Sheridan Collage hosted its annual Grad Show in May. The year-end event celebrates the graduating students of the school’s Honours Bachelor of Photography Program. Usually, the night allows the graduates to not only display their work but also introduce themselves to their new peers – including photo editors, art buyers and fellow photographers – in person.
With this year’s event being virtual, the students showcased their work in other ways. The GRADWORK website – www.sheridanphotography.ca – features images by each of the 48 graduating students, along with a statement about their work. New this year, an outdoor exhibit displayed their work on 10 street-level billboards in the west end of Toronto for two weeks.
“GRADWORK provides an innovative forum to celebrate Sheridan’s Bachelor of Photography students and introduce their work to the broader community,” says Donna Braggins, Associate Dean, Design, Illustration and Photography. “Despite the pandemic, the physical and virtual spaces of the exhibition give our students an opportunity to showcase their work, and to highlight their diverse perceptions of the conceptual, technical and aesthetic possibilities of photography."
Judges presented 10 awards during the virtual event. Members of the Canon Canada team attended to give the Canon Awards to two deserving graduates.
This is the 14th consecutive year Canon Canada has supported the program with scholarships. In addition to the two graduate awards, Canon Canada annually presents $2,000 scholarships to the top students in Years 1, 2 and 3 of Sheridan College’s Honours Bachelor of Photography Program.
“Canon Canada is a long-time supporter of Sheridan’s photography community and has been instrumental in recognizing the award-winning work of our students,” says Howard Simkins, Professor, Bachelor of Photography. “For decades, Canon has been a leader in providing the best technology to develop the next generation of professional photographers, and we are grateful for their partnership and investment at Sheridan.”