Sabrina Low, Best in Acrylics Juno Youn, Best in Mixed Media Lisa Puopolo, Best in Printmaking

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release October 24, l999 FOURTEEN ARTISTS SELECTED FOR AWARDS @ARTFOCUS 8TH ANNUAL FALL ARTIST'S SHOW @BCE PLACE GALLERIA IN TORONTO Fourteen prizewinners were selected for awards from the 54 artists participating in the ARTFOCUS 8th Annual Artfocus Artist's Show in Toronto, October 20-22, l999. The show included booths by 46 artists plus a free-standing feature exhibit by 8 members of the Sculptor's Society of Canada, set under the soaring Callatrava - designed atrium of the BCE Place Galleria. Exhibitors came from across Ontario, Quebec and Alberta and as far away as Minneapolis, Minnesota in the USA. Judges were invited to reflect a cross-section of the art community. They included, from Toronto, Ben Darah, an artist working at Gallery One in Yorkville; Ben Woolfitt , director of Woolfitts Art Supplies & Gallery on Queen Street West; Trevor Alan, director of Trevor Alan Gallery in Queen's Quay Terminal; and from New York, sculptor Angel Orensanz, director of the Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts in NYC. Artbooks from ARTFOCUS were included with all awards as follows: Best in Oils awarded by Staedtler- Mars to Karen Hendrick. Best in Acrylics awarded by Woolfitts Art Supplies to Sabrina Low. Best in Mixed Media awarded by Staedtler- Mars to Juno Youn. Best in Watercolour awarded by Winsor & Newton to Stephen Yau. Best in Drawing awarded by Demco, Aboveground & Midoco Office Supplies to Elizabeth Jackson . Best in Printmaking awarded by Praga Industries Ltd. to Lisa Puopolo. Best in Photography awarded by Korner Color to Gregory Talas. Best in Pastel/ Oil Stick awarded by Demco, Aboveground & Midoco Office Supplies to Rikki Cooper. Best in Encaustics from R.& F. Encaustics ( New Jersey) to Viatchesiav Tchistiline. Best in Electronic Media from ARTFOCUS MAGAZINE to Ansgard Thomson (Alberta). Best in Show from Chromacolour (Calgary) & Grand & Toy (Yonge & Bloor) to Yury Daraskevich. Best in Sculpture from Staedtler-Mars : #1, Richard McNeill, SSC; #2, Philip Organ, SSC; #3, Marianne Reim,SSC. “With all the artworks in this culturally diverse mini- consumer show for artists of exciting professional calibre, selecting the prizewinners for this l999 show was a great challenge for the judges," said Show Organizer, Pat Fleisher, publisher of ARTFOCUS MAGAZINE. The ambiance of downtown Toronto @ BCE Place was a joy for exhibitors & visitors from the surrounding business community. Plans are underway for the ARTFOCUS 9th Annual Fall Artist’s Show in this location in the year 2000. Further information & photos available @ ARTFOCUS online <http://www.artfocus.com> E-mail <info@artfocus.com> or mail to: ARTFOCUS MAGAZINE, PO Box 1063, Sta F, Toronto ON M4Y 2T7 Tel 416/925-5564; Fax 416/925-2972;