2023 Arts Awards Winners Profiles

Hiyam is a performer who has participated in Asphalt Jungle Shorts, Unhinged Festival, She Creates Festival. She has been a part of KW Little Theater, Pleiades Theater and has done over 12 shows with Flush Ink Productions. She directed a piece for Mada Theater and works as the Apprentice General Manager for MTSpace.

Lauren is an artist, writer, curator and culture worker. She has exhibited in CAFKA Biennial, Public Sweat at UWAG, The Plumb, Xspace and Cambridge Art Galleries. She has published work with Public Parking, Untethered, SUM and Peripheral Review and curated exhibitions in Lumen Festival, Gallery Stratford, Apollo Cinema and even a public pool.

This year marked the fourth Femme Folks Festival and featured 39 events over 13 days throughout the Waterloo Region. 

Conan is a multidisciplinary artist who has recently worked on photographing the premiere of Green Light Arts’ ‘Izad Etemadi: Let Me Explain’, commemorated his family cat’s passing through art displayed on the Waterloo Park Promenade Art Walk, and had his solo exhibition ‘Vanishing Points’ at Minds Eye Studio in Kitchener showcasing 25 years of photography and drawings. 

Pamela has created over 30 murals in our region, runs an ‘Art with Pamela’ program through Reception House in Waterloo and is the Art Director of Creative Space/Resilience Project at the Family and Children’s Services of Waterloo Region. Recently she has had work shared at the 30th anniversary of the UpTown Waterloo Jazz Festival, KW Multicultural festival and the Joy Exhibition at the Gaslight District in Cambridge. 

A Hole in the Ground was conceived in response to Linda Duvall’s “In the Hole” (2017), a short-term residency located in an earthen hole on Treaty 6 territory in rural Saskatchewan. This project involves a seven-by-four-foot trench that is four feet deep. Some of the artists’ interventions on the site refer to trauma, death, and mortality. There are diverse experiences and perspectives to be recognized and honoured knowing that people may have trauma associated with the trench.

Lisa O’Connell works tirelessly to build and support fellow artists and their work in our community. As Artistic Director of Pat the Dog theatre Creation she has built a strong reputation

as a catalyst for artistic excellence in theatre, dance, and poetry. She facilitates connectivity in our community among artists and audiences through her many projects including Femme Folks Fest and the microgrants along with building strong associate artist networks and connections. This connectivity is essential to building a thriving arts ecology in our rapidly growing community.

Although today we might associate the word ‘philanthropist’ with someone who gives away their money, Senta embodies the original meaning of the word, from the greek root of “loving people”, as a person who gives generously of their time, enthusiasm and hard work to make a better world.

A passionate supporter of the arts, Senta attends countless gallery openings, artists talks and fundraisers. She often visits exhibitions multiple times and encourages others to do the same. Senta supports artists in the community, particularly young artists and women artists, by purchasing their art and following the development of their work. We as patrons of the arts can learn deeply from Senta, and I am happy to present this award to her tonight. 

Shirely Madill has been an important arts leader with our community through her leadership as Executive Director of KWAG. For over 40 years Madill has been a fearless leader in the arts, of which she has devoted over a decade to the KW – proving her lifelong commitment to the region. Above all, Madill has been instrumental in putting Kitchener-Waterloo on the map as a national arts leader, strategically making space for artists with significant and timely creative practices. She has been a force and champion for artists across the globe, while at the same time being an ambassador of the region.