Fourteen Vancouverites who have made significant contributions to the creative life in our city are the recipients of the 2011 Mayor’s Arts Awards.

Mayor Gregor Robertson will present the awards at a ceremony on October 6 (Caprice Theatre, 967 Granville Street at 6 pm) to the honourees who represent a wide variety of disciplines, from performing and visual arts to literary and culinary arts. Individual honours are also awarded for volunteerism, business support, philanthropy and Arts Board Member of the Year.

“The City of Vancouver is proud to recognize these outstanding individuals, who have shared their creativity and passion for the arts with our city. They truly represent the breadth and diversity of Vancouver’s creative sector,” said Mayor Robertson.

Each honouree in the studio and performing arts categories is invited to select an emerging artist in their discipline who demonstrates the promise of the next generation. Both artists receive a $2,500 cash prize.

The 2011 recipients (emerging artists indicated in brackets) are:

Studio Arts: Robert Studer (Zoe Garred) for craft and design; Annabelle Leslie (Erik Heck) for culinary arts; Graham Peat (Anu Sahota) for film and new media; Alan Twigg (Glynis Whiting) for literary arts; Stan Douglas (Julia Feyrer) for visual arts; Barbara Cole (Norma Artists’ Collective) for public art; and Naomi Singer (Helene Bolduc) for community arts.

Performing Arts: Barbara Bourget (Deanna Peters) for dance; Jeremy Berkman (Iman Habibi) for music; and Christopher Gaze (Anton Lipovetsky) for theatre.

Support of the Arts: Fei and Milton Wong for philanthropy; Roy Sumpter for volunteerism; TD Canada Trust for business support; and Marlie Oden for Arts Board Member of the Year.

Winners were selected by a jury of their peers convened by the Alliance for Arts and Culture.

The Mayor’s Arts Awards were established by City Council in 2006 to recognize local artists and their contributions to the city.