A. J. Casson Award Explained

The A. J. Casson Award is given to an artist whose work is considered the best submission to the annual "Open Water" competition organized by the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (CSPWC). It is named after Alfred Joseph Casson (1898–1992), painter.[1] and a member of Canada's "Group of Seven".[2] It is officially given "for outstanding achievement in watercolour painting" and is considered Canada's most significant award in this most challenging medium.[3]

"Open Water" is as implied open to any artist working in watercolour. The juried exhibitions have over the years been held in a number of notable exhibition venues including The National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, Ontario), The Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto, Ontario), The Beaverbrook Art Gallery (Fredericton, New Brunswick), The University of Alberta [Edmonton], The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (Halifax), The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (British Columbia), The Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (Brampton, Ontario) and the John B. Aird Gallery (Toronto, Ontario). The competition has attracted a distinguished series of jurors and entries from not only Canada but from many other countries.

The award consists of a bronze medal created by Dora de Pedery-Hunt which carries an image inspired by one of Casson's most iconic landscapes. The naming of the award in honour of a beloved CSPWC member and the longest surviving founder of the Society was approved by Casson himself shortly before his death. He was actively involved in the selection of the image and in approving the first sculpted maquette.[3]

Accompanied by a cash award the medal was first presented in 1991 when it replaced the CSPWC's Honour Award, a diploma, which had been presented annually from 1956 onwards to the "outstanding watercolour of the year".[4] During a transition period 1991 to 1997 the medal was accompanied by the Honour Award diploma but the latter was phased out in 1998.

Winners

1956-1990 Honour Award Recipients 1991-2011 A. J. Casson Award Winners
1956 Tom Hodgson 1991 Michael Dobson[5]
1957 Maxwell Bates 1992 Sam Black[6]
1958 Ethel Raicus 1993 June Selznick Drutz
1959 1994 John Inglis[7] [8]
1960 William Roberts 1995 Neville Clarke
1961 Bobs Cogill Haworth[9] 1996 Anthony J. Batten[10]
1962 Peter Kolisnyk 1997 June Selznick Drutz
1963 Herbert Ariss[11] 1998 David Ladmore[12] [13]
1964 1999 Neville Clarke
1965 Ray Cattell[14] 2000 Daniel Barklay[15]
1966 D. Mackay Houston[16] 2001 Marilyn Blumer Cochrane
1967 John Henry Martin 2002 Vivian Thierfelder
1968 Bobs Cogill Haworth 2003 Chow Jian Sheng[17]
1969 Harriet Manore Carter 2004 Karen Wilson[18]
1970 Eric Freifeld 2005 David McEown[19]
1971 Ray Cattell 2006 Jennifer Annesley[20]
1972 Tom LaPierre 2007 Joanne Lucas Warren[21] [22]
1973 John Newman 2008 Linda Kemp
1974 Dainis Miezajs 2009 William Rogers[23]
1975 Ray Cattell 2010 Josy Britton[24]
1976 June Selznick Drutz 2011 Pat Fairhead[25] [26]
1977 Les Tait 2012 Daniel Barkley
1978 recipient unknown 2013 Andrew Kish III
1979 Janet Mitchell[27] 2014 Lisa O'Regan
1980 Tom LaPierre[28] 2015Jansen Chow
1981 Osvald Timmas[29] 2016Fan Zhang
1982 Sam Black 2017Inge Kjeldgaard Tajik
1983 Dainis Miezajs
1984 Ann MacIntosh Duff
1985 Sam Black
1986 Bobs Cogill Haworth
1987 Vivian Thierfelder
1988 Pat Clemes[30]
1989 June Selznick Drutz
1990 Susan Leopold

Notes and References

  1. "A.J. Casson, A Tribute" by Paul Duval, Published by Cerebrus/Prentice Hall, 1980,,,
  2. "A.J. Casson. My favourite watercolours 1919-1957" by Paul Duval, Published by Cerebrus/Prentice Hall, 1982,
  3. http://www.cspwc.com/awards.html Awards
  4. "Aquarelle, a history of the CSPWC 1925-1988" by Rebecca Sisler, Printed by Porcupine Quill and Press.
  5. Web site: Water Colour March 2009. 29 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000428/http://www.cspwc.com/news/CPSWC%20NewsletterMar2%2009.pdf. 4 March 2016. dead.
  6. http://www.cspwc.com/openwater.html Open Water Information
  7. http://inglisquest.com/page2.html Inglis Quest - Biography
  8. Web site: John Inglis Integral Life. 29 August 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101124191220/http://integrallife.com/contributors/john-inglis. 24 November 2010.
  9. Web site: ONTARIO SOCIETY OF ARTISTS PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 29th, 1962. 29 August 2017.
  10. Web site: Anthony J. Batten, bio. 29 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170811000744/http://anthonybatten.com/bio.html. 11 August 2017. dead. dmy-all.
  11. Web site: ONTARIO SOCIETY OF ARTISTS PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1963. 29 August 2017.
  12. Web site: David Ladmore - Artist, Fine Art Prices, Auction Records for David Ladmore. www.askart.com. 29 August 2017.
  13. http://members.shaw.ca/davidlaurieladmore/biography_page.html David Ladmore Biography/Contact
  14. "Canadian Who's Who" 2010 edition, University of Toronto Press, Elizabeth Lumley editor, [2010 ed.v 45]
  15. http://www.danielbarkley.com/awards.htm Awards for Daniel Barkley
  16. Web site: ONTARIO SOCIETY OF ARTISTS PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL REPORT 1966. 29 August 2017.
  17. Web site: Exploring hectic city life on canvas. 17 October 2012. 29 August 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121017142349/http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=%2F2007%2F10%2F23%2Fcentral%2F19138983&sec=central. 17 October 2012.
  18. Web site: Welcome fareasterner.com - BlueHost.com. fareasterner.com. 29 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20120322102117/http://fareasterner.com/samples/BMAug07.pdf. 22 March 2012. dead.
  19. http://www.artistjourneys.com/bio.html DAVID McEOWN bio
  20. http://www.annesleystudio.com/Diospalace.htm "Diocletian's Palace"
  21. http://www5.mississauga.ca/agm/agm_root/aucwarren.html Auction Warren
  22. News: Now showing. Lisa. Kortemann. The Oakville Beaver. 4 July 2008. 29 August 2017.
  23. Web site: Water Colour October 2009. 29 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20120322081917/http://www.cspwc.com/news/CSPWCColourNewsletterOct09.pdf. 22 March 2012. dead.
  24. http://www.josybritton.com/exhibitions.html Josy Britton Exhibitions
  25. http://www.artsandlettersclub.ca/site/ywd_artsandlettersclub/assets/pdf/lampsletter_201112.pdf The Newsletter of The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto, December 2011
  26. http://ontariosocietyofartists.org/trading_post_more The Ontario Society of Artists
  27. http://www.glenbow.org/collections/search/findingAids/archhtm/mitchell.cfm Glenbow Museum - Janet Mitchell fonds
  28. Web site: Artists in Canada. https://archive.today/20121216011202/http://www.pro.rcip-chin.gc.ca/bd-dl/aac-aic-eng.jsp?emu=en.aich%3A%2FProxapp%2Fws%2Faich%2Fuser%2Fwwwe%2FRecord%3Bjsessionid=f03feppo71&upp=0&m=3&w=NATIVE%28%27ARTIST+ph+words+%27%27l%2A+thomas%27%27%27%29&order=native%28%27every+AR%27%29&bio=LAPIERREThomas.html. dead. 16 December 2012. 16 December 2012. 29 August 2017.
  29. http://www.ekkt.org/osvald_timmas.html Osvald Timmas Biography
  30. http://www.kinsmanrobinson.com/dynamic/artists/Pat_Clemes_bio.pdf Pat Clemes Biography

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "A. J. Casson Award".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.