The McMaster Museum of Art is proud to present and celebrate this year’s graduating Integrated Arts students through a series of awards, recognizing artistic excellence, collaboration, and innovation. From work that reflects the core values of the School of the Arts to projects that push creative boundaries and foster community — the SOTA Mission Award, Leadership & Community Spirit Award, Interdisciplinary Art Award, and Risk-Taking & Bravery Award highlight the range and depth of emerging practices within the iArts program. Together, these honours not only recognize individual achievement but also speak to a shared commitment to experimentation, inclusivity, and the transformative power of the arts. 

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