This year’s winners of Glenfiddich’s Canadian Artists in Residence are two talented artists who are used to doing things a bit differently. Trevor Mahovsky and Rhonda Weppler are partners but live in completely different countries. Even with the distance separating them, they came through with a masterful piece that won them 2014’s Glenfiddich Canadian Artists in Residence.
Being an artist is not the easiest career path. Between the contracting that sees many artists get paid next to nothing to the exorbitant prices it costs for materials, loft space and even competition costs, it really must be a labor of love. Sometimes though, things work out; nobody knows this better than Trevor and Rhonda.
Trevor lives in Etobicoke and Rhonda lives on the east coast of the US, but their work is so impressive that they still won the prize: a summer in Scotland spent making beautiful works of art.
What's Driving This Trend
- Long Distance Collaboration
- Incorporate technology tools to facilitate meaningful collaborations between artists from different geographical locations
- Virtual Artist Residencies
- Develop online artist residency programs where artists can connect, create, and showcase their work without having to travel
- Affordable Artist Materials
- Explore alternative materials and sources to reduce the cost burden on artists and increase accessibility to high-quality materials
Who This Affects Most
- Art Supplies
- Explore the possibility of offering affordable and sustainable materials options for artists
- Virtual Reality
- Develop and market VR tools for long-distance collaborations and online artist residency programs
- Crowdfunding
- Create platforms or programs aimed at helping artists raise funds for materials, studio space and other costs associated with creating art
