The awards were adjudicated by iArts Faculty Advisors Dr. Peter Cockett, Adrien Crossman MFA, Briana Palmer MFA, and Dr. Syrus Marcus Ware, who brought a shared commitment to interdisciplinary practice, social justice, and research creation. Across student works spanning media such as film, performance, sculpture, game design, and visual arts, M(M)A Director and Chief Curator Mary Reid highlighted “the breadth of approaches and the care with which students engaged themes of identity, memory, embodiment, and culture” and how the works serve as forms of inquiry and connection. “On behalf of the adjudicators, we want to congratulate all the award winners, honourable mentions and the cohort for their exceptional work. We look forward to seeing how the student practices’ continue to grow and shape the future of interdisciplinary arts,” she added. 

The exhibition, iARTS XPO: 2026 Graduating Cohort, is on view at McMaster Museum of Art M(M)A until Friday, June 26, 2026. Join us during May @ Mac Open House (May 9) for drop-in tours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

We asked the award winners about their iArts experience and their work at the exhibition: 

School of the Art (SOTA) Mission Award 

Recognizing work that most strongly reflects the School of the Arts’ mission and values 

SOTA Mission: The School of the Arts at McMaster is supported by staff and faculty that are dedicated to high quality teaching and research. Through close connection with faculty, we promote excellence in artistic production in all its diverse forms, as well as critical, theoretical analysis and study in historical and contemporary contexts. 

SOTA’s faculty recognize the integral role of the arts in individual and public well-being, community building, inclusivity and global awareness. We offer a unique balance of hands-on and experiential opportunities combined with historical, theoretical and critical approaches. Our students study the social and cultural implications of the arts, and they collaborate with faculty in studio and laboratory settings, mount and critique exhibitions and theatrical productions, and train as solo and ensemble performers. 

Winners: Maia Nguyen & Vikaash Arunmozhi 

How does your iArts experience and your exhibited work reflect the award? 

Maia: While completing my BFA in the iArts program, I had the opportunity to collaborate with many talented individuals. Collaboration across practices was always encouraged and pushed me to step out of my comfort zone as an artist. I couldn’t be more grateful that this environment led me to create this film with Vik. Palimpsets represents so much of my life and carries a message that is deeply meaningful to me. The main goal of the film is to inspire acceptance and empathy in a world that can often feel so cruel. 

What does receiving this recognition mean to you at this stage of your practice, and how might it shape what you do next? 

Maia: I am honoured to receive this award on my first venture into filmmaking. It is incredibly encouraging to know that the film Vik and I produced reflects the mission and values of SOTA. Our film, Palimpsests, is the result not only of our work but of the many passionate people who supported us along the way. Receiving such positive feedback has inspired me to explore where this medium will take my artistic career, and I am excited for my future as a filmmaker and actor. 

How does your iArts experience and your exhibited work reflect the award? 

Vik: At this stage of my practice, this award feels like the validation and recognition of the values we’ve been aiming to share for our time at McMaster—acceptance, diversity, empathy and equity. To receive such an award from the M(M)A has been such a privilege and an honour, and validates the work that I’m doing right now, and will continue to do in the future, will have a genuine impact on the world. 

What does receiving this recognition mean to you at this stage of your practice, and how might it shape what you do next? 

Vik: Palimpsests reflects SOTA’s mission by using multi-media storytelling to foster inclusivity and meaningful dialogue that can lead to change. Through its celebration of immigrant experiences and the beauty of multiculturalism, the work highlights the transformative role of collaboration and the arts in building empathy and community. By critically engaging with themes of identity, belonging, and cultural exchange, the film embodies SOTA’s commitment to diversity, experiential learning, and creative practices that inspire audiences to question and connect with these themes that are becoming ever-important in the world as it is right now. 

Honourable Mention: Tahmia Thomas 

Leadership & Community Spirit Award 

Recognizing artists who demonstrate leadership, collaboration, and a strong sense of community 

Award: Riley Payne 

How does your iArts experience and your exhibited work reflect the award? 

Riley: I am so honoured to have received this award. Throughout my experience in the iArts program, my focus has been on collaborative practice and sharing input and skills to further our work. This year’s graduating class has, in large part, helped one another reach our goals—both within our individual art practices and as inaugural students of the iArts program, helping to shape it for future years. My exhibited work at the exhibition involved giving out prints to the community, allowed me to connect with many people and share my artwork. 

What does receiving this recognition mean to you at this stage of your practice, and how might it shape what you do next? 

Riley: Receiving this award will shape my future practice by providing a foundation to explore my work in relation to the community as an emerging artist. I gained valuable experience and many meaningful memories over the course of the year, and I am so grateful to have worked with all of my peers. Being part of so many individual projects, as well as the exhibition planning as a whole, highlighted the importance of community. I hope to continue centering community in my work. 

Honourable Mention: Miriam Georgis 

Interdisciplinary Art Award 

Recognizing work that thoughtfully engages across disciplines, forms, or approaches 

Award: Pocket Lint Collective (Amelia Doty & Charlie Saltzman) 

How does your iArts experience and your exhibited work reflect the award? 

Charlie: When discussing what we wanted to do for our thesis, Amelia and I knew it had to span multiple mediums. Within the iArts program, we were encouraged not only to explore different practices, but also to consider how integrating them can inform our work as a whole. Creating work that utilizes theatre, installation, photography, sound design, and more felt like a fitting way to close this chapter of our iArts experience. Our work, COMING & GOING: OUT and OUT: Partying as a Form of Queer Resistance exist as separate works, though you can see how they shaped one another through the interdisciplinary approach we took throughout the creative process—a true testament to our program. 

What does receiving this recognition mean to you at this stage of your practice, and how might it shape what you do next? 

Charlie: As a collective, we pride ourselves on taking a multidisciplinary approach to our projects. To receive this recognition, as we step into the world as emerging artists, is quite validating. Not only does this award recognize our current creation process, but it creates the space for us to continue to try more as artists. Whatever we make next will be done with the same interdisciplinary approach that is at the core of our program. As an emerging artist, I hope to continue to grow not only through experience but through experimentation. You never know what you can create until you try. 

How does your iArts experience and your exhibited work reflect the award? 

Amelia: Our work, COMING & GOING: OUT and OUT: Partying as a Form of Queer Resistance was born out of an undying love for every medium Charlie and I could get our hands on during our time in the iArts program. We knew we would never be able to settle on doing just one medium or even one project for our thesis, so we settled on doing them all. We could not be more grateful to our professors, instructional assistants and this program for encouraging us to embrace the possibilities of an interdisciplinary piece of work and helping us bring it to life.   

What does receiving this recognition mean to you at this stage of your practice, and how might it shape what you do next? 

Amelia: This recognition comes at the uncertain precipice between school and the professional world, a daunting time for any artist. It proves to us that we are creating work that speaks to the people around us and encourages us to keep creating. As a collective, the beneficiaries of this recognition will allow The Pocket Lint Collective to continue to create the work we love in the coming year and follow our passions for interdisciplinary art. Thank you to the McMaster Museum of Art for believing in us and our work.  

Honourable Mention: Jacob Byck 

Risk-Taking & Bravery Award 

Recognizing bold, experimental, or conceptually ambitious work 

Award: Kior Barrow 

How does your iArts experience and/or your exhibited work reflect the spirit of this award? 

Kior: The iArts program has attracted artists from a wide range of disciplines, and we all work together in shared studio spaces. Being surrounded by so many creatives is incredibly inspiring, and the diverse perspectives offered by my peers have encouraged me to explore beyond my usual wheelhouse. Additionally, the iArts program has taught me how to adapt—if a concept isn’t working in one medium, it might make sense in another. When tackling complex ideas, I find it helpful to engage with as many mediums as there are interpretations. 

What does receiving this recognition mean to you at this stage of your practice, and how might it shape what you do next? 

Kior: Being recognized for taking risks is a strong sign that I’m moving in the right direction. Although I’ve been in practice for a long time, I’m still very new to my professional art career, and I’ve already managed to create something that people are excited to engage with. Much like ripping oneself open for public viewing, sometimes you need to get weird and messy for others to understand you. And hopefully, work like mine will change the way people think about art—or at least inspire them to take a risk of their own. 

Honourable Mention: Gemima Mukendi 

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As this year’s Black History Month come to a close, the McMaster Museum of Art wishes to extend its sincere appreciation to the Equity and Inclusion Office for their leadership and dedication in creating space for reflection, celebration, and dialogue across the McMaster campus.

At the Museum, Black History Month serves as both a moment of acknowledgement and a reminder of an ongoing commitment. In alignment with the University’s 2020–2025 Strategic Plan, broadening our collection and presentation of works by artists from the world’s Black diasporas remains a key priority — not only during February, but as a sustained and evolving practice. We are committed to deepening engagement with Black communities on campus and throughout Hamilton, and to ensuring that Black artistic voices are meaningfully represented in our exhibitions, acquisitions, and programming.

As part of this commitment, the Museum recently acquired The Black Madonnas of Perpetual Murmurs by Erika DeFreitas. The work was featured in The Great Unseen, an exhibition highlighting rarely seen works from the collection by Black, Caribbean, and diasporic artists.

DeFreitas first began researching the Black Madonna during a 2017 residency at Alice Yard in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. There, she encountered a statue known as La Divina Pastora in a nearby town — an experience that sparked a deep, almost familial connection. She has described this process as forging a bond with a grandmother she never knew.

In this body of work, DeFreitas develops a model of care for the Black Madonna through collage. She “enrobes” the figure using magazine cutouts and photostat images of Black Madonnas from around the world, layering them with found images of contemporary Black women. These richly textured compositions reference stained-glass windows and open walkways common in West Indian architecture, creating spaces that feel both sacred and domestic.

Through this process, DeFreitas explores spiritualism, ancestry, and the unseen forces that speak to us from beyond. Rather than venerating the Black Madonna as a traditional devotional icon, she reframes the figure as a site of personal and ancestral memory — emphasizing lived experience, care, and intergenerational connection. *The Black Madonnas of Perpetual Murmurs* invites us to consider how spiritual legacies and Black histories can be reimagined, and how historical absences can speak just as powerfully as presence.

As we move forward, we encourage our community to think beyond a single month. What does it mean to build sustained relationships, to collect with intention, and to create platforms that reflect the fullness and complexity of Black histories and lived experiences — locally and globally? This work calls on us to remain accountable, responsive, and engaged as we continue shaping a museum that grows alongside the communities it serves.

The Black Madonnas of Perpetual Murmurs 10, 2023
collage, composition gold leaf, cutout on paper
Museum of Art Collection Trust, 2024

The Black Madonnas of Perpetual Murmurs 13, 2023
collage, composition gold leaf, cutout on paper;
Museum of Art Collection Trust, 2024

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The apropos theme of event was GLAM given the content of the The Clichettes’ exhibition which celebrated the renowned artist trio of Louise Garfield, Johanna Householder and McMaster Associate Professor Janice Hladki. Their groundbreaking practice from 1978 to 1993 was at the crossroads of performance art and feminist satire bridging theatre, lip-sync, dance, drag, costume, and comedy, scrutinizing the tropes of femininity and masculinity. The group’s first-ever retrospective was curated by Dr. Ivana Dizdar and celebrated the many dynamic collaborations with artists, writers, designers, and directors, bringing together over 150 costumes, props, videos, photographs, drawings, scripts, and archival materials.

For Dizdar the exhibition production brought to life “the kindness, courage, spirit, magic, and friendship… In a world that feels chaotic and unjust, I hope this show stands as a testament to the power of art to help us imagine a better world.”

The GOG Awards celebrate the outstanding achievement, artistic merit, and excellence of arts institutions and professionals in the public art gallery sector across Ontario and to be shortlisted for an award is a tremendous honour. However, winning is an incredible accomplishment particularly for the M(M)A given the other shortlisted institutions in this category were the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Ottawa Art Gallery, whose budgets and resources far exceed those of the modest yet mighty M(M)A team. Special acknowledgement needs to be given to former Director and Chief Curator Carol Podedworny who stewarded the project and publication prior to her retirement, Betty Julian, Senior Curator, who saw the exhibition come to fruition, along with Preparator and Exhibition Designer, Sam de Lange, and Exhibition Coordinator Julie Bronson.

The Clichettes also extend their gratitude to “the many photographers, designers, wigmakers and musical influencers who contributed their work and to Kim Tomczak and Lisa Steele at V-Tape for bringing our recorded past into the present day.”

The GLAM (also an acronym for galleries, libraries, archives and museums) event also featured Toronto’s Poet Laureate, Lillian Allen, receiving an award for her contribution to The Clichettes’ exhibition catalogue. Another contributor, Dr. Mark Kingwell, University of Toronto Professor, was also shortlisted for a writing award as well the gorgeous publication designed by Rob Gray was up for an award.

An impressive undertaking, The Clichettes exhibition, is an important example of how the museum serves as a liaison between the university and the wider public at large. From the number of partners and contributors to both the exhibition and publication production to the full circle moments such as McMaster alum Jenn Heldson, of The Muses, playing a key role in restoring the costumes and props of her former professor Janice Hladki along with her business partner Hope Wickett.

The important work that takes place at the M(M)A is certainly in service to the campus community yet has the ability to stretch out into the greater community at large, extending McMaster’s reach and impact.

On a personal note, when I was considering applying for the role of Director and Chief Curator, I visited this exhibition and was blown away, as many were, by its complexity, sassiness and sophistication. I left the Museum knowing that this was a place I wanted to join and belong. My intention is to continue to carry forward and build upon the impressive foundation that has been most deservingly acknowledged by Galeries Ontario / Ontario Galleries, for which the M(M)A is very thankful for this prestigious recognition.

Written by Mary Reid, MA, MBA, Director and Chief Curator

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The MMA is a public, university-affiliated art museum, one amongst 48 such
institutions in Canada. The MMA houses one of the best collections in a
university-affiliate in the country. The collection of approximately 7,000
objects, includes Indigenous, Inuit, contemporary Canadian and 15th– 20th
Century European art. The collection is housed in a facility with museum
standard environmental and security controls, 5 exhibition galleries, 5 on-site
storage vaults and 11 full-time staff. The Museum hosts an on-going exhibition
program, public/education programs and acquisitions program supported by
a significant on-line and social media presence.

Vision

The MMA will positively disrupt the traditional museological narrative by
creating more inclusive, dynamic and experiential relationships between
peoples and artistic practices.

Mission

The MMA is a meeting space for both the campus and the community
situated within the traditional territories of the Mississauga and
Haudenosaunee nations. The Museum engages, educates and inspires
through: Growing an awareness of the interconnectivity of the past, present
and future; Advancing de-colonization; Engaging in innovative and
imaginative research; Dismantling institutional and ideological boundaries;
Partnering and collaborating with intentionality; Diversifying the collection;
and Building capacity.

It is an exciting time to join the M(M)A! If you feel you are the right person to
join our team: in a time of transition, in a time of significant social and political
action in the arts and socio-cultural communities; if you are dynamic,
motivated and a team player, this job offers the opportunity to contribute to a
transformation in the arts in Canada.

Job Description

Start Date: August 19, 2025
End Date: February 20, 2027
Salary Grade: 7 ($27.12 – $31.65 hourly)

Duties and Responsibilities

• Responsible for assisting in research, interpretation, collection
  development and exhibition production relating to the Museum
  collection areas and exhibition program.
• Support the operational needs for different exhibitions.
• Conduct database, literature, and web searches to find references and
  articles. Compile this information to be used for various purposes such
  as exhibition interpretation, collection support, grant applications, and
  policy and procedure manuals.
• Provide support for the planning and organization of incoming and
  outgoing touring exhibitions including estimating time and resources
  needed.
• Draft curatorial texts, including exhibition statements, didactics, and
  short essays.
• Assist with the care and control of the permanent collection. This will
  include inventory management, condition reporting, physical handling
  and data entry into the collections database.
• Draft acquisition justifications that enhance the Museum’s art
  collection.
• Collaborate with education and programming teams to develop
  meaningful public programs that engage audiences.
• Provide support in the design and delivery of educational programs
  that encourage involvement in Museum activities. This can range from
  offering feedback on pilot programs to assisting with exhibition tours.
• Work with all project members to obtain sign off to deliverables &
  timelines.
• Attend and participate in meetings. Take meeting minutes.
• Review, edit, and format a variety of documents including but not
  limited to correspondence, grant applications, manuscripts, reports,
  abstracts, and slide presentations.
• Maintain confidentiality of information.
• Apply museological best practices in collections management and
  exhibition development.
• Foster connections with artists, scholars, and peer institutions at a
  regional and national level.
• Grow curatorial expertise through mentorship, professional
  development, and practical experience.

How To Apply

To apply for this job, please submit your application online.

Deadline for applications: June 27th, 2025

Employment Equity Statement

McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the
Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations and within the lands protected by
the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.

The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity
and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. In keeping with its
Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose,
McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration
and diversity, and has a strong commitment to employment equity.

The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to
equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and
perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from indigenous (First
Nations, Métis or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons
with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

As part of McMaster’s commitment, all applicants are invited to complete a
confidential Applicant Diversity Survey through the online application
submission process. The Survey questionnaire requests voluntary self-identification
in relation to equity-seeking groups that have historically faced
and continue to face barriers in employment. Please refer to the Applicant
Diversity Survey – Statement of Collection for additional information.

Job applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process
should contact:

Human Resources Service Centre at 905-525-9140 ext. 222-HR (22247), or
Faculty of Health Sciences HR Office at ext. 22207, or
School of Graduate Studies at ext. 23679
to communicate accommodation needs.

Hybrid Work Language

To ensure an ongoing and vibrant University community that meets the needs
of our students, staff and faculty and supports the University mission, ability to
work on-site continues to be a requirement for most University positions. The
University is supportive of exploring flexible work arrangements that
effectively balance operational needs and employee interests.

Link to apply.

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