Congratulations Norman! Recipient of a Mayor’s Arts Award 2010
November 26, 2010
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| Photo by Tim Matheson |
The Mayor’s Arts Awards recognize established and emerging artists in a wide array of disciplines that make up our creative sector – from literary to culinary arts, and visual to performing arts – as well as three unique awards for contributions to our community.
Honourees were chosen by a jury of peers for having made a significant contribution to their respective disciplines, and for showing leadership, innovation and support for Vancouver’s cultural community over the course of their careers.
Each Honouree was invited to select an Emerging Artist in their discipline who demonstrates the promise of the next generation.
Honourees and Emerging Artists each receive a cash award from the City of Vancouver in the amount of $2,500.
Listen to what host Bill Richardson had to say about PuSh’s Executive Director, Norman Armour. Click here
Norman Armour’s Speech
“Perseverance, determination, joy, humour, generousity, diligence, inspiration, luck, doggedness, diligence, timeliness, chance, imagination, ingenuity, creativity, thoroughness, faith, memory, vision, care, attention, freedom, courage, bravery, stubbornness, resourcefulness—these are just a few of the alchemical elements that any artist, anyone working within the cultural field, counts on to realize their aspirations, their ideas, their passions and dreams.
But I have often felt the most critical and most elusive quality is “belief.”
“Perseverance, determination, joy, humour, generousity, diligence, inspiration, luck, doggedness, diligence, timeliness, chance, imagination, ingenuity, creativity, thoroughness, faith, memory, vision, care, attention, freedom, courage, bravery, stubbornness, resourcefulness—these are just a few of the alchemical elements that any artist, anyone working within the cultural field, counts on to realize their aspirations, their ideas, their passions and dreams.
But I have often felt the most critical and most elusive quality is “belief.”
I’d like to thank the jurors: Joy Coghill, Kim Collier and Bill Millerd. I’d like to thank my partner Lorna Doone Brown. I’d like to thank you, Mayor Gregor Robertson. Thank you for believing in what I have dedicated myself to. I’ll take it not only as recognition of my accomplishments to date, but as an affirmation of the values I hold myself to each and every day. I promise to continue to do just as I have, and then some, for the next 25 years.
It is an honour to be here this evening. It is an honour to be receiving this award. I am proud to receive the Mayor’s Arts Award, and I am proud to live and work in what is surely one of the finest cities in the world for arts and culture.
I would like to speak about my choice of emerging artist, Tanya Marquardt. Tanya is one those angels that any arts community wishes for: someone who quietly and persistently goes about her work, thinking much more of others than herself, more ready to applaud the work of others than to seek acclaim for her own efforts.
It would take the skill of an archeologist to trace the varied ways that Tanya has contributed, and will continue to contribute, to Vancouver’s performing arts scene. This is because her sense of engagement and generousity is on such a deep, individual, person-to-person level, and that too often such hushed, unceremonious, unglamorous gifts, without the banner of an institution, nor the personality of a diva, go unnoticed all too often. Tanya represents for me the heart, soul and conscience of Vancouver’s contemporary theatre scene—and therefore also represents the truth and beauty of it’s future. Trust me; if you had ever met Tanya you’d not be thinking my words overarched in the least.
Thank you.
Norman Armour”
Tanya Marquard is a theatre/dance maker, writer and deviser. This season she worked with Jennifer Mascall, Jerome Bel/PuSh Festival, Anatomica, Theatre Terrific, Proximity Arts, The Only Animal, Playwrights Theatre Centre, The Leaky Heaven Circus and Nakai Theatre, among others. A graduate of Simon Fraser University and Main Dance, Tanya was the 2007 recipient of the Sydney J. Risk Award for Outstanding Work by an Emerging Playwright as well as the 2007 Honourable Mention for the Holy Body Tattoo Emerging Artist Award. Upcoming: Memento, a new solo created in New York City; collaborating with Ant Hampton (formally Theatre Rotozzaza); Close at Hand (PuSh Cabaret, Vancouver); and splitting her time between Vancouver and New York City while working on her MFA at Hunter College. Check out her blog