Definitely Superior Art Gallery a Finalist for 2010 Ontario Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts

THUNDER BAY, ON --- June 2, 2010 --- Definitely Superior Art Gallery and its Board of Directors are honoured to announce that we have been selected as a Finalist for the prestigious 2010 Premier’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts, which recognizes outstanding achievement and contribution to arts and culture in Ontario. We are in extremely good company alongside the Tarragon Theatre (Toronto), Images Festival (Toronto), Guelph Jazz Festival (Guelph), Public Energy (Peterborough), and the Association des professionnels de la chanson et de la musique (Ottawa).

The award is an acknowledgement of the gallery's 22 year history of excellence in arts programming, which has supported a respective 10,000 contemporary artists.

Of this year's approximately 200 nominees, only six arts organizations including Definitely Superior, were awarded the honour of being finalists. This is the first time an arts organization has been acknowledged as a finalist not only from Thunder Bay but all of Northwestern Ontario.

The Premier's Awards for Excellence in the Arts are administered by the Ontario Arts Council. All of the finalists are excited to see who will win the Premier's Awards when they attend the award ceremony on Thursday, June 10th, 2010 at the Liberty Grand in Toronto. The ceremonies will be attended by the new Ontario Minister of Culture, Michael Chan, and hosted by CBC's Jian Ghomeshi. The winning arts organization will be awarded $50,000. The remaining finalists will each receive $2,000. Fingers are crossed!


QUOTES "Being a finalist for this award raises the profile not only of the gallery, but also recognizes the high calibre of multi-disciplinary regional, national and international artists that have been participating in our programming, as well as the tremendous up swell in support that we have been receiving from the community. This also raises the profile of the City of Thunder Bay as a place for innovative arts and culture in Ontario. Our City will be viewed by others in Canada as a catalyst for new and exciting contemporary visual and multi-disciplinary arts."

"We gratefully acknowledge all of the talented artists who have shaped the gallery since 1988, along with our extensive network of supporters in the community. Thanks especially to our nominator, Linda Beresnevicius (former Public Art Coordinator, City of Thunder Bay) for her support. We also gratefully acknowledge and thank our government operating funders: City of Thunder Bay-Cultural Services, Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts, for supporting the gallery's development of contemporary artists and art in our community. — David Karasiewicz, Director of Definitely Superior Art Gallery

A vibrant arts and culture sector is vital to building healthy communities and economic prosperity in Ontario. This is our government’s way of saying ‘thank you’ for everything artists do to enrich our lives. Congratulations to all the finalists.”— Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture

ABOUT THE GALLERY Definitely Superior Art Gallery in Thunder Bay is Northwestern Ontario’s leading edge and nationally recognized, charitable / non-profit, professional artist-run-centre and gallery for the contemporary arts, formed and directed by artists to support contemporary art and the artists that produce it.

Incorporated in 1988, Definitely Superior operates as a distinct alternative to public art galleries, museums and commercial art galleries. Our mandate goes beyond presenting visual art exhibitions and extends into multi-disciplinary activities such as artist workshops and lectures, artists film/video screenings, media arts installations, off site public artworks and interventions, performance art, interdisciplinary art, contemporary dance, experimental sound/audio, music , youth art mentorship/education, literary events and book publishing.

We work to provide and increase opportunities for research, production, presentation, promotion and dissemination of work by regional/national/international artists, and the payment of professional artists fees, while encouraging media cross-over and multi-media work. Definitely Superior’s artistic endeavours are focused at the very nexus of creating new and experimental works, which are by their nature, research and development.

Every year the gallery presents up to 50+exhibitions, events and activities, both in and out of the gallery, supporting as many as 750+ multi-disciplinary artists with a viewing and participating audience of 20,000, the majority being comprised of younger demographics.

Viewed with envy by artist’s worldwide, our country’s network of artist-run-centres has been a major catalyst in the development of new and exciting contemporary visual arts in Canada.

To learn more about the gallery and its arts programming, visit: www.definitelysuperior.com ~Engage Art!