Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards

Mayor's Arts Award statue, logo, and 2020 recipient holding award

2024 Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards and Windsor Endowment for the Arts Celebration Details 

The Windsor Endowment for the Arts (WEA) and the City of Windsor are pleased to be partnering once again for the 2024 WEA Arts Awards and Grants, along with the Windsor Mayor’s Arts Awards (WMAAs), all to be showcased in a special community celebration.

These biennial awards and grants, last presented in 2022, offer a platform to support, recognize, and celebrate creative individuals and organizations in Windsor and Essex County. Everyone is invited to join this year’s special presentation, promising an evening brimming with creativity and celebration, with details as follows:

  • Date: Friday, May 31, 2024
  • Start Time: 7:00 p.m.
  • Location: Mackenzie Hall Cultural Centre, 3277 Sandwich St. W. in Windsor.
  • Cost: FREE
  • Reservation Required: Visit eventbrite.ca to reserve a spot. 

 The celebration will feature remarks from WEA President Stephanie Barnhard and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, alongside the presentation of the various awards and grants, guest presenters, live performances, local food vendors, and an arts exhibition in the Common Ground gallery. Among the live performances, singer Florine Ndimubandi will represent the Francophone creative community, while a musical performance by Windsor Symphony Orchestra cellist Karen McClellan will accompany the ‘In Memoriam’ presentation. Recipients of awards and grants will be contacted by WEA and the City to coordinate their participation in the celebration.  

This year, WEA received 67 applications, and will present 11 art grants totalling $31,000 and 6 Art Leadership Awards of merit to individuals and organizations in Community Arts, Literary Arts, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts. Mayor Drew Dilkens will present 3 WMAAs in total, one each to an individual artist, arts organization, and arts volunteer. Each WMAA includes a keepsake award as well as an honorarium.

“The Windsor Mayor’s Arts Awards program is one of many components of Council’s overall significant investment in arts, culture and heritage in Windsor," said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. "I am pleased to once again partner with WEA to present our awards together in a meaningful way that celebrates a broad spectrum of artists, arts organizations and creatives. These programs provide a further opportunity to support, encourage and recognize our local artists, while building on Windsor’s proud history of investment in our creative community. I thank our partners at the Windsor Endowment for the Arts for the positive significant impact the organization has had on the region’s creatives, and I look forward to once again teaming up with WEA to celebrate all of the recipients later this month.”

“WEA is thrilled to host an event that celebrates the transformative power of connection," said Stephanie Barnhard, President, Windsor Endowment for the Arts. "With the Gordie Howe International Bridge being constructed just blocks from Mackenzie Hall, the forthcoming celebration draws inspiration from this monumental project, embracing the theme of ‘Building Bridges’. We are reminded of the significance of bridges, not just in physical infrastructure but also in fostering understanding and collaboration among diverse communities. Our celebration embodies this spirit, inviting artists and arts organizations to embrace their role as bridges for positive change. Through this celebration, we aspire to unite members of our region’s vibrant creative community for an evening filled with art, music, and dialogue, serving as a catalyst for building lasting connections and forging a path towards unity and collaboration.”

Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards 2024

The WMAA celebrate and recognize those individuals and organizations that support locally developed arts – providing exciting, surprising and meaningful opportunities to strengthen Windsor’s creative community. Only Windsor residents are eligible for the WMAA. Submissions are now closed. Submissions were accepted from Monday, February 5, to Sunday, March 31, 2024. There are three categories for the WMAA:

  • Submission Form - Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards
  • Individual Artist - $1,000, plus a keepsake award. Presented to an individual artist engaged in a broad spectrum of activities having to do with creating, practicing or demonstrating art. Art is broadly conceived to include all genres and disciplines, including performance, visual, literary, media, and design.
  • Arts Organization - $1,000, plus a keepsake award. Presented to an arts organization that demonstrates a clear commitment to creating, practicing and demonstrating art within the community.
  • Arts Volunteer - $500, plus a keepsake award. Presented to an individual that supports the arts by providing their own time and services without receiving payment for their volunteer work.

“The Windsor Mayor’s Arts Awards program is one of many components of Council’s overall significant investment in arts, culture and heritage in Windsor," said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. "I am pleased to once again partner with WEA to present our awards together in a meaningful way that celebrates a broad spectrum of artists, arts organizations and creatives. These programs provide a further opportunity to support, encourage and recognize our local artists while building on Windsor’s proud history of investment in our creative community. I encourage folks to apply for this recognition, and to join us later in May when we celebrate together once again.”

Submission Guidelines - Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards

  • Submission Form - Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards
  • Nominees must be Windsor residents
  • Nominees may be self-nominated or nominated by a peer
  • Nominees must be engaged in their art or arts organization within the city of Windsor
  • A nominee may be nominated for only one award per year
  • City of Windsor staff members are not eligible for an award

Submission information must include:

  • One 5 x 7 digital photograph of the nominee. Please note, the image may be used in marketing materials to promote the Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards.

Please provide one electronic copy of each of the following:

  • Signed and fully completed Submission Form
  • Support documents as requested below
  • A brief description (maximum 250 words) highlighting the contribution you believe the candidate (nominee) has made to the arts and the arts community in the City of Windsor

Please provide one electronic copy of support documents, which could include the following:

  • List of accomplishments, awards or recognition relevant to the submission
  • List of published works and/or performance appearances
  • Sample of the nominee's commitment of time and energy to an organization
  • Sample of the nominee's work (photocopies - please do not send originals)
  • Other relevant materials that would support the success of the application

Please note that support documents should not be more than a maximum of 5 pages/attachments in total.

Submitting your form electronically

Please send your Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards Submission Form and all required support materials to culturalaffairs@citywindsor.ca by email.
Please type 2024 Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards Nomination/Application in the subject line of your email.

Submissions to the City of Windsor’s Windsor Mayor’s Arts Awards are subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The personal information is collected under the authority of the Municipal Act, Section 10. This personal information may be used for the purpose of processing the submission form and may become part of the public agenda at a City Council meeting or committee meeting. Questions about this collection may be directed to the Manager of Culture & Events, 519-253-2300 ext. 2726 or by mail to Freedom of Information Coordinator, Office of the City Clerk, Room 530, 350 City Hall Square West, Windsor, ON, N9A 6S1. If someone is nominating someone else for one of these awards, we ask that they inform the nominee in advance so that the nominee has adequate time to submit the supporting documents along with the nomination/application package.