AUArts Alum Matthew O'Reilly, MFA '20, Craft Media has won the prestigious Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics. He will receive $10,000 to support the development of his career through an artist residency and future exhibition projects in Canada and the United States.
The Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics allows emerging ceramic artists to undertake a period of independent research, or other activities that advance their artistic and professional practice. The selection is made by a jury of respected ceramic artists and art professionals and this year was juried by Robin DuPont, Kevin Andrew Morris, and Susan Surette. In choosing a winner, they felt O'Reilly demonstrated a strong commitment to the values embodied in the Shantz Award.
In October O'Reilly will participate in "Emergence 2022", a group exhibition in The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery showcasing both his work and the finalists. Additionally, this exhibition will include work from the RBC Award for Glass winner and finalists.
Matthew O'Reilly is a Canadian emerging artist and graduate of the Alberta University of the Arts where he advanced a visual vocabulary wielding the grotesque and satire in tandem with public stautary. He received a first place NCECA Graduate Award of Excellence from the 2021 NCECA Juried Student Exhibition for his achievements in Grad School, spent a year as artist in residence at the Medalta Clay Center in Medicine Hat and will be starting a year-long artist in residence at the Clay Studio of Missoula, Montana.
The Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics is supported by The Keith and Winifred Shantz Fund for the Arts, held at Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation.
Photo: "Piles of Barbarism" by Matthew O'Reilly
