Inaugural Winner of Our Park Community Art Grant to debut in Ada Mackenzie Park in June

MARKHAM, ON – April 27, 2023 – Markham Public Art and York Region Arts Council are thrilled to announce artist Zoe Kwan as the recipient of the inaugural Our Park Grant. Created to incubate local community arts initiatives, Our Park is a new funding program conceived of, and funded by, Markham Public Art, and managed jointly with York Region Arts Council. Kwan’s project, Carnival of the Arts, will be presented in Ada Mackenzie Park, in Markham, on Saturday, June 24 with two performances at Noon and 6 PM.  Sunday, June 25 at 1 PM is the alternative rain date.

“This project shows how innovative Markham’s Public Art Master Plan is and the many avenues it provides for animating public space,” says Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “Zoe Kwan’s unique vision will bring a very welcome addition to the Markham cultural landscape.”

Kwan’s Carnival of the Arts is a site-specific dance festival that aims to immerse individuals into an afternoon of arts. The festival will open with a music workshop followed by the exciting premiere performance of four original works that have been created specifically for this project. Kwan has been working in collaboration with Melissa Bettio (choreographer), Sheldon De Souza (workshop/pre-show performance), Alex Purcell (musician), and Norman Than (Qi Gong expert) to realize her vision.

A dancer and choreographer, Kwan has previously created original works for EnChoreo, Theatre Oculus’ Digital Creation Residency, and Collections Dance. Most recently, Kwan toured Ontario and Quebec with Dusk Dances as a dancer in Michael Caldwell’s work, The Horologium.

“The panelists had a hard decision to make, choosing one winner,” says Monica del Rio Pain, Director of Programming and Operations for the York Region Arts Council. “But Zoe’s project delivers on the objective of Our Park - to create and produce a new body of work to be presented in a public space in collaboration with the community it will be created for. Zoe is an exciting choreographer and with Carnival of the Arts, she will attain her goal of creating something powerful and emotionally gratifying for both dancers and audience members to enjoy.”

“We are very excited about Zoe’s contemporary vision, and her dancer’s sensitivity, through which she will engage the site and community. Her inclusive and incredibly creative approach brings together the traditional and the new. We think this will be an amazing project delivering a dynamic cultural experience to the audience,” says Yan Wu, City of Markham’s Public Art Curator.

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Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti's Office:
At mayorscarpitti@markham.ca.

All other media inquiries / interview requests for the City of Markham: 
Kisha Powell, Media Relations & Communications Specialist at kpowell@markham.ca.

York Region Arts Council: 
Lalaa Comrie, Marketing and Communications: lalaa@yorkregionartscouncil.com. 

About Markham: Markham, an award-winning municipality with more than 353,000 residents and the largest of nine communities in York Region, is home to over 650 headquartered companies and more than 1,500 high tech and life science companies. Markham is a leader in attracting foreign direct investment with more than 234 foreign companies located in the City. Founded in the 1790s, today Markham is Canada’s most diverse community and enjoys a rich heritage, outstanding community planning and services, and a vibrant local economy. 

About Our Park:
Our Park grant aims to provide funding to Markham-based professional artists, arts organizations, artist collectives, and non-profit organizations to create and present free arts programming in selected parks located in Markham. For the inaugural edition, the selection panel included Allyson Adley (Education and Community Engagement Coordinator, Art Gallery of York University), Helen Cho (artist), Patrick Cruz (artist, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto), Erika Hennebury (Senior Cultural Affairs Officer, City of Toronto), and Ilana Shamoon (Deputy Director & Director of Programs, Toronto Biennial of Art). For more information about Our Park, visit markham.ca/OurPark.

About York Region Arts Council (YRAC):
York Region Arts Council is the region-wide nonprofit charitable arts service organization focused on capacity building, creative place-making and community engagement in support of artists, arts organizations and creative entrepreneurs. YRAC is on a mission to be the hub for a vital and vibrant arts, culture, and tourism scene in York Region, by giving voice to diverse artists and cultural organizations in our community through advocacy, education, programming and strategic partnerships. YRAC offers memberships that provide access and opportunities to engage with other arts and culture collaborators as well as valuable resources that support artists in all disciplines. To find out more about York Region Arts Council visit www.YorkRegionArtsCouncil.com.

About Markham's Public Art Program: Markham’s Public Art Program was first initiated in 2003 and formalized in 2012. Since 2013, five permanent artworks have been commissioned, with two more currently in progress. In addition, the program has facilitated a series of community art initiatives in collaboration with the City's Public Realm section. In the fall of 2019, Markham City Council approved its Public Art Master Plan 2020-2024, and a related Implementation Plan in winter 2020. The objectives of these Plans are to inspire people to live, work, visit and invest in Markham; to celebrate the city's diverse cultures and heritage from multiple points of view; and to connect residents to Markham's built and natural environment.

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