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AWARDS & RECOGNITION |
| John Fleming Award in Decorative Arts Writing
The John Fleming Award honours his lasting contribution to Canadian decorative arts scholarship and writing. This $1,000 annual juried award recognizes an exceptional example of magazine writing on decorative arts in Canada. Decorative arts are creative works, often of a practical or useful nature, produced by an artist, craftsman, or amateur, which have aesthetic, cultural, or historical value. The Canadian Society of Decorative Arts/Cercle canadien des arts décoratifs (CSDA/CCAD) publishes the article in Ornamentum magazine and on ornamentum.ca. Ornamentum critically addresses the aesthetics, meanings, traditions, and innovations of Canadian material culture in the areas of decorative arts and design for a general audience. Deadline June 6, 2025, 11:59PM EST Eligibility
Submission Format
Selection Process A jury of three professionals with diverse decorative arts expertise and geographical representation will evaluate submissions based on originality of the subject or approach, contribution to the field of decorative arts in Canada, accuracy, and writing style. For further information: info@csda-ccad.org.
Contact CSDA/CCAD if you have questions or require additional information. Download a PDF version of this information. Help us promote this award! Download a copy of the promotional poster. Ces renseignements sont disponibles en français. About John A. Fleming John A. Fleming, Professor Emeritus of the French, Museum Studies, and Comparative Literature departments at the University of Toronto, passed away in April 2022. He studied at McMaster (BA), University of Toronto (MA), and Harvard University (PhD). John’s academic research and publications have earned multiple awards, and his influence in the field of decorative arts in Canada is substantial. His books include Ukrainian Pioneer Furniture, with Michael Rowan and Halya Kluchko (1992); Les meubles peints du Canada français 1700-1840 (1994); Folk Furniture of Canada’s Doukhobors, Hutterites, Mennonites and Ukrainians, with Michael Rowan (2004); and Canadian Folk Art to 1950, with Michael Rowan and James A. Chambers (2012). John also played an important role in the Canadian Society of Decorative Arts: he was the editor and publisher of Ornamentum magazine from its inauguration in 2006 to 2018 and a CSDA director from 1990 until his retirement in 2019. |
 | Winner of the 2024 John Fleming Award in Decorative Arts Writing The Canadian Society of Decorative Arts/Cercle canadien des arts décoratifs (CSDA/CCAD) is pleased to announce the winner of the John Fleming Award in Decorative Arts Writing: Isabelle Segui Segui is an emerging writer and curator based in Toronto, Ontario. A recent Master’s of Art History and Visual Culture graduate from York University, her research explores Canadian material culture through the study of feminist and decolonial textile art. Her academic research has influenced her curatorial practice, including her work on several contemporary art exhibitions and her current position as an Assistant Curator at Casa Loma. “I am deeply honoured to be accepted as this year’s winner of the John Fleming Award in Decorative Arts Writing. I greatly appreciate the Canadian Society of Decorative Arts for their continued support of innovative ideas in decorative arts writing throughout the years. I feel incredibly privileged to have my writing published among the esteemed voices that have significantly contributed to Ornamentum’s publications.” Segui’s winning submission: “Liz Magor’s Blanket Series: The Hudson’s Bay Blanket and Material Identity” acknowledges several levels of interpretation of Magor’s work, such as the context of Hudson’s Bay blankets within Indigenous communities, consumer culture, and nationalism. The article will be featured in the upcoming Fall/Winter issue of Ornamentum, CSDA/CCAD’s award-winning, decorative arts and design magazine.Download a copy of the full news release. |
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| Winner of the 2023 John Fleming Award in Decorative Arts Writing The Canadian Society of
Decorative Arts/Cercle canadien des arts décoratifs (CSDA/CCAD) is
pleased to announce the winner of the first-ever John Fleming Award in
Decorative Arts Writing: “On behalf of the CSDA/CCAD Board of Directors, I would like to congratulate this year’s winner, Cheyenne Mapplebeck, for her outstanding submission.” says CSDA/CCAD Board Chair, Susan Golets. “Cheyenne’s work addresses some significant ideas on the importance of diversity and representation in art, and offers a unique perspective on how BIPOC artists continue to challenge colonial influence in gallery spaces through their contemporary practices.” Created in
2022, the John Fleming Award honours the late Canadian scholar and
writer, John Fleming, and his lasting contribution to decorative arts
education. The monetary prize promotes and recognizes excellence in
original magazine writing on decorative arts in Canada. Submissions are
evaluated by a geographically-representative jury of decorative arts
professionals, based on originality of the subject or approach,
contribution to the field of decorative arts in Canada, and writing
style. Mapplebeck’s winning submission, Decolonizing Museum Spaces: Decorative Art as a Vessel for Disruption, will be featured in the upcoming Fall/Winter 2023 issue of Ornamentum, CSDA’s award-winning, decorative arts and design magazine. “As an emerging writer and artist, it is such an honour to have my work validated through this award,” explains Mapplebeck. “The Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery houses a significant collection of Ornamentum magazines. It feels surreal that my writing will now be part of these archives, alongside the many talented voices featured in the magazine over the years.” Download a copy of the full news release. |
