Each year, the Guelph Arts Council offers local visual artists a chance to grow creatively and professionally through the Jane Graham Memorial Award. Created in memory of Jane Graham, a respected Guelph-based artist who passed away in 2005, the award supports meaningful professional development with funds generated annually and granted to Guelph Arts Council from The Guelph Community Foundation. It has helped artists attend courses, workshops, mentorships, and research trips. In 2025, up to $1,000 will be available for one or more recipients.
Last year’s recipient, Ahmri Vandeborne, used the award to complete courses in the American Sign Language (ASL) Certificate through Seneca Polytechnic. Ahmri is the Co-Founder and owner of Otherwise Studios, an inclusive space for art-making and community-building. This award allowed Ahmri to expand their communication skills and deepen their understanding of Deaf culture and history, enhancing both their personal artistic practice and their community-based programming at Otherwise Studios. They have already begun applying these new skills while leading workshops and programs at Otherwise.
Following the completion of their certificate this December, Ahmri hopes to expand on these skills by taking an ASL course for communicating in sign language with people with
disabilities.
Applications for this year’s award are due November 1st, 2025 at 11:59pm. Have questions about eligible projects? View the guidelines here or email [email protected].
The application for the Jane Graham Award can be found here.
