Montreal, April 2, 2024 – Lynn Kodeih, artist and graduating Master’s student in visual and media arts at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), and Kuh Del Rosario, artist and graduate of the Master of Fine Arts program from Concordia University, have been awarded the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman in Contemporary Art Fellowship 2024, valued at $60,000 each.
The two prize winners will also have the privilege of showcasing their works in a dedicated booth at the Plural 2024 Contemporary Art Fair, taking place from April 12 to 14, 2024, in Montreal.
Over the last 15 years, the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Fellowship in Contemporary Art, one of Canada's most prestigious prizes in the field, has provided crucial recognition and support to recipients in advancing their artistic practices and creative research. Emerging artists receive this fellowship at a pivotal moment in their careers, transitioning from academia to the professional sphere. Lasting for two years, the fellowship is awarded annually to two graduating or graduated individuals with a master's or doctoral degree in visual or media arts from UQAM's Faculty of Arts and Concordia University's Faculty of Fine Arts.
A 15-year commitment
"For fifteen years, we have supported some of the best emerging artists to give them every opportunity to successfully launch their careers, say Claudine and Stephen Bronfman. “Providing them with venues to showcase their works, such as the Plural contemporary art fair, ensures that they get wider exposure to the arts ecosystem,” they add.
"I would like to congratulate the new prize winner Lynn Kodeih, who, thanks to the invaluable support of the Bronfmans, now has the opportunity to embark on a professional artistic career and explore various creative avenues freely. For several years, the Bronfman Fellowship has contributed to the rise of talented emerging visual artists from our universities," notes Joanne Lalonde, Dean of UQAM's Faculty of Arts.
"This fellowship enables emerging artists to fully dedicate themselves to their art after graduation. Thanks to the generosity of Claudine and Stephen Bronfman, Kuh Del Rosario will benefit from this distinction for her artistic explorations," adds Annie Gérin, Dean of Concordia University's Faculty of Fine Arts. "We congratulate Kuh Del Rosario and sincerely thank the Bronfmans for their support of emerging artists."
2024 laureates
Lynn Kodeih (UQAM)
"This recognition and support from the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Fellowship will allow me to focus on my research and creative work. I work to shed light on issues of power and systemic violence and focus on urgent matters within my local and broader community. At a time in history when many artists experience censorship or the tyranny of silence, I am fortunate to be able to pursue my project, which explores the concept of language, both as a tool of oppression and obliteration, resistance, and lineage.
Biography
Lynn Kodeih is a Lebanese-Canadian artist-researcher based in Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang/Montreal since 2020. Focused on the intersection of art and politics, her practice intertwines textuality and auto-theory, video, and installation. She explores notions of borders from a decolonial stance, with a focus on dispossessed territory, colonized, and abandoned by forced displacement. Her works have been exhibited in Canada and internationally, including at Galerie de l’UQAM (Montreal), SAW Centre (Ottawa), Hamar Kunstbanken Performance Festival (Norway), International Film Festival Rotterdam (Netherlands), Transart Triennial Berlin (Germany), Homeworks - Ashkal Alwan, Beirut Art Center, and Beirut Art Fair (Lebanon).
Kuh Del Rosario (Concordia)
"It is truly an honor to be Concordia's fellow this year and to add my name to a list of past prize winners whom I admire and hold in high esteem. The financial support and guidance provided by the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Fellowship in Contemporary Art will allow me to dedicate my time to research and also focus on studio work. Thanks to the fellowship, I can foresee a clearer path toward growing my practice and having the means and confidence to reach for greater milestones," states Kuh Del Rosario.
Biography
Philippine-Canadian artist Kuh Del Rosario lives in Montreal and works with various materials to explore her dual identity, with a particular focus on places, territory, and transformations over time. She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture and Ceramics from Concordia University, supported by a graduate scholarship from the Peter N. Thomson Family Trust. Kuh Del Rosario founded and managed the Elmo's House artist residency in Batan (Philippines) and participated in the VIVA EXCON 2018 biennale in Capiz (Philippines). She was a guest curator for the group exhibition Tuloy Tawid at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie (Alberta) and took part in the Brucebo Summer Fine Art residency in Gotland (Sweden). Over the past year, she has exhibited her works at SKOL gallery, Centre Clark, Maison de la culture Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Stewart Hall Art Gallery (Montreal), Port Loggia gallery at NSCAD (Halifax), 1C03 gallery at the University of Winnipeg, and Galerie Nicolas Robert (Toronto).
Previous Laureates
To date, 30 outstanding artists have been awarded the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Contemporary Art Fellowship:
2023: Maude Arsenault (UQAM) and Kyle Alden Martens (Concordia)
2022: Diyar Mayil (Concordia) and Rémi Belliveau (UQAM)
2021: Leila Zelli (UQAM) and Nico Williams (Concordia)
2020: Mara Eagle (Concordia) and Heidi Barkun (UQAM)
2019: Céline Huyguebaert (UQAM) and Madeleine Mayo (Concordia)
2018: Frédérique Laliberté (Concordia) and Émilie Serri (UQAM)
2017: Andréanne Abbondanza-Bergeron (Concordia) and Martin Leduc (UQAM)
2016: Yannick Desranleau (Concordia) and Guillaume Adjutor Provost (UQAM)
2015: Myriam Jacob-Allard (UQAM) and Velibor Božović (Concordia)
2014: Brendan Flanagan (Concordia) and Marie Dauverné (UQAM)
2013: Nadia Seboussi (UQAM) and Kim Waldron (Concordia)
2012: Julie Favreau (Concordia) and Sébastien Cliche (UQAM)
2011: Aude Moreau (UQAM) and Pavitra Wickramasinghe (Concordia)
2010: Steve Bates (Concordia) and Véronique Savard (UQAM)
About the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Contemporary Art Fellowship
The Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Fellowship in Contemporary Art is one of the most prestigious and generous awards for promising Canadian artists. It supports exceptional visual or media artists who have graduated from UQAM and Concordia University, whose careers are still emerging, contributing to the development of arts and culture on a national and international scale.
Note: The photos of the latest prize winners are available upon request. Both laureates are available for interviews.
Sources:
Julie Meunier
Press Relations Officer
Press Relations and Special Events Division
UQAM Communications
Tel. : 514 987-3000, extension 1707
Cell. : 514 895-0134
meunier.julie@uqam.ca
Fiona Downey
Senior Advisor, Media Relations and Public Affairs
Concordia University
Cell: 514-518-3336
fiona.Downey@concordia.ca
