Meet the 2026 Jury

A panel of three distinguished Canadian art professionals are solely responsible for determining the exhibition’s content. The jurying process is blind, and jurors must work together to reach a consensus when selecting work. They also determine the Jurors’ Choice Award winner and Honourable Mentions. We are pleased to welcome three exceptional jurors whose experience and insight will be instrumental in providing a high-quality experience for both artist and visitor.

John Gagné, Gallery Director & Curator (Toronto)

What began in NYC as a side hustle soon became a viable business for John – leading art walks through Lower East Side and Chelsea galleries, working with Brooklyn arts organizations, conducting studio visits with artists and collectors, curating exhibitions in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Returning to Toronto in 2020, John established Gagné Contemporary in a former stable in the Leslieville neighbourhood, where he has been presenting artists in solo and group shows. John also manages two e-commerce websites that allow him to sell and ship artwork internationally, as well as support the gallery shows.

Today, Gagné Contemporary works with emerging and established artists across Toronto, Canada and New York City, USA. Part of an art advisory that includes gallery shows, studio visits, artist representation and a curatorial practice.

Stanzie Tooth, Visual Artist (Toronto)

Stanzie Tooth’s paintings are deeply intertwined with the forests of southern Ontario, where she spent her formative years. Her accumulated bodies of work draw inspiration from the rich tapestry of art history, yet strives to capture a narrative that resonates with a more bodily and intersectional experience.

Stanzie earned her BFA from OCAD University and obtained an MFA with distinction from the University of Ottawa. In 2015, she was honoured with the Joseph Plaskett Award for Painting, facilitating her residencies in Berlin, Iceland, Greece, and Italy. Tooth’s contributions have been recognized by Canadian Art Magazine, The Toronto Star, and Now Magazine. Her paintings are included in private and corporate collections, such as The Royal Bank, Toronto Dominion Bank, A.T. Tolley Collection, Equitable Bank, Google Collection, the City of Ottawa, and St. Michael’s Hospital. Tooth is based in Toronto, Canada.

Stanzie is represented by General Hardware Contemporary in Toronto.

Photo credit: Sarah Bodri

Marissa Y Alexander, Ceramic Artist (Hamilton) 

Marissa is a ceramic artist working in both functional and sculptural forms. She builds with clay to explore the interplay between structure and surface. Through coil building, she invents distinctive forms, while her richly patterned surfaces evoke narratives. Reflecting on everyday life and imagining idealized worlds within contemporary reality.

Marissa received her MFA in Ceramic Art from Alfred University and an Advanced Diploma in Craft and Design from Sheridan College. She held a full-time Artist-in-Residence position at Harbourfront Centre and previously served as Assistant Professor in the Division of Craft at NSCAD University. In 2020, Marissa received the Best of Ceramics award at the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair for her large-scale vessels. She has exhibited and received awards nationally and internationally. Her work is in numerous public and private collections, including the Gardiner Museum.

Jurying Process

The jury will meet online to select the artworks to include in the show, then gather in-person to select the award winners according to the award criteria. Inclusion in the exhibition is at the sole discretion of the jurors and their decision is final. Works that do not meet the conditions for entry as outlined in the Entry Rules will not be adjudicated.

Jurors will consider the following criteria when selecting artwork:

• Creative innovation and distinct artistic voice (approaching medium or subject matter with originality and a compelling point of view)
• Clarity of intention (consistency of ideas, process, and conceptual direction)
• Technical execution (skill, material fluency, and resolution of the work)
• Presentation and professionalism (presentation appropriate to and supportive of the work)
• Overall impact (the work’s ability to engage, move, or resonate with the viewer)

The Jurors will be offering an optional critique of artwork for a fee of $20.00, which is to help offset the costs associated with this enhanced service. At the time of registration, please indicate if you would be interested in this optional critique, and your works will be noted accordingly.

Selection of Past Jurors 2019-25

Jim Bravo, multi-award-winning painter and muralist, Toronto | Nicole Collins, interdisciplinary artist and Associate Professor of Material and Visual Culture at OCADU, Toronto | Michelle LaVallee, Director, Indigenous Ways and Decolonization Department and Curatorial Initiatives, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa | Aylan Couchie, Artist, Curator, and Writer, Nipissing First Nation and Tkarón:to | Claire Kyle, Art Rental and Sales at the AGO, Toronto | Darren Rigo, Photographer, Toronto | Rick Rivet, Painter, Belleville | Chung-Im Kim, Textile Artist, Cookstown | Gordon Shadrach, Painter, Toronto | Felicity Somerset, Fine Art Photographer, Toronto | Debra Vincent, Mixed Media Artist, Deseronto | Olexander Wlasenko, Curator, Station Gallery, Whitby | Alice Vander Vennen, Mixed Media & Textile Artist, Cobourg | Peter Dusek, Photographer, Hockley Valley | Otis Tamasauskas, Printmaker, Gananoque | Fynn Leitch, Curator, Art Gallery of Peterborough | Cheryl Wilson-Smith, Sculptural Glass Artist, Red Lake

2026 Art Symposium