Arianna Goarley is a 16-year-old high school student from Barrie who is on an exciting filmmaking journey. Besides being a filmmaker, Arianna is a passionate dancer, actor, and singer. Whether choreographing a dance routine, stepping into a character's shoes on stage, or singing along to her favourite musical, she finds joy in every aspect of the performing arts. When not busy with school, you can find Arianna writing stories, teaching young performers, in front of the camera or in the studio honing her skills and pursuing her dreams. Last year Arianna founded Club Etre Canada and has met with girls ages 9–17 to talk about leadership and what it means to be a girl in the world today.
This year, Arianna produced and directed the short film The Tea Party, which includes the impact of living with ADHD as one of its core themes. She was invited to Los Angeles to screen it at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, as well as gave a presentation to the Simcoe County District School Board, creating a platform for increased awareness of ADHD while showcasing the talent of Barrie filmmakers. The film was ultimately screened at the Barrie Film Festival’s Short Film Showcase, taking home the People’s Choice Award, and placing second in the high school category.
Arianna is also serving as the assistant choreographer to the Kempenfelt Community Players production of Big One-Oh! JR. She hopes to continue her arts education by attending Creative Industries at Toronto Metropolitan University once she has graduated from high school.
“It's important to me that we celebrate our unique talents and have a voice in the world," said Goarley. "With my diverse talents and dedication, I'm determined to tell stories and create media arts with a purpose."
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About the Most Promising Youth AwardThis youth has demonstrated a superior ability in their art form. This award is for any form of art, e.g., visual, performing, literary, etc. Must be 19 years of age or younger and currently enrolled in a secondary or post-secondary institution.
Marilyn Lamb is a lifelong Barrie resident and has been an active member of the Barrie Writers' Club for thirty years. She currently serves as Past President and Community Contact. When the pandemic hit and everything closed, she made it her personal mission to keep the Barrie Writers' Club going on a virtual format rather than see it disappear. The club still meets via Skype, as well as twice a month at the downtown branch of the Barrie Public Library.
Marilyn has indie-published three novels, Blood Covenant (Christian Horror - a departure from the standard vampire tale), On Ravyn's Wing (Historical Time Travel Romance written under the pen name Mary-Lynn Cordero), and Dark Temptation, a serialized digital sequel to Blood Covenant. In addition, she has written articles for a local business magazine and won several writing awards in the Toronto Romance Writers Catherine Competition. On Ravyn's Wing was awarded five-star ratings from the Readers Favorite website. Operating a small editing/publishing company, Free Spirit Press, she also assists other writers in getting their works into print. Currently, she is putting together a compiled paperback version of Dark Temptation to be released in the near future.
Despite being sight challenged, Marilyn has used technology to bring her stories to fruition and to keep her small press running. A writer since her teens, it has always been a driving force in Marilyn’s life. Her other interests include needlework, reading, and her family that includes a retired husband, two grown children and several granddaughters. Marilyn also has two cats who constantly vie for her attention.
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About the Artist Beyond Barriers AwardAwarded to an artist, performer, or writer who has demonstrated creative originality through a body of work despite living with a continuous or recurrent mental or physical disability that results in a substantial restriction in their ability to work, care for themselves, or take part in community life. These individuals may be living or deceased. This award is presented by the City's Seniors & Accessibility Advisory Committee.
Roy Hickling is a mixed-media artist, seventh-generation farmer, and singer-songwriter guitar player, depending on the season. Farming life began around age 11 for Roy, on the home farm just north of Barrie. He graduated from the University of Guelph in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (honours), and returned home to full-time farming and opened a seed sales dealership. In 2020 he ended this part of his work life and sold or repurposed his equipment – the oldest adding new dimensions to his metal sculptures.
Roy was drawn to music and art from a young age. He picked up guitar while at university and began writing songs a year or so later. It was not until his early thirties when he made his first forays into the visual arts beginning with art classes at Georgian College and through the MacLaren Art Centre. Fast forward to 1996 when Roy burst onto the artistic scene with a two-year environmental art project that combined his expertise in agriculture, Saskatchewan artist Joe Fafard's horse imagery and the ability of the MacLaren Art Centre to bring the community together around a rather grand idea – the creation of a 50-acre picture for the International Plowing Match. The resulting MacLaren Against the Grain: The Fafard Field Project received national media attention and critical acclaim.
Roy's visual arts practice combines painting, metal sculpture and environmental art installations. He's exhibited in public and private art galleries, as a member of artist co-operative spaces, and through invitation from municipalities and community organizations, arts festivals and artist tours.
Although music was always a huge part of Roy's life, a trip to Scotland in early 2000s gave Roy a renewed commitment to his music. He's since been performing at house concerts, private functions, music festivals and art galleries throughout central Ontario. His first CD, 'a little time' was launched in 2012 at the MacLaren Art Centre in partnership with the Barrie Folk Society. Three of the 15 were songs short-listed for the 2011 Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award. Roy's follow-up CD, ‘one thing' launched in October 2016 with another sold-out concert and was once again short-listed in the top 8 for the 2015 Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award. Roy has finished 150+ song recordings at this point, with plans for a couple of new albums to be released in 2024. His lyrics include musings on farming, family, painting, creativity, and philosophy, as well as harbouring spirituality, humour, history, and environmental advocate. Roy's music is described as progressive folk or roots music style.
He is a committed supporter of community and cultural organizations and is often called upon to assist through fundraising initiatives, teaching, peer-support, and mentoring. He has taken his music and art into the schools, and to the northern communities of Sheshatshi and Pikangikum with ArtsCan Circle. Roy is an active member with Barrie and District Association of Singer/Songwriters and a member of the Barrie Folk Society and Orillia Folk Society where he's offered his support to many projects and offering his musical skills in backup to other musician's projects. Roy has offered both art and songwriting workshops on behalf of the Mariposa Foundation – through the MariposaU initiative and at the Mariposa Folk Festival weekend. Since joining the MacLaren Art Centre in 1989 he's been an involved and active supporter, making yearly donations or loans of his artwork for fundraising initiatives and volunteering his time and talents. Since his move to Oro in 2015 he has extended the same type of support to the Orillia Museum of Art & History (OMAH).
In 2021 Roy was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia with Parkinsons, and is choosing to live with the burgeoning disabilities and changes within his life “out loud”. As such he is entering into several artistic collaborations with his peers in order to continue seeing where the artist muse will take them. Currently two collaborations are open for public and online viewing: the Triple Square Meadow and the Red Pine Tree Sculpture, both large-scale environmental art projects. The Triple Square Meadow is a collaboration with drone photographer Jim Stacey; it began in 2014 with the planting of 93 spruce trees in a 176-foot diameter circle where an ancient symbol called a Triple Square, was mown and is being maintained to this day. The Red Pine Tree Sculpture comprises metal sculptures and a developing sound-art phone app (2024 release) and is a collaboration with sculptor Tim Bilton and sound artist and videographer Victoria Fenner. It began in 2020 with the creation of 13 sculptures, hung 15' high, in a red pine tree row 400' long.
“Often, when I am working on a painting or sculpture, I also have a new tune brewing," said Hickling. "I find that the different disciplines inform and spark each other and also help in defining and analyzing my creative process and its intuitive nature.”
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About the Excellence in the Arts AwardAwarded to an established professional artist, performer, or author who has demonstrated through one or more bodies of work creative originality, professional maturity, and artistic leadership. These individuals may be living or deceased.
Alix Markman grew up in the Barrie arts scene, first performing in and later directing various theatre, high school, and other community productions. While at Barrie Central Collegiate, Alix participated in nearly every artistic outlet she could, taking courses in Music, Drama, and Writing. During that time, she successfully lobbied the Simcoe County District School Board to include the 12U Writer's Craft courses among those counted towards the newly created Specialist High Skills Major: Arts and Culture program. Alix served on the school's Arts Council for three years, wrote for the school newspaper, and, as President of the Classics Club, led their team to victory at the Ontario Student Classics Conference, winning numerous creative awards over two consecutive conferences including first places for Skit, Fashion Show, and Top Creative School. She was also heavily involved in the community effort to save Barrie Central and the W.A. Fisher Auditorium.
After falling in love with screenwriting, Alix chose to continue her studies at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and UCLA, earning a degree in Radio and Television specializing in screenwriting, and an International Professional Certificate in Film and Television. While at TMU, she completed numerous scripts and short films, one of which was selected to screen as an official selection in the Barrie Film Festival.
Alix has since launched her screenwriting career in live-action and animated TV shows, as well as in the increasingly diverse world of video-game creation, for renowned companies such as WB Games, Syfy, CBC Gem, and Disney. She earned her first TV Writers' Room job before she finished her undergrad and has gone on to fill numerous roles such as story or script coordinator, executive story editor, and advanced writer. For her efforts, she has been nominated or a finalist for awards that include WGC Screenwriting Award for Best Writing (for Episode 109 of "Astrid and Lilly Save the World"), and Canadian Game Award for Best Narrative ("Gotham Knights," shared).
As a queer and neurodivergent artist, Alix is committed to creating opportunities for marginalized creatives both on and behind the screen. Her original script, Revenant, about a queer ex-demon's quest for revenge, was a finalist for the Magee TV Diverse Screenwriters Mentorship Award in 2020. While on Gotham Knights, she worked closely with consultants at AbleGamers to create a positive and nuanced representation of Barbara Gordon, a canonically disabled character, and her work on Astrid & Lilly was widely praised for its positive representation of fat, queer, BIPOC, and neurodivergent characters.
Earlier this year, Alix opened her company 1843 Pictures, named in honour of the year Barrie Central Collegiate opened.
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About the Emerging Artist AwardThe Emerging Artist is an individual who has begun to develop a body of work in preparation/or pursuit of a professional career in the arts. This award is presented by Georgian College, Design & Visual Arts.
At the Canadian Musicians Co-operative, their motto is “We do more together!” Their programming actively works to reduce barriers and increase access to the legitimate industry supports that the artistic community desperately needs in the 21st Century. From professional development workshops, live performance training, coaching and production, wraparound supports, such as groceries and laptops and 1:1 coaching, they empower emerging artists and arts administrators to build sustainable careers in the industry. Since their modest beginning in 2018, they have grown from a local organization with 14 members to a nationally recognized co-operative arts service organization that is inclusive and welcoming to over 250 members across Canada.
The Co-op lives the adage “Nothing About Us Without Us”. Everything they do is by the people and for the people. They are both a volunteer and disability-led organization, and recruit and represent a very strong population of participants who belong to one or more equity-seeking populations, including those who identify as LGBTQ2+, BIPOC, Women and Persons with Disabilities. With an emphasis on continuous learning, the Co-op both provides, and holds space for positive collaboration where everyone listens and learns together. By working together, they simplify the process and amplify the results.
Historically, the music industry is described as having a “high barrier to entry” where a limited and fortunate few talented and passionate musicians are worthy of financial investment in their artist development to be able to learn and grow. Providing equitable access to artist development is a significant part of the Co-op’s programming, and a core reason why they exist. Each year the Co-op offers full-time summer employment opportunities to over two hundred youth pursuing careers in the arts and arts administration through their two flagship programs, the Emerging Artist Program, and the Pre-Professional Artist Program. Funded by the Government of Canada, and various municipalities this program provides youth with a summer contract worth between $4000 and $10,500 and workshops, training, community-engaged performance, mentorship, and collaboration that gives them both the time and the opportunity to build a strong foundation for their future and focus their efforts on improvement.
The Co-op delivers over 75 industry workshops each year, which feature industry experts on numerous topics related to both artistry and industry, ensuring they are led by professionals who represent and respect the values of the communities they serve. During the pandemic the Co-op lost their sublet space in a local music school, and seeing the opportunity to grow, they leased 2500 sq feet in a local mixed-use commercial building. Starting with only a $4500 donation from Barrie Rotary for lumber, they grew the project to include $100,000 from Red Cross and $150,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and created a livestream recording studio and training facility that is affordable for independent artists and community groups alike. The facility boasts a 24' x 24' live recording floor, a well-equipped control room with ProTools and equipment, a separate songwriting/production room, a training laboratory, three hot-desks with 38” monitors and creative software, admin offices and a kitchenette that supplies free snacks.
In addition to these on-going core programs and services, the Co-op operates the No More Starving Artists Program, which actively reduces food waste within our community while supporting local professional artists. They have certainly proven their motto and are doing more, together!
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About the Contribution to the Community AwardAwarded to individual, duo, or collective that has played a significant role in the development of an arts organization or program or contributed to the overall arts community in building capacity and enriching the lives of Barrie residents and the local environment. These individuals may be living or deceased.
Al began his career with London Life in 1996 and is the President of A. Jones Wealth and Estate Planning Inc. in Barrie. Al holds his CFP (Certified Financial Planner), CLU (Certified Life Underwriter), ACCUD (Accredited Canadian Credit Union Directors) and ICD.D (Institute of Corporate Directors Designation) designations.
Al is a celebrated Financial Planner, is passionate about giving back to his community and is a true trail blazer. He was a two-term President of the Innisfil Chamber of Commerce and a past Chairman of the Board of the People's Credit Union, the first person of colour to chair those boards. Always enjoying a good dram, he is also a Past-Convenor of the Simcoe Scotch Nosing Society.
Over the last five years, Al has played an important role in supporting Theatre by the Bay (TBTB) in its transition into the company it is today. Utilizing his business network, Al is the perfect demonstration of how Barrie business owners can support the arts.
Al first became involved in Theatre by the Bay's work in 2016 during its first full-scale local story production, 'WE MUST HAVE MORE MEN!'. Recognizing the production as a way to engage youth in local history, Al purchased multiple school performances so that students could see the play free-of-charge. He also brought representatives from the military to see the show and speak to the students after. This incredible generosity of spirit, based simply on the premise of the show, speaks to Al’s giving nature and his recognition of the value of art as a community-building piece.
Due to the nature of Al's client-based business, he holds client appreciation nights. Over the last few years, TBTB has had the opportunity to perform snippets of its upcoming shows for those high-wealth clientele. Al has invited artists from TBTB to eat, enjoy themselves, and promote the upcoming show, leading to an uptick in audiences and fostered connections with businesses and donors.
“Tenacious & Versatile” is the mantra of the Grey & Simcoe Foresters Regiment, of which Al has been a member of the Honourable Guard for more than 10 years and is committed to the regiment's mantra to promote, educate, and support our Canadian Armed Services. In April 2019, Her Majesty officially appointed Al to be the Honourary Lieutenant-Colonel of the Grey & Simcoe Foresters Regiment for a three-year term. In December 2022, Mary Simon the Governor General of Canada, officially appointed Al to be the Honourary Colonel of the Grey & Simcoe Foresters Regiment for a three-year term.
Al is married to Sue and together they have raised their sons Adam & Connor.
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About the Business Champion AwardThis award is given to an individual or business operating in the Barrie area that has consistently and significantly supported the arts through either financial and/or in-kind means. This award may be granted to a business that has made a concerted effort to build capacity in the arts.
Born on May 24, 1931, Bruce Owen was a steadfast leader in the Barrie Arts community throughout his adult life. He was an accomplished singer, known for singing in almost every Christian church in Barrie, and despite being Anglican, served as a soloist for the papal choir when the Pope came to the area in the 1980’s. He had a devoted local following, producing four popular LPs of his singing that can be found in households across Barrie.
Bruce’s contributions to the Barrie arts sector are numerous and span generations. In 1959, he took on the role of Chief organizer for Barrie Concerts, a position he held until 2022. In the early 1970’s he was a member of the leadership team that created Kempenfest, Barrie’s biggest arts-focused event to date, and in 1990, he founded the Georgian Music Series, serving as Chief organizer of concerts until 2022. From 2003 to 2014, Bruce ran the Colours of Music festival which saw 50 concerts performed over ten days, including some in Barrie schools. In 2000, he founded yet another music series, Music at St. Andrew’s, organizing monthly piano and organ chamber music concerts until 2022.
During his time organizing concert series and festivals, Bruce gave back to his community in other ways as well. He organized the funding to procure two $180,000 Shigeru-Kawaii pianos which are currently located at Hi-Way Pentecostal and Bethel Community Church. As a result, pianists are much easier to persuade to perform in Barrie as they have the opportunity to use concert grade professional instruments. Bruce also hosted an interview-style TV show on CKVR, a weekly local radio show, and wrote a weekly column for the Barrie Examiner, often discussing music and the arts on each platform.
In addition to his engagement in the arts scene, Bruce also served as a leader in the community – president of the Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club, and Mental Health Association, as well as alderman, and Member of Provincial Parliament. Bruce practiced law in Barrie for 63 years in many areas including in the field of wills, powers of attorney and estates and real estate law and was a small claims court Judge for many years. He was part of the leadership that brought Barrie Centennial Park, the current RVH building and MRI. He also helped bring Honda to Alliston and legislation to ban smoking in the Ontario workplace. Bruce was the recipient of the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award and the Province of Ontario’s June Callwood Leadership Award.
Bruce passed away on February 6, 2022, leaving a lasting mark on Barrie’s arts scene and a legacy of volunteerism across Canada.
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About the Cultural Changemaker AwardThis special award signifies an individual’s efforts to make change within Barrie's arts community and acknowledges their impact on the cultural landscape. It is a discretionary award only given to an individual who is highly notable for their lifetime contribution to Barrie's arts community.
Congratulations to all those nominated for the 2023 Arts Awards!
Most Promising Youth - Madelyn Taylor
- Sylvie Potje
- Arianna Goarley
- Ola Idunewu
Artist Beyond Barriers - Marilyn Lamb
Excellence in the Arts - Sean William Dawson
- Victoria Butler
- Clayton Samuel King
- Bizhong Liu
- Roy Hickling
- Angela Aujla
- Tracey and Derek Martin
Emerging Artist - Alix Markman
- Dawn Cain
- Rebekah Hawker
- Cleary Ellis
- Neda Mazhab Jafari
- Amber Cline (Sunnydayz)
- Christopher Thompson
- Alondra Vega-Zaldivar
- Melouvia - Petra Welch
- Ryley James
- Jocelyn Chassie
- Jordan Januario
- Andrina Lewis
Contribution to the Community - School Em Crew
- Canadian Musicians Co-operative
- Barbara Brown/the Steel Spirit
- Ian Churchward
- Sarah Jensen
- Joe Huron
- Natasha Matthew
- Tyneisha Thomas
- UPlift Black Artist Collective
- Angela Rebecca Francis
- Jessica Allen
- Alicia McLeod
- Ashley Garcia
- Brenda Thompson
Business Champion - Al Jones
- Marshall Geddes
- Anita Antunes
About the Awards
The Economic and Creative Development Department and members of the Barrie arts sector celebrate the many successes of the past year and presented six individuals with hand-carved award statuettes designed by local artist Nic Rodrigo at the 2023 Barrie Arts Awards.
The Barrie Arts Awards plays an important role in our arts community, fostering the growth of the arts and culture sector by raising its profile and providing it with well-deserved recognition. The awards celebrate contributions made by our local talent, encourage artists to reach their full potential, and ultimately further the economic strength and artistic vibrancy of our community.
Event Sponsors
- Rhubarb Media – Design Sponsor
- MacLaren Art Centre – Venue Sponsor
- Georgian College DVA – Presenting Sponsor of the Emerging Artist Award
- Seniors & Accessibility Advisory Committee – Presenting Sponsor of Artist Beyond Barriers Award
- Rock 95, Kool FM & Barrie 360 – Media Sponsors
- Michael Enterprise Audio & Visual – A/V Sponsor
- Tamarco Contracting & Ted Handy and Associates – Event Sponsors
- Allegra Barrie – Print Sponsor
- Inside the Music – Entertainment Sponsor