Three Toronto artists win Governor General’s Awards

Three Torontonians won Governor General’s Awards in visual and media arts: Robert Houle, Micah Lexier and jewellery artist Paul McClure, who received the Saidye Bronfman Award for fine craft.

Funded and presented by The Canada Council for the Arts, each artist gets a nice $25,000 cheque for their outstanding career achievements.

“This year’s winners are profoundly shaping Canada’s cultural identity,” said Simon Brault, director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts. “We applaud their innovative and powerful work, which invites us to question the state of our world and our own personal destinies in ways that we never would have imagined.”

Meet Toronto’s winners:

Robert Houle, visual artist

Anishnaabe Saultreaux artist Robert Houle, who combines Aboriginal and modernist aesthetics in his work, has been exhibiting his work internationally for 40 years.

Micah Lexier, visual artist

Micah Lexier collects the pieces of humanity’s day-to-day lives and assembles the pieces: found images, records of time passing, measurements. He’s had more than 100 solo shows and appeared in more than 200 group exhibitions.

Paul McClure, jewellery artist, Toronto (Saidye Bronfman Award)

Drawing on 25 years of experience, master craftsman Paul McClure references medical and biological advancements in his fine jewellery. His work has been shown worldwide.

More winners

• Louise Déry, curator, Montreal (Outstanding Contribution)
• Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, media artist, Montreal
• Sandra Meigs, painter, Victoria
• Rober Racine, multidisciplinary artist, Montreal
• Reva Stone, new media artist, Winnipeg

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