Culture pour tous, in partnership with the Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration (MIFI), is proud to announce the names of two winners of the 2023 Charles Biddle Award. They are José Luis Torres in the Regional Category and Noel Guyomarc’h in the National/International Category.
Through their professional and personal commitment, these individuals who emigrated to Quebec are making a significant contribution to Quebec’s cultural and artistic development. Congratulations!
Winner in the Regional Category
José Luis Torres | Visual artist
Born in Argentina, José Luis Torres has been living in Quebec since 2003. He has a master’s degree in visual arts and training in architecture. His works have been exhibited at major events in North and South America, Europe and Asia. His innovative work, which addresses the reality of immigrants and the multiplicity of affiliations, has earned him many accolades. In 2021, he received the prestigious Prix personnalité art et culture en Chaudière-Appalaches award. Rooted in his community for more than 20 years, José Luis Torres is actively engaged in cultural and artistic life. He acts as a resource person for many cultural programs, including the Culture in Schools Program of Quebec’s Ministry of Culture and Communications. As an artist depicting Quebec’s cultural diversity, José Luis Torres values plurality and diversity. He incorporates a social dimension in his artistic creations and works with communities to create collective artworks that promote human encounters and diversity. His collaborative projects place people at the centre of his artistic process, thus contributing to the enrichment of Quebec society.
Productions Edgar Fritz (Martin Poulin) has produced a short video about the winner. Watch it (French only) on the website of Télé-Québec’s La Fabrique culturelle, our dissemination partner.
Photo credit: Productions Edgar Fritz (Martin Poulin)
Winner in the National/International Category
Noel Guyomarc’h | Gallery owner (artistic jewelry)
Originally from the west of France, Noel Guyomarc’h settled in Montreal in the late 1980s. In 1996, he opened a gallery dedicated to contemporary jewelry, the first of its kind in Quebec and Canada. Acting as curator, representative, promoter and consultant, he has organized more than 145 exhibitions in the gallery and exported some of them to the United States and Europe. The gallery represents 80 jewelry artists, including nearly 30 who are Quebecers. In addition to his gallery owner activities, he is now an evaluator for some museums, including the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. He also gives workshops in jewelry design, thereby contributing to the success of several current jewelry artists. Noel Guyomarc’h has played a key role in educating jewelry artists and the Quebec public to see jewelry as meaningful artistic objects. His gallery contributes to the development of contemporary jewelry and strengthens Quebec’s presence in this discipline internationally.
Productions Edgar Fritz (Martin Poulin) has produced a short video about the winner. Watch it (French only) on the website of Télé-Québec’s La Fabrique culturelle, our dissemination partner.
Photo credit: Productions Edgar Fritz (Martin Poulin)
Regional finalists : Nora Atalla and Nicolas Zemmour
National and international finalists : Arturo Parra and Malika Tirolien
2022 Laureates – Nassib El-Husseini (national/international category) and Khosro Berahmandi (regional category)
2021 Laureates – Mustapha Terki (national/international category) and Marta Saenz de la Calzada (regional category) – Special recognition awarded to Igor Ovadis
2020 Laureates – Airat Ichmouratov (national/international category) and Lenine Nankassa Boucal (regional category)
2019 Laureates – Dena Davida (national/international category) and Alejandra Elena Basanes (regional category)
2018 Laureates – Roger Sinha (national/international category) and Patsy Van Roost (regional category) – Special recognition awarded to André Michel
2017 Laureate – Bonnie Baxter
2016 Laureate – Lynda Thalie
2015 Laureate – AngeLo Cadet
2014 Laureate – Kim Thúy
2013 Laureates – Boucar Diouf and Zab Maboungou
2012 Laureate – Rodney Saint-Éloi
2011 Laureate – Diego Herrera, alias Yayo