramic artist, writer and educator Carole Epp, and Judith Schwartz, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Art and Art Professions at New York University. The winner, runner-up and finalists of the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics will all present a selection of their work at the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery as part of Emergence 2024 to celebrate and display their achievements.
The RBC Award for Glass, supported by RBC Emerging Artists, is also annually presented to outstanding, emerging artists in Canada who are working with, and pushing the boundaries of glass art. The 2024 winner of the RBC Award for Glass is Charlie Larouche-Potvin of Montréal, Québec. Larouche-Potvin, a 2020 graduate from Espace Verre in Montreal, shows interest and expertise in Venetian glassblowing techniques. Since graduation, the pursuit of perfecting his understanding of glass materials has been his main focus. Larouche-Potvin was also the runner-up winner of the 2023 RBC Award, and to receive this year’s first prize is a formidable achievement. The juror’s noted that Larouche-Potvin’s understanding of Venetian glass, as well as his contemporary exploration of the vessel, are both exquisite and technically astounding. As the winner of the RBC Award for Glass, Charlie Larouche-Potvin will receive a $10,000 grand prize to support the advancement of his career. The runner-up winner Jérémie St-Onge (Montréal, QC) will receive a $5000 prize for the development of his own practice. St-Onge’s work was praised by the juror’s for his innovative project that explored the combination of landscape and blown glass. Finalists Dorothée Bouliane (Montréal, QC), Gordon Boyd (Oakville, ON), and Leia Shijie Guo (Calgary, AB) will each receive $1000 for their work. The winners and finalists for the RBC Award for Glass are selected by a group of jurors that represent all scopes of expertise in glass art. This year’s jurors were glass artist and Saidye Bronfman Award winner Susan Edgerley, instructor and glass artist Tyler Rock, and Aaron Schey — owner of the Habatat Galleries of Detroit, Michigan. All winners and finalists of the RBC Award for Glass will display their work and achievements alongside the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics winners as part of Emergence 2024 at the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery.
An opening reception for Emergence 2024, and an awards ceremony will be held on Sunday June 2, 2024 at 2PM at the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery in Waterloo, ON. The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery would like to extend a huge congratulations to the winners and finalists of each award – their achievements are well deserved! We also sincerely thank the generous sponsors of these awards: the Keith and Winifred Shantz fund for the Arts, as supported by the Waterloo Region Community Foundation, as well as RBC Emerging Artists.
Contact
info@theclayandglass.ca
The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery
25 Caroline Street North
Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 2Y5
Canada
Captions
- Figure 1. Headshot of Charlie Larouche-Potvin
- Figure 2. Charlie Larouche-Potvin, Le temps des cerises, 2023. Blown glass, 24K gold leaf. Photo by Hallie Arden.
- Figure 3. Headshot of Lael Chmelyk
- Figure 4. Lael Chmelyk, Soda Fired Rx Set (detail), 2021. Soda fired stoneware. Photo by Matthew Huitema.
- Figure 5. Charlie Larouche-Potvin, Une Belle Histoire, 2023. Glass. Photo by Connor Patterson.
- Figure 6. Lael Chmelyk, Soft Bulk, 2023. Soda fired stoneware, slip transfers, underglaze & cobalt inlay. 25x25x11 cm per ‘block’. Photo by Matthew Huitema.
- Figure 7. Jérémie St-Onge, Étude de couleur No.1, 2023. Glass. 54x30x25cm. Verre d’Onge. Private collection.
- Figure 8. Benjamin Oswald, Cut and Illuminated, 2023. Stoneware, glaze, terra sigillatta. 38” x 15” x 14”. Photo by Blaine Campbell, courtesy of the Mitchell Art Gallery.
