TORONTO — The Gardiner Museum is looking for a new clay landmark to adorn their building on Queen’s Park. Canadian artists have until May 1st to submit their proposals. The profile of the work will be increased by being seen next to a work by Jun Kaneko. The following is an overview from the museum, but interested artists should read the full guidelines here. Good luck! And should you win, please contact us!
The Gardiner Museum’s Ceramic Sculpture Competition is challenging artists from across the country working in all mediums to create a new Toronto landmark using clay. The monumental sculpture will be installed in front of the Museum on Queen’s Park, along the busy Bloor and Avenue Road Corridor, joining the Jun Kaneko “head” as a focal point of the Museum’s plaza.
The winning sculpture will be selected by a five-person jury made up of artist and novelist, Douglas Coupland; Director of the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Gaëtane Verna; Associate Dean of OCAD University, Michael Prokopow; Gardiner CEO and Executive Director, Kelvin Browne; and Gardiner Chief Curator, Meredith Chilton.
The competition will promote the benefits of public art, and demonstrate both the versatility of clay and its potential for outdoor art. It will also build appreciation for artists who work in the ceramic medium and encourage artists to experiment with it for the first time.
The Gardiner Museum celebrates the art of ceramics and engages local and international audiences by promoting understanding of the long history of people crafting in clay. The Gardiner wants people to experience ceramics as an art form that has enriched life for thousands of years, and as a craft that remains a vital medium for creativity. In a virtual world, the connection to the reality of clay, and to creating, is an imperative one. The Museum stewards a highly important collection, connecting visitors to the fundamental role of ceramics in many cultures throughout history, and offers special temporary displays, many highlighting the relevancy of ceramics to contemporary life.
What kind of contemporary ceramic art would you like to see at the Gardiner? Let us know in the comments.
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