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BMO 1st ART! 2020

Discussions with

Duncan Brooks, Tian Cao, Matthew Cripps, Kathleen Elliott, Nicole Favron, Mikael Lepage, Jasmine MacGregor, Gabriel Roberts, Simone Elizabeth Saunders, Alex Sutcliffe, Rey Francis Dominic B. Tatad, Ellie Tungilik, David Ezra Wang

BMO 1st ART! 2020

This is part of Art Museum’s Virtual Spotlights, a deep dive into stories from our collections, exhibitions, and projects while our physical gallery spaces are temporarily inaccessible to the public.

Click the images on the slide carousel to watch the videos.

Presented in partnership with the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, the BMO 1st ART! Exhibition showcases the winning submissions of the 18th Annual BMO 1st ART! contest. Thirteen artists from post-secondary art programs from every province and territory have been honoured for their talent and exceptional accomplishments.

Curated by Dawn Cain, the annual exhibition is typically held in the gallery spaces of the Art Museum but has had to move to a virtual space this year. This accompanying Virtual Spotlights is hosted by Melody Lu, an Art History student and intern at the Art Museum at the University of Toronto.

“For the past few weeks, I was able to virtually gather the winners of this year’s BMO 1st ART! and ask them to discuss more about their winning submissions and artistic practice. Each artist was asked to choose from a variety of questions, from their heritage and how it influences their processes, to growing up in an increasingly digitized space, or looking to the future and what that holds for them.

Throughout this project, I’ve been able to get to know each artist and their work more intimately. Being able to understand their unique processes, backgrounds, and sources of inspiration have not only inspired me, it also deepened my appreciation for their hard work. Click through the slide carousel to hear from the thirteen winners of this year’s BMO 1st ART!”

—Melody Lu

For more information, visit 1stArt.bmo.com