The Toronto Friends of the Visual Arts has awarded its $15,000 Founders Achievement Award to artist Robert Houle, an activist, curator, educator, writer and critic.
As an Indigenous artist from Sandy Bay First Nation in Manitoba and a survivor of the residential school system, Houle has continually challenged the treatment of First Nations artists in the gallery system. He graduated in art history from the University of Manitoba and education from McGill University in Montreal.
Houle has received many awards and citations, including two honorary doctorates and the 2015 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts.
Toronto Friends of the Visual Arts is an independent, non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to the visual arts and offers an educational program for its 250 members. In all, the group handed out $70,000 in prize money to various winners at a recent virtual tribute night.
Source: Toronto Friends of the Visual Arts