The Business for the Arts Awards

Posted by Beverly Cheng
Filed in Arts
November 1, 2009

Business for the ArtsBusiness for the Arts held their 31st award gala this past Thursday evening at the AGO. The awards are given out to corporations and individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts.

Business for the Arts AwardsBusiness for the Arts AwardsBusiness for the Arts Awards

The evening attracted a crowd of tuxedo-clad moguls and fancy frock- donning damsels. Sipping champagne over a three-course dinner, courtesy of AGO's Frank Restaurant, the guest list was a who's who from The Forbes 40 Canada matched with legends from the art world.

Business for the Arts

The swanky soiree was peppered with a memorable performance by young RCM pianist, Alexander Seredenko, a poetry reading by Nancy Palk from Soul Pepper Theatre and the COC's chorus soprano Simone Osborne.

Business for the Arts

One of the notable moments of the night was the presentation of the coveted Arnold Edinborough Prize to Marcello Cabezas (recently seen in the GotStyle show at Fashion Week). Cabezas was recognized for his dedicated volunteerism as the founder of macIdeas, a non-profit organization that pairs budding film production hopefuls with industry icons.

Business for the Arts

The evening ended with a standing ovation for Charles Baillie, this year's Edmund C. Bovey award winner. Baillie is a former chairman and CEO of TD and was once the president of the AGO. Most recently, he played an instrumental role in rallying support for the revitalization projects of "the Group of Six" (COC, AGO, ROM, National Ballet of Canada, Royal Conservatory of Music, Gardiner Museum).

Accepting the award in a room named in his honor (Baille Court), he grinned sheepishly and said that he was elated by the tribute.

Business for the ArtsBusiness for the ArtsBusiness for the Arts

Once dessert was served the atrium transformed into a neon, 80's inspired party named with performances from Fritz Helder & The Phantoms and Street Dance Academy.
Business for the Arts Business for the Arts Business for the ArtsPhotos by Francis Jonas Yap

Pincus on November 1, 2009 at 10:55 PM

Business for the Arts: "Hooray for buyers of Art! Let's give them awards!"

Seriously?

Eva on November 3, 2009 at 12:16 PM , replying to a comment from Pincus

The awards honours businesses and individuals who fund programs that support artists. Without private sector funding, many arts organizations would not be able to sustain themselves. So yeah, they should be recognized.

serpentius on November 3, 2009 at 1:15 PM , replying to a comment from Pincus

its not so much that they buy art as they help in funding programs to help the arts grow, now clearly you assume art that hangs on walls, but they fund much more.
you should try educating yourself on the subject and the company before you make useless negative commentary.
and then, when you know what they are trying to do, and still disagree, you should actual try to come up with creative ways that a company like BFTA cfan help other areas of the arts.
good luck with your stupidity.

serpentius on November 3, 2009 at 1:16 PM , replying to a comment from Pincus

its not so much that they buy art as they help in funding programs to help the arts grow, now clearly you assume art that hangs on walls, but they fund much more.
you should try educating yourself on the subject and the company before you make useless negative commentary.
and then, when you know what they are trying to do, and still disagree, you should actual try to come up with creative ways that a company like BFTA cfan help other areas of the arts.
good luck with your stupidity.

serpentius on November 3, 2009 at 1:17 PM , replying to a comment from Pincus

its not so much that they buy art as they help in funding programs to help the arts grow, now clearly you assume art that hangs on walls, but they fund much more.
you should try educating yourself on the subject and the company before you make useless negative commentary.
and then, when you know what they are trying to do, and still disagree, you should actual try to come up with creative ways that a company like BFTA cfan help other areas of the arts.
good luck with your stupidity.

serpentius on November 3, 2009 at 1:17 PM , replying to a comment from Pincus

its not so much that they buy art as they help in funding programs to help the arts grow, now clearly you assume art that hangs on walls, but they fund much more.
you should try educating yourself on the subject and the company before you make useless negative commentary.
and then, when you know what they are trying to do, and still disagree, you should actual try to come up with creative ways that a company like BFTA cfan help other areas of the arts.
good luck with your stupidity.

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