Guelph Arts Council is pleased to announce that the 2009 Jane Graham Memorial Award goes to Fergus figurative painter / teacher Meredith Blackmore. 

            Building on her solid base as a portrait artist, Meredith submitted her application as a request for assistance that would allow her to work in depth with live models to expand her figurative practice. In particular, she wants to “realize the narrative or ‘storytelling’ possibilities” of models in chosen poses as opposed to the academic study of the figure or working from photographs for commissioned portraits.  The jury was impressed with Meredith’s energy and enthusiasm, as well as her focussed desire to challenge herself and to take her painting to a new, more dynamic level than has been possible in the past.

            For 2009, the jury panel also decided upon a special mention award to Guelph painter / graphic designer Jay Lefler whose inspiration and vision have always come from his own inner spiritual and emotional experiences.  An active participant in the Spark of Brilliance program, Jay has planned a field trip to study Canadian art and architecture, with the intent of developing a new direction and style of work based on interpreting external images.

Both Guelph Arts Council and the jury panel were extremely pleased with the applications for the 2009 Jane Graham Memorial Award, the range of artistic media represented, the varied career stages of artists and the range of professional development opportunities being sought. Their stories were all inspirational. 

            Established in memory of local artist Jane Graham following her untimely death in March 2005, the Guelph Arts Council Jane Graham Memorial Fund is managed by the Guelph Community Foundation. As a result, Guelph Arts Council is annually able to assist visual artists residing and actively practising in Guelph or Wellington County, helping them to pursue professional development opportunities that will contribute to individual personal artistic growth.   

For more information about the award program, contact Guelph Arts Council at 519-836-3280 or gac@sentex.net.  For more about Meredith Blackmore, you can visit her website at http://gallerymeredith.googlepages.com.