Now in its second year, the Toronto Arts Foundation Indigenous Artist Award recognizes an Indigenous professional artist or artist collective working in traditional or contemporary practices who has contributed significantly to arts and culture in Toronto and has demonstrated an ongoing association with Toronto.
The recipient of the award receives a $20,000 cash prize and designate a professional artist mentor/Elder or mentee/protégée to receive $5,000. The recipient also receives a complimentary week-long stay at Valleyview Artist Retreat.
This year’s finalists were celebrated – and the recipient, Ange Loft, announced – on October 18, 2022 at ImagineNATIVE’s Welcome Gathering for their 2022 Film + Media Arts Festival. A tremendous congratulations to both Ange Loft, 2022 Indigenous Artist Award recipient, and Jesse Wabegijig, 2022 Mentee recipient!
We would also like to thank the Indigenous Artist Award 2022 Finalists: Rebecca Baird and Sandra Laronde.
Read more about the award announcement here: https://torontoartsfoundation.org/media/ange-loft-named-recipient-of-$20,000-toronto-arts
Ange Loft is an interdisciplinary performing artist and initiator from Kahnawà:ke Kanien’kehá:ka Territory, working in Tsi Tkarón:to. She is an ardent collaborator, consultant, and facilitator working in arts based research, wearable sculpture, theatrical co-creation and Haudenosaunee history.
Jesse Wabegijig is an Indigenous, trans, two-spirited, non-binary, storyteller and Fire Keeper of the Ojibway nation, and a conservatory trained actor. They trained at Debajehmujig Storytellers and Centre for Indigenous Theatre. Their practice as a community oriented artist has its foundations in the styles of Jumblies, Clay and Paper Theatre and Shadowland.
