Contact(s)
And this year’s awards go to…
2022 Orillia Regional Arts & Heritage Award Recipients Revealed
On November 23, audience members at the Orillia Opera House enjoyed a gala evening at the 2022 Orillia Regional Arts & Heritage (ORAH) Awards.
The evening is a collaboration between the Orillia & District Arts Council (ODAC) and Orillia Museum of Art & History (OMAH), along with the City of Orillia’s Business Development, Culture and Tourism Department. It was established to recognize the valuable contribution that creatives, educators, historians, event organizers and supporters make to the social and economic fabric of our communities. The Awards ceremony has grown over the years, and this year was no exception. Nineteen nominations were received in five categories and the jury had a very hard time determining the award recipients.
Below are this year’s nominees and recipients; please be sure to congratulate them all for their creativity and dedication to promoting, preserving and cultivating the region’s culture and heritage.
Education in the Arts, Culture and Heritage Award
This award recognizes an educator, not necessarily a teacher by profession, whose knowledge and teaching skills inspire others to pursue their interest in the arts and heritage. This year, there were so many deserving nominees, the jury had to split them into two categories: Arts and Culture; and Heritage.
This year’s nominees in Education in Arts and Culture are: Steph Dunn, Kate Hilliard, Errol Lee, and Meg Leslie.
And the winner is…Kate Hilliard.
Kate Hilliard has brought together audiences, artists, and cultural leaders who share a vision for an inclusive, environmentally sustainable, culturally dynamic, and generationally-connected community.
The nominees for Education in Heritage are: Jessica Allen, Jayne Poolton-Turvey, and Rick Purcell.
And the winner is…Jayne Poolton-Turvey.
In 1988, Jayne Poolton-Turvey and her father published a book on his experiences during WWII and particularly the Dieppe Raid. Later as an employee of the Orillia Public library Jayne began an annual Remembrance Day exhibit there. Over the years this event grew and included displays, exhibits and speakers.Local schools were invited to bring classes to the exhibit. The book and library exhibit are only the beginning of Jayne’s efforts to educate the public and particularly children about why we have Remembrance Day.
Emerging Artist Award
This award recognizes an individual of any age who is in the early years (under five years) of launching a career in the arts. Nominees can be pursuing any genre of art including, but not limited to, visual arts, performance arts, literary arts and many more. This year’s nominees are: Richie Benson, Jordyn Nancy Greer, Raune-Lea Marshall, and M Nowick-Rigelhof.
And the winner is…Jordyn Nancy Greer.
Jordyn Nancy Greer is a tattoo artist. In a short time, she has learned and perfected her tattooing style, shown hard work, determination, and an incredible drive to succeed. She takes pride in her work and every tattoo she does. From opening her shop, to being booked a year in advance, to taking on employees and helping them to succeed, is quite an accomplishment. She has grown her platform on social media and has gone viral on TikTok as well.
Heritage: Restoration, Renovation and Publication Award
This award recognizes an individual or group who brought to life regional history through a physical restoration or creation of a permanent public record. This year’s nominees are: Orillia Heritage Centre; Orillia OPP Museum; Lori Oschefski and her work for British Home Children; and Jim Ostler Contracting for the Old Firehall.
And the winner is…Orillia Heritage Centre.
The OHC brings to life our regional history through the physical restorations of Orillia’s Industrial era, enabled by its group of dedicated volunteers who organized as a charitable organization in 1980s with a mission to maintain artifacts from this era in Orillia’s history. The Industrial Collection of three heritage vehicles is impressive and award-winning. The Tudhope Car circa 1912 is a multiple award winner including “First in Class” at Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Event in the Arts, Culture and Heritage Award
This award recognizes an individual, organization, or corporation for their part in organizing a single or annual event that showcases the region’s creative talent or cultural heritage. This year’s nominees are: Art Trees of Oro-Medonte; and the Mariposa Folk Festival.
And the winner is…Mariposa Folk Festival.
The Mariposa Folk Festival is Canada’s most iconic music event, first held in Orillia in 1961. The 3-day Festival is a family-friendly celebration of song, story, dance and craft held annually at Tudhope Park, Orillia. More than 50 artists appear on stages throughout the park and areas for children’s activities, artisans, and food vendors make Mariposa a magical experience for people of all ages.
Qennefer Browne Achievement Award
This award recognizes an individual or group of individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the cultural life of their community. It was named in honour of Qennefer Browne, who gave much of herself to support both arts and heritage organizations within the region. This year’s nominees are: Mike Rothwell, and Doreen Uren Simmons.
And the winner is…Doreen Uren Simmons.
As a solo artist and collaborative accompanist, Doreen’s musical interpretations often left audiences breathless and moved to tears. She frequently accompanied Cellar Singers concerts, as well as many musical events at St. Paul’s Centre. She also served as a vocal coordinator with the Orillia Kiwanis Music Festival. She worked with Orillia Vocal Ensemble singers to improve the vocal technique in a workshop, helped singers in rehearsals of Mariposa Arts musicals and accompanied numerous local individual singers in vocal performances and rehearsals. As well as the Cellar Singers, she was the pianist for Mariposa Arts Theatre productions, including the musicals South Pacific and Man of La Mancha. She played for secondary school musical theatre productions, and also for students in the Orillia and Barrie Kiwanis Music Festivals. Her accompanying is always supportive, allowing musicians to shine. Doreen completely immersed and inured herself in the musical life of our little 'sunshine city', not only as a performer but also as a music educator teaching countless students from her home.
Congratulations to all of the deserving nominees and recipients, thank you for making Orillia and area the creative wellspring of talent it is.
For those who missed it, the presentation is available on the OMAH’s YouTube channel @OrilliaMuseumofArtHistory
The 2022 Orillia Regional Arts & Heritage Awards
are proudly presented by
and organized in partnership with
 |  |  |
|---|
