News Releases - 2010
Christine Germano and Nancy Guyon win John Hobday Awards in Arts Management
Ottawa, March 30, 2010 – The Canada Council for the Arts announced today that Christine Germano, founder and Executive Director of the Constant Arts Society, and Nancy Guyon, Executive Director of the Orchestre symphonique de Drummondville, are the 2010 winners of the John Hobday Awards. The Awards celebrate established and
mid-career arts managers.
The $10,000 awards, administered by the Canada Council, allow recipients to enhance their own professional development by taking part in a recognized program, seminar, workshop or mentorship with another experienced arts manager. Introduced in 2006, they were made possible by a $1 million endowment from The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation. John Hobday was executive director of the Foundation between 1983 and 2002, before becoming director of the Canada Council for the Arts from 2003 to 2006.
Download images of Mss. Germano and Guyon.
Ms. Germano’s award has enabled her to pursue a mentorship with Margo Kane, Managing and Artistic Director of Full Circle, from January to March 2010. During the mentorship, she assisted Ms. Kane with the coordination of the Talking Stick Festival in Vancouver and set up three exhibitions coinciding with the Festival. This experience will contribute to Ms. Germano’s knowledge in managing an Aboriginal arts organization by assisting in the production of a multi-disciplined First Nation performance festival.
In selecting Ms. Germano, the jury said, “We enthusiastically support the mentorship of Ms. Germano under the direction of such an outstanding arts manager as Margo Kane. Sharing knowledge with the next generation of arts managers is essential and we commend her for doing it.”
Ms. Guyon’s award for professional development and renewal will enable her to enroll in an executive MBA program with a specialization in organizational diagnostics at the Université du Québec à
TroisRivières. This degree will contribute to the enhancement of her management skills in artistic businesses and organizations.
“With her MBA, Ms. Guyon will reinforce her own knowledge and experience as arts administrator,” said the jury. “We believe that this challenging project will be invaluable not only to her career but will also greatly benefit the arts community.”
Stephen Bronfman, president of The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation, offered his congratulations: “The Foundation commends this year’s winners for their continued dedication to expanding their knowledge and expertise in arts administration practices. Talented professional arts managers are key to the health of Canada’s arts organizations.”
The winners were selected by a peer assessment committee consisting of Jacques Marquis, Executive and Artistic Director, Jeunesses Musicales du Canada (Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, Quebec);
Catherine Martin, filmmaker, producer, lecturer (Blind Bay,
Nova Scotia); and Penny Ritco, Executive Director, Citadel Theatre (Edmonton).
Christine Germano
Christine Germano is a photographer, bookmaker, educator and the founder and Executive Director of the Constant Arts Society. She has been documenting the world of First Nations communities for the past 10 years. She graduated from the Ontario College of Art & Design and supplemented her education at Ryerson University and Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. She completed her third year at the Ontario College of Art & Design in Florence, Italy, on a six-month independent study.
Ms. Germano has exhibited in galleries internationally, including the Canadian Consulate in Rome, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Minzu University of China in Beijing, the National Museum of Denmark and is represented by the Lonsdale Gallery in Toronto. She worked on a photo library consisting of 120 images for the Canadian Government titled First Nations People in Everyday Life. Her work has a in various publications, including Geist Magazine, and at the Banff Centre of the Arts, Health Canada and Indian and Northern Affairs of Canada. She worked as an Artist-In-Residence with the Vancouver School Board from 2005 to 2009 and has been working at ArtStarts since 2003.
Nancy Guyon
A professional trumpeter, Nancy Guyon received a doctorate in baroque trumpet performance. Since 2003, as the Executive Director of the Orchestre symphonique de Drummondville, she has actively contributed to the artistic development of this regional orchestra through the implementation of strategic planning and a solid structure, and by honouring the values of the orchestra and of its founding members.
In June 2008, Ms. Guyon participated in the 2008 Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference. Recognized for her dynamic approach and leadership, she promoted the importance of culture and the arts among Canadian leaders unfamiliar with this field.
Ms. Guyon previously worked as the Educational and Artistic Coordinator at the Orford Arts Centre, the International Development Manager at the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, and a trumpet Professor at the Collège Notre Dame in Montréal. Always active in the Quebec music scene, she has played in several orchestras, including the Orchestre Métropolitain du grand Montréal, the Opéra de Montréal and the Concert Spirituel (Paris), to name just a few.
General information
In addition to its principal role of promoting and fostering the arts, the Canada Council for the Arts administers and awards many prizes and fellowships in the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural and health sciences, engineering, and arts management. These prizes and fellowships recognize the achievements of outstanding Canadian artists, scholars, and administrators. The Canada Council for the Arts is committed to raising public awareness and celebration of these exceptional people and organizations on both a national and international level.
Find a complete listing of these awards.