September 17, 2009

Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics awarded to
Jasna Sokolovic (Vancouver, BC)

RBC Award For Glass awarded to
Cali Balles (Toronto, ON)
Cali Balles and Jasna Sokolovic
Ms. Sokolovic uses clay not just to make objects but as a way for developing structures for drawing and painted images. Using images and text she presents thoughts on relationships. Images of two chairs, two birds, titles like “Waiting for You”, “With or With Out You,” show stories of life. There is an element of installation in how she uses the wall and floor and engages the viewer with alternative image sources to tell a story. Her work is an excellent example of contemporary art whose style fit perfectly well to the project she intents to undertake which includes one residency and two researches in Mexico.

“My work has been highly influenced by Mexican traditional art in my choice of colours and imagery, as well as in the way I use them to depict every day stories on ceramic works." Jasna Sokolivic
Jasna Sokolovic receives award from Winifred Shantz
Cali Balles work is very intimate in scale but reaches great depth in its discourse on environmental issues. Simple and elegant, yet powerful in the way they focus the attention of the viewer, her work shows her interest in the way patterns of the city interact with current and historical elements of the landscape. The project will examine relationships between nature and the urban environment.

“I have become curious about how the patterns of city structures have developed over time to create the urban environment. This was partly driven by my learning of the buried neighborhoods and hidden rivers that exists beneath Toronto’s streets; one such river runs beneath my home.” Cali Balles
Cali Balles and RBC Branch Manager
(Uptown Waterloo) Melissa Brock
Christian Bernard Singer opens proceedings
Keynote Speaker Glass/Ceramic artist Robin Metcalfe
Robert Achtemichuk introducing the Awards
RBC Foundatation Representative Ceilidh Young
Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics & the RBC Award for Glass in celebration of the achievements of Canadian ceramic and glass artists

Winifred Shantz Award For Ceramics: Artists short-listed for 2009 are
Ian Johnston (Nelson, BC) and Jasna Sokolovic (Vancouver, BC)
RBC Award For Glass: Artists short-listed for 2009 are
Cali Balles (Toronto, ON) and Catherine Vamvakas Lay (Toronto, ON)
Awards to be announced September 17, 2009

Artists Short Listed for Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics and the RBC Award for Glass.

Waterloo, Ontario - August 13, 2009 - The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is pleased to announce this year's short list for the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics and the RBC Awards for Glass. The two candidates for the Winifred Shantz Award are Ian Johnston from Nelson, British Columbia and Jasna Sokolovic from Vancouver, British Columbia. The RBC Glass Award short list features Cali Balles and Catherine Vamvakas Lay. Both are from Toronto, Ontario.

The 9th Annual Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics and the 2nd annual RBC Award for Glass mark significant milestones in a recipient's career. They recognize the remarkable practices that make up contemporary ceramic and glass art in Canada. These prestigious awards support recipients in their research and career aspirations. The Winifred Shantz Award provides $10,000 and the RBC Award provides $7,000 toward professional development. These awards recognize significant artistic achievements and are an investment in the future, designed to allow the recipient time away from the studio, to travel for career development, link with mentors, visit other studios, study museum collections, or liaise with industry, performing research that will further their studio production. It may also be used for international residencies or symposia. While recognizing that not all ceramists and glass artists arise from an academic background, this award is intended to assist at a post-graduate level of accomplishment.

Selected artists, curatorial and academic experts in the silica arts comprised the juries for these prestigious awards. The winners will be announced Sept 17, 2009.

About Winifred Shantz:
Winifred Shantz has been a driving force for the arts in the Waterloo Region for more than 40 years. A successful ceramist and entrepreneur, she knows the importance of learning the business side of being an artist.

Mrs. Shantz has made a significant impact in the local community through her involvement in the University of Waterloo's Chancellor's Circle, as a charter member of the Laurel Society and as a founding member of the highly successful Waterloo Potters Workshop. Mrs. Shantz has also been a vigorous supporter of the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery for the past 15 years. In addition, as partner of the Harbinger Gallery in Waterloo, which exhibits and sells a variety of fine arts work in clay, glass, textile, wood, and metal ware from across Canada, she has helped both young and established artists gain a wider audience for their work. In 2001, she received the Kitchener-Waterloo Arts Lifetime Achievement Award.

About RBC Financial Group:
RBC believes it is important to give back to the community - and that a thriving, innovative art scene is key to the vibrancy and health of our society and culture. That's why RBC nurtures and invests in Canadian creative talent: a vital natural resource.

Royal Bank of Canada (TSX, NYSE: RY) uses the initials RBC as a prefix for its businesses and operating subsidiaries, which operate under the master brand name of RBC Financial Group. Royal Bank of Canada is Canada's largest financial institution as measured by market capitalization and assets, and is one of North America's leading diversified financial services company. It provides personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, corporate and investment banking, and transaction processing services on a global basis. The company employs approximately 70,000 full and part-time employees who serve more than 14 million personal, business and public sector clients through offices in North America and some 30 countries around the world. For more information, please visit www.rbc.com.

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery has reached a significant milestone as it celebrated its 15th Anniversary on June 19, 2008. Our award winning architecture, outstanding exhibitions and programs have placed CCGG at the forefront of contemporary art experience. To extend our celebration through the year we are offering new admission rates - June 2008 to June 2009.

ADMISSION: Adult $5, Student/Senior $3, Member Free, Tuesday to Friday 5-6pm Free and Sunday 1-5pm Free.
GALLERY HOURS: Tuesday to Friday 11-6pm, Saturday 10-5pm; Sunday 1-5pm, Monday closed.

The CCGG acknowledges the generous support provided by members, sponsors, donors, and volunteers, the City of Waterloo, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Media Contact:
519.746.1882 ext. 234, promotions@canadianclayandglass.ca