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The 13 regional winners of the inaugural 1^st Art! Invitational Student Art Competition were announced today by the event’s sponsor, BMO Financial Group.

The 1^st Art! Competition provides a national platform to celebrate and support the work of top student artists from more than 80 post-secondary education institutions across Canada.  Entries into the competition were determined by deans and instructors of studio art programs, who were invited to nominate submissions by three of their graduating students.  From the almost 150 entries received this year, the blue ribbon judging committee chose 13 winning pieces, one from every province and territory.

“The selection committee was extremely impressed by the quality and variety of the entries we received this year,” said Dawn Cain, Curator for the BMO Financial Group art collection.  “The strength of the work submitted in the competition is a clear indication of the depth of talent and creativity of Canada’s newest generation of artists, working across the country.”

The winning artists will each receive a $1,000 cash prize and their artwork will become part of BMO Financial Group’s corporate art collection.  BMO’s collection is exhibited in its corporate offices from coast-to-coast and includes the work of well known historical and contemporary Canadian masters such as Kenojuak Ashevak, Emily Carr, Tom Forestall, Marc-Aurèle Fortin, Lawren Harris, and many others.

The 1^st Art winners’ work will be on display at the First Canadian Place Gallery in Toronto until October 17, 2003.

List of 1st Art! Winners for 2003

Janet T. Kaszonyi
Institution – University College of the Fraser Valley, British Columbia
“Halfbreed”, 6’ x 4’, acrylic on canvas

Dillison Malinsky
Institution: University of Lethbridge, Alberta
“Untitled”, 22” x 30”, woodblock print on paper

Robert Bos
Institution: University of Regina, Saskatchewan
“Family Photos: Fracture”, 5’10” x 8’10”, oil on canvas

Travis Lycar
Institution: University of Manitoba, Manitoba
“Kitchen Clean”, 52” x 63”, oil on canvas

Leif Raiha
Institution: Sheridan College and the University of Toronto, Mississauga, Ontario
“Trailer Park Autumn”, 15” x 34.5”, gouache on lithographic reproductions, paper

Dawit L. Petros
Institution: Concordia University, Quebec
“Loungin’ at the Oasis – Transliteration”, 40” x 50”, colour photographic print on paper

Natalie Woyzbun
Institution: Mount Allison University, Nova Scotia
“Tommy and the Twins”, 32” x 23”, mixed media on fabric

Allison Honeycutt
Institution: Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Nova Scotia
“Hat Trapeze”, 58” x 72”, mixed media on paper

Shirley Greer
Institution: Memorial University of Newfoundland, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, Newfoundland
“Ironies – Dress”, 32” x 27”, mixed media, soft ground etching, silkscreened text, embroidery

Lisa Murphy
Institution: Holland College of PEI, Prince Edward Island
“CLICK”, 14” x 12”, colour photographic print on paper

Priscilla Clarkin
Institution: Klondike Institute of Arts and Culture, Dawson Campus of Yukon College, Yukon
“Untitled”, 16” x 20”, black and white pinhole photograph

Janet Grandjambe
Institution: Aurora College, Inuvik, Native Artisan Program, Northwest Territories
“The Sahtu and Beaufort Delta Meet Sealskin Mukluks”, home tanned deer hide, sealskin, fabric, duffle, melton, sinew thread (imitation), glass beads

Serapio Ittusardjuat
Institution: Nunavut Arctic College, Nunavut
“Ravens Snow Dance”, 16” x 22”, lino cut print on Arches paper

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