Theatre Ontario Congratulates Gary Hall, Recipient of the 2014 Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture

Theatre Ontario is thrilled to announce that the 2014 Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture has been awarded to Gary Hall, in recognition of thirty-four years of leadership on behalf of artist-run culture, and practical initiatives that include Gallery TPW, Artist-Run Centres and Collectives of Ontario, the CARFAC Copyright Collective, and ArtsBuild Ontario.

Gary Hall

Gary Hall is the founding Director of Gallery TPW, established in 1980 to provide support and recognition for photography as an art form. Gallery TPW has premiered the work of countless Canadian photographers, and is now recognized as a leading artist-run centre committed to lens and screen-based art.

Gary was a co-founder of Artist-Run Centres Toronto, which later joined with regionally-based centres to form Artist-Run Centres and Collectives of Ontario, a provincial arts service organization serving the needs of artist-directed organizations engaged in contemporary cultural practices.  As a founding member of the CARFAC Copyright Collective, he helped secure exhibition rights for visual artists within Federal legislation.  He was also a founding member of ArtsBuild Ontario, working to address capital infrastructure needs of small and mid-sized arts organization, and played a leading role when ArtsBuild carried out the first comprehensive survey of arts facilities throughout Ontario.

“It's an honour to be recognized with this award, especially since it is named after someone I know and have the deepest respect for,” said Gary.  “Artist-run centres were founded by artists who banded together to change the system by creating spaces where artists could produce and exhibit their work.  By paying artists to exhibit we have upheld the rights of artists to earn a living at their profession. I’ve always believed in extending those principles by working collectively with other artist-run centres and with my colleagues in other disciplines to tackle the bigger challenges that face artists and arts organizations today.”

The award will be presented to Gary on May 5, 2014 at Theatre Ontario’s Annual Meeting at the Urbanspace Gallery at 401 Richmond Street West.  The Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture consists of a trophy entitled “JOY” and a $1000 prize, and is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Marinucci & Company, Chartered Accountants.
The award is presented annually to an individual or a collective whose leadership, activism, and service has contributed to the development and strengthening of arts and culture in Ontario through innovative and practical initiatives.  While Theatre Ontario administers this award, it recognizes achievements in all artistic and cultural disciplines.  The award was established in 1998 by friends and colleagues of Ms. Tulloch on her retirement as Executive Director of Theatre Ontario and pays tribute to the outstanding contribution that she has made to the arts in Ontario.

Read more about the Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture on Theatre Ontario's website