The 2005 Pauline McGibbon Award was awarded to Kimberly Purtell, at tonight’s Dora Mavor Moore Awards. The resident lighting designer with Toronto’s da da kamera, Kim was presented with the award in the designer category by Terry Smith, Deputy Minister of Culture. Each year a jury of theatre professionals presents the Pauline McGibbon Award to an emerging theatre artist in Ontario who has displayed a unique talent and a potential for excellence. It is awarded on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and the Ontario Arts Council in a three-year cycle to a designer, director and theatre craftsperson.
Jurors for this year’s award were Vikki Anderson, designer and director, Artistic Director of DVxT Theatre, Toronto; Dean Gilmour, creator, director and Co-Artistic Director of Theatre Smith-Gilmour; and Phillip Silver, designer and Dean of Fine Arts, York University, Toronto.
The jurors and the nominator noted that “Kim is able to help define time and place with light – which, in turn, is essential to the storytelling”; and that “she is able to achieve a perfect balance between her style and that of the company she is working for.”
Kim Purtell graduated from the University of Toronto in 1998 with a BA in drama. She was a directing student under Robin Phillips in the first year of Soulpepper Training Program. Her career as a professional lighting designer began in 1999 with Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s Chekhov’s Shorts. Since then she has worked with da da kamera (Daniel McIvor and Sherrie Johnson), on In On It, Beautiful View, Cul-de-Sac and You Are Here. She has also designed for Factory Theatre, Volcano, macIDeas, Red Red Rose, Turtle Gals and for shows in the Rhubarb! Festival at Buddies in Bad Times, the Toronto Fringe and SummerWorks. Her work has been nominated three times for a Dora Award in the category of Outstanding Lighting Design (Chekhov’s Shorts, In On It and Chekhov’s Longs…In the Ravine).
The Pauline McGibbon Award was established by the Government of Ontario in 1981 to honour Ontario’s first female Lieutenant Governor. Mrs. McGibbon was a much-loved public figure who promoted the arts during her tenure as Lieutenant Governor, and was a supporter of the theatre in Ontario during her lifetime. The award is administered by the Ontario Arts Council and consists of $7,000 from the Ministry of Culture and a medal designed by Dora de Pedery Hunt.
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For more information:
Kirsten Gunter
OAC Communications Manager
416-969-7403 or toll free;1-800-387-0058 ext.7403
kgunter@arts.on.ca
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