Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery | Galerie Canadienne de la Céramique et du Verre
25 Caroline Street North, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 2Y5
519.746.1882 | Fax 519.746.6396
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WATERLOO, ON September 23, 2009: 
 

Left: Cali Balles, RBC Award for Glass, & Jasna Sokolovic, Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics
Right: Cali Balles, Melissa Brock & Ceilidh Young, RBC & Winifred Shantz with Jasna Sokolovic


British Columbia artist Jasna Sokolovic wins the 2009 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramists. Toronto artist Cali Balles wins the 2009 RBC Award for Glass.
 
At a gala, last night at the CANADIAN CLAY & GLASS GALLERY, JASNA SOKOLOVIC was awarded $10,000 for the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics. CALI BALLES was awarded $7,000 on this same evening for the RBC Award for Glass.
 
Jasna Sokolovic, born in Sarajevo Yugoslavia, now lives on Granville Island, Vancouver, BC. She completed a Visual Arts Self-Directed Creative Residency, from the Banff Centre and was Artist in Residence at the International Ceramic Research Centre in Denmark this past year. She has exhibited in Canada, Korea, and the United States. She is highly influenced by Mexican traditional art in her choice of colours and imagery. It is her intention to use the award to travel to  Mexico. The research trip starts with a residency at La Ceiba Graphica, to further her skill and knowledge of print making techniques. She will then arrange meeting local potters and artists in Xalapa and finally travel to villages in Oaxaca province, a region well known for ceramics as well as other traditional crafts.
 
Cali Balles, from Toronto, is a graduate of Sheridan College and the Ontario College of Art & Design. She has been a Visiting Artist at Ohio State University and a Resident Artist at Harbourfront, Toronto.  Balles has exhibited in Korea, Canada and the United States. Her work graces collections at the Canadian Embassy in Panama, with the Royal Family of Japan as well as the private collection of former Prime Minister, Joe Clark. Cali Balles intends to conduct a six-month period of research where she will walk, hike, and explore the hidden landscapes of Toronto.  Curious about how the patterns of city structure have developed over time, she is intrigued by the buried neighbourhoods and hidden rivers of her home city. This research will culminate in a solo exhibition in 2010 at the Wall Space Gallery in Ottawa.
 
Each of these annual awards presents a monetary prize for innovative professional development to an emerging potter or clay sculptor and an emerging glass artist, allowing the recipients time for travel, to attend international residencies or to conduct research that will enrich experience and fortify individual career aspirations.
 
The Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics has been made possible thanks to the generosity and commitment of Mrs. Shantz to recognize and contribute to the career of ceramic artists in this country. The partnership between the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery and the RBC Foundation has provided the opportunity to recognize an exceptional artist working in glass. We thank Mrs. Shantz and the RBC for choosing to invest in the cultural capital of the Gallery that extends across Canada and through the award winners into the world beyond.
 
Now in the 16th year the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery was conceived with the express purpose of bringing a national voice to ceramics and glass art in this country.
 
Media Contacts: Heather Majaury, Marketing Manager  1.519.746.1882 x234  promotions@canadianclayandglass.ca