OCAD U CAREER LAUNCHERS

Announcing Damon Couto-Hill and Veerta Kumar as the Recipients of the Akin Career Launcher

Damon and Veerta will each be awarded $2,000 in credits to go towards a studio space at Akin’s shared workspaces in 2023-2024. In addition to the $2,000 studio credit, each artist will receive $450 credit for use at Remote Gallery at Richmond and Portland. 

Announcing Betty Shao as the Recipient of the Secret Planet, Studio Assistant Career Launcher

Betty Shao is a Chinese-Canadian illustrator based in Toronto, Ontario. She mainly focuses on digital media but also enjoys screen printing and reading comics. Her work usually consists of narrative-driven food illustrations that have a feeling of nostalgia as she strives to become a comic artist.

Announcing Yuhan Zheng as the Recipient of the 2023 Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography Residency

Yuhan Zheng is a lens-based artist living in Toronto. Yuhan’s work is grounded in her daily experiences and her approach mainly involves performance and self-portrait. She is interested in investigating the ambiguity of the boundary between the virtual and the real. Through practice, she seeks to reveal the intricacies of navigating identities and finding a sense of belonging in a diverse, constantly changing world. 

Announcing  Tir Tabandeh as the Recipient of the 2023 Toronto Animated Image Society (TAIS) Residency Career Launcher

Tir Tabandeh is an Iranian storyboard artist and animation producer who creates magical stories inspired by Southwest Asian culture and folklore. Recently graduating from OCAD in Experimental Animation, their future goals are to create inclusive and exciting children's shows in studios like Titmouse. 

Announcing River Kenji Fujimoto as the Recipient of the 2023 Open Studio Contemporary Printmaking Studio Residency Career Launcher

River Kenji Fujimoto is a Japanese-Sicilian, yonsei, emerging multidisciplinary artist and printmaker. Their work combs through the complexities of being mixed race, queer, trans, disabled and a descendant ofJapanese Canadian internment camp survivors. Their practice primarily uses relief printmaking techniques and text to explore their relationship as being part of a diaspora and their positionality as a settler for many generations.

Announcing the 2023 401 Richmond Illustration Studio Artists

We're excited to announce Ivy Chen, Daria Joyce, Hyunsun Park, and Gabrielle Schwartz as the recipients of the 401 Richmond Illustration Studio Career Launcher.

Announcing Arshdeep Kang as the Recipient of the 2023 Art Metropole Programs, Publications and Shop Assistant Career Launcher

"Interested in syncretic design practices, I find ways to combine the design thinking I’ve learned from school with the visual language from my South Asian culture. As I have learned and practiced “less is more” in the minimalistic design scene, I also like exploring the “more with less”concept derived from my culture, getting the most output possible within imposed restrictions. "

Meet the Winners of the Format Career Launcher Prize

Meet the inaugural winners of the Format Career Launcher Prize and hear about their visions for life after graduation in this profile from Format. 

Announcing EJ Kneifel as the Recipient of the 2023 Gallery TPW Programs Assistant Career Launcher

EJ Kneifel is a psycholinguist, poet-critic, friend of a friend. EJ is the author of the chapbook VIO-LETS (Anstruther Press 2023), co-creator of the collective poetry podcast, CATCH, web series, PLAYD8s, and movement-based theatre production, ORANGING. 

Recipients of the Format Website Prize for Graduating Students Announced For Art and Design

Earlier in 2023, Format and OCAD U's Career Launcher Program partnered to create a prize offering one art and one design student free website hosting for life and a $500 prize.

We're excited to announce Olivia Aguiar and Rand Al-Rubaye as the recipients of the inaugural Format Website Prize for Graduating Students Career Launcher! 
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Announcing the Recipients of the 2023 Toronto Outdoor Art Fair Career Launcher

Ten OCAD U Artists have been selected to show their work at the 2023 Toronto Outdoor Art Fair taking place at Nathan Phillips Square this summer.

Kikki Guerard announced as the recipient of the DesignTO Programs Assistant Career Launcher

A 2Spirit Cree from Taykwa Tagamou FirstNation, Kikki is an art director, photographer, and designer. They pursued apost-secondary education in Advertising at OCAD University. Their creative workexplores the many facets of identity and culture, including discussions ofqueerness & gender.

Artist Project Career Launcher Recipient Vlad Kanic Featured in CBC Arts for his Living Sculptures

"Imagine like 20, 30 foot large sculptures that can produce oxygen — clean toxins from the air [on a level] equivalent to thousands of trees," he says. "Let's put them in Toronto as a gathering point for communities, and to show that we can change, there is a better future."

Vladmir Kanic announced as the recipient of the 2023 Artist Project Career Launcher

Vladimir Kanic is a multidisciplinary artist and environmental activist whose practice explores and experiments with the creation of living art. Vlad will be presenting a new piece in his ongoing body of work with algae for the 2023 fair, occurring April 13 - 16, 2023 at the Better Living Centre in Toronto

Announcing Anqi Li as the inaugural recipient of the Clark Centre for the Arts, Call for Curators/Cultural Producers

Anqi's curatorial project will premiere at the Clark Centre for the Arts in June 2023 with artists Ali Sheikh, Sierra da Silva-Canadie, Tizzi Tan, and Zim Yu.

Announcing Sofia Reyes, Pixel Heller, andSteve Williams Jnr as the Recipients of the Black History Month DigitalExhibition Career Launcher

We're excited to announce Sofia Reyes, Pixel Heller, andSteve Williams Jnr  as the recipients ofthe Black History Month Digital Exhibition Career Launcher! Their work willpremiere at Yonge-Dundas Square for the month of February 2023.

Sasha Shevchenko's New Exhibition at the Public Gallery

We're excited to announce Sasha Shevchenko as the recipient of the The Public Gallery Window Exhibition Career Launcher.

Sasha's exhibition, Жнець Reaper will be on display at the Public Gallery from  December 21, 2022 to February 23, 2023.  Sasha's work was selected from the online 2022 GradEx exhibition.

Emerging designers featured in unique ROM exhibition

Congratulations to the eight emerging designers from OCAD U who will be featured in the new Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) exhibition, Canadian Modern! This exciting opportunity has been made possible through a partnership between the OCAD U RBC Centre for Emerging Artists and Designers and ROM to create a Career Launcher program as part of the Canadian Modern Exhibition.

Career Launcher Recipient Kasra Goodarznezhad Wins EQ Bank's Emerging Digital Artist Award

August 24, 2022

The Emerging Digital Artists Award (EDAA) is Canada’s award for critical experimentation in digital media, proudly presented by EQ Bank and Trinity Square Video. Launched in 2015, the award celebrates the contributions of artists working exclusively in virtual space. Kasra was selected for his work Evolving Maps: A Collective Memory, 2022. 

Clara Kim Announced as a recipient of the Slate Asset Management 2022 Career Launcher

August 8, 2022

Clara's work will be on loan with Slate for a six month exhibition at 2 St. Clair West in the Yonge St. + St. Clair Avenue West community. For the past few years, Slate has welcomed graduating Drawing & Painting students working in all mediums to submit proposals. 

Irene Lee Announced as the recipient of the Art Metropole Programs, Publications and Shop Assistant Career Launcher

August 3,  2022

The Programs, Publications & Shop Assistant will join Art Metropole’s team to support activities at their 896 College Street space, at pop-up locations, and online. This is a fantastic opportunity for OCAD U recent graduates interested in building skills and knowledge in an artist-run-centre with a focus on artist’s publications and related programming.

Students Shine at Toronto Outdoor Art Fair

July 7, 2022

This summer, TOAF will feature the talents of numerous OCAD University artists, some of whom will be presenting work through the RBC Centre for Emerging Artists and Designers’ Career Launchers program, an initiative that provides students and recent graduates with real-world experiences in the creative industries.

Parks Canada, Visual Creative Content Specialist recipient announced

July 1, 2022

We're excited to announce Brynn Murphy  as the recipient of the Parks Canada, Visual Creative Content Specialist Career Launcher. Brynn Murphy is an Ontario-based photographer entering her fourth year at OCAD University, working towards a BFA in Photography. She specializes in outdoor natural light photography, with an interest in wildlife photography as well as capturing the interactions between nature and the urban environment.

Announcing the recipients of the Akin Studios 2022 Career Launcher

June 28, 2022

We're excited to announce Sara Abulkarim and Emerald Repard-Denniston as the recipients of the Akin Studios 2022 Career Launcher. 

Yiren Tang recipient of SwissVBS Illustrator Career Launcher

June 14, 2022

We're excited to announce Yiren Tang as the recipient of the SwissVBS 2022 Illustrator Internship Career Launcher. 

Meet the New Artists of the NEO Exchange Commissioning Program

May 30, 2022

The NEO Commissioning Program was launched in 2020 in collaboration with OCAD University, to commemorate new listings on the NEO Exchange in a unique and personal way.

2022 Gallery TPW Career Launcher Recipient Moksha Khanna

April 29, 2022

We're excited to announce Moksha Khanna as the recipient of the Gallery TPW, Programs Assistant Career Launcher. 

Hau Pham @ Gladstone Hotel as Part of Partial OCAD U Artist Showcase

April 12, 2022

OCAD University’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers and Partial are excited to share that artist Hau Pham currently has work installed as part of Gladstone House’s Art Program. Hau Pham was selected as an artist in the OCAD U Showcase on Partial, a curated collaboration of emerging artists and designers noted for their standout skills and dedication.

Announcing  the 2022 Artist Project Career Launcher Recipient Kasra Goodarznezhad

March 25, 2022

Kasra Goodarznezhad is a new media artist based in Toronto. His main focus is Performance and Installation. After studying Graphic Design in Tehran, Iran, he came to Toronto to continue his studies at OCAD University and graduated from the Integrated Media program. 

OCAD University Artist Showcase & Partial Gallery Present 2022 Featured Artists

March 10, 2022

Partial Gallery and OCAD U's RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers have partnered to provide an exceptional career opportunity for OCAD U student artists and recent alumni. Congratulations to the first group of featured artists in 2022!

2022 Open Studio, Archive and Collections Assistant Announced!

February 22, 2022

We're excited to announce Erica Jochim as the recipient of the Open Studio, Archive and Collections Assistant Career Launcher. Erica will join the Open Studio team to create a formalized archive of donated prints created at Open Studio over 50 years and multiple locations.

OCAD U student work on view at The Public Gallery

February 16, 2022

Next time you’re in Toronto’s Parkdale neighborhood be sure to swing by 58 Lansdowne Ave. There you will find dear amma, an installation by Interdisciplinary Art, Media and Design student Par Nair displayed in The Public's window gallery space.  

Drawing & Painting grad Kathryn Greenwood awarded inaugural Slate Asset Management Career Launcher

February 14, 2022

In spring 2021, OCAD University’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers was excited to announce a call for artists in partnership with Slate Asset Management. Slate Asset Management was seeking proposals for a rotating public art exhibit that would animate the lobby of 2 St. Clair West in the Yonge St. + St. Clair Avenue West community. 

Video exhibition at Yonge & Dundas Square invites viewers to reflect on the future of Black histories

February 16, 2022

Video exhibition at Yonge & Dundas Square invites viewers to reflect on the future of Black histories. Curated by OCAD U grad leaf jerlefia and featuring work by students and alum Marlon Barrington, Zawadi Bunzigiye, Chauncey Downer-Hincks, Ehiko Odeh and Bidemi Oloyede.

Exhibition foregrounds the past and future of Black histories

February 1, 2022

OCAD U Criticism and Curatorial Practice graduate, leaf jerlefia invites viewers to slow down, recharge and reflect on Black futures and histories in an exhibition that is on view at Yonge-Dundas Square throughout February. 

Shift Health Art CommissioningProgram Artists Announced

January 26, 2022

Back in Fall 2021, OCAD University’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers and Shift Health partnered to co-create the Shift Health Art Commissioning Program which commissioned five (5) emerging artists, representing different artistic practices and providing a diversity of artistic voices and approaches to create works of art for Shift Health’s new downtown space renovation.

Drawing and Painting grad Charlotte Healey Awarded Inaugural Slate Asset Management Career Launcher

July 23, 2021

Congratulations to Drawing and Painting 21’ grad Charlotte Healey on receiving the inaugural Slate Asset Management Career Launcher.