A celebration of the 401 Richmond Career Launcher Prize, while exploring the importance of fostering emerging voices through resource sharing and mentorship. Awarded annually since 2000, the residency provides a pivotal opportunity to occupy a coveted studio for one year at 401 Richmond.
- 2020 Recipient Emily DiCarlo Studio Tour & Talk
- Panel Discussion, moderated by William Huffman, with:
Emily DiCarlo, Career Launcher Recipient
Mia Nielsen, Art Toronto, Director
Onika Powell, VIBE Arts, Artistic Director
Nadine Villasin, Myseum of Toronto, Director of Programming
- 2021 Career Launcher Recipient Announcement & Introduction
Click to watch the event originally aired live on YouTube July 28th!
CAREER LAUNCHER PRIZE
Awarded annually, the Career Launcher Prize provides a pivotal opportunity to occupy a coveted 500 square foot studio for a full year at one of Canada’s most dynamic arts facilities. The recipient is chosen from a Toronto-wide competition by a panel of visual arts professionals. The Career Launcher Prize has been presented annually since 2000 as a way of providing support for research and experimentation at a critical time in an emerging artist’s career.
PANELISTS
Emily DiCarlo is an artist and writer whose interdisciplinary work applies methodologies that often produce collaborative, site-specific projects. A graduate of the Master of Visual Studies at the University of Toronto, she is a 2019-2020 recipient of the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Scholarship (SSHRC). In 2019, Emily exhibited at SÍM Gallery in Reykjavik, Iceland as part of their artist-in-residence program, and at the 17th Triennial Conference of the International Society for the Study of Time in Los Angeles, California.
Mia Nielsen is a curator who for over 20 years has produced exhibitions, performances, installations and collections for festivals, galleries, alternative exhibition sites and private collectors across Canada and beyond. With an interest in developing creative experiences for public space, she has collaborated with Rajni Perera, Alex McLeod, Curtis Talwst Santiago, Peaches, Judy Chicago, FriendsWithYou, the estate of Harold Town and many more.
Onika Powell brings over 15 years of experience in the arts as a creative with work spanning in the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Africa. With a degree from York University in Public Service and Liberal Studies, Onika co-founded and maintains the role of Director of the non-profit dance company, D’LYFE and also GoLEFT Creatives, a creative service and consultation company.
Nadine Villasin has been engaging diverse communities through cultural programming and meaningful participation in the arts for over 15 years. The former Artistic Director of Carlos Bulosan Theatre, and co-founder of the youth-led Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts & Culture, she has developed multi-arts events and cultural festivals that have nurtured Filipino culture and art in Toronto. Nadine has worked with VIBE Arts, Kaeja d’Dance, Drum Artz, and the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival curating programs, animating public spaces and producing mid to large scale community performance projects.
William Huffman is an arts administrator, curator, educator, and writer with a history of extensive involvement on both local and international cultural fronts. William was Executive Director with the Inuit Art Foundation, Coordinator of the Audience and Market Development Office at Canada Council for the Arts, Associate Director with Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation and has held other leadership positions at Blackwood Gallery, Arts Toronto, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, A Space Gallery, Canadian Art Foundation and the Art Gallery of Sudbury. William is currently Marketing Manager at Dorset Fine Arts, a division of the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative and is an occasional instructor with University of Toronto, Toronto School of Art, and Visual Arts Mississauga.
Beanfield Metroconnect is 401 Richmond’s Community Connectivity Partner, providing internet support for the Career Launcher Prize Studio.
Beanfield Metroconnects builds, owns and operates the largest independent fibre-optic network in Toronto and Montreal. Beanfield recognizes the importance of connecting communities and the businesses within them, without sacrificing customer support and superior services. At Beanfield, it’s about building communities, not just networks.
IMAGE CREDIT: Image: Emily DiCarlo, The Propagation of Uncertainty, 2020, video still