Jennifer Cayley, the recipient of the 2006 Victor Tolgesy Award 
Photo: Aaron Mckenzie Fraser 

Victor Tolgesy Arts Award to be Presented to Jennifer Cayley

The Council for the Arts in Ottawa (CAO) is delighted to announce that this year’s Victor Tolgesy Arts Award will be presented to Jennifer Cayley, founder and former Director of MASC an organization dedicated to connecting artists and learning.

Jennifer Cayley will receive the award from Mayor Bob Chiarelli on February 14, 2006 at the 17th Annual CAO Sweetheart Lunch for the Arts in the Great Hall of the National Gallery of Canada. The Victor Tolgesy Arts Award, is presented as a joint venture by the City of Ottawa and the Council for the Arts in Ottawa. The law firm of Gowling, Lefleur, Henderson LLP has generously contributed the cash prize of $5,000 associated with the award.

In addition to the cash prize, Jennifer Cayley will receive a bronze special edition version of the 1963 sculpture by the late Victor Tolgesy, entitled "Seed and Flower."

The award, named in honour of Ottawa artist and community volunteer, Victor Tolgesy, recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to the arts in Ottawa. Among the 16 past recipients are; Trudy LeCaine, who was the first recipient of the award in 1988, Barbara Clark (1994), Peter Boneham (1997), Julian Armour (2000) and Susan Annis (2005).

Council for the Arts in Ottawa Awards Chair, Nichole McGill, recognized Jennifer Cayley’s contribution. "The Selection Committee was impressed with Jennifer's vision and in her commitment to mentoring artists and young people. Her dedication over two decades has built a unique organization in Ottawa that will continue to provide opportunities for many years to come."

Jennifer Cayley co-founded and successfully led MASC, (Multicultural Arts for Schools and Communities) for 19 years. Under her leadership MASC grew from a month long series of presentations to a bilingual, culturally diverse arts education organization connecting more than 60 artists/artists groups, with more than 130,000 young people annually. Jennifer continues to develop her passion for professional storytelling with a particular concern for epic material. She contributed to the renaissance of the art of storytelling through work with the Ottawa Storytellers and Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada.

Tickets for the 17th Annual Sweetheart Lunch for the Arts are available through the Council for the Arts in Ottawa at a price of $85 per ticket. Call (613) 569-1387 or purchase them online.