Toni Hamel Bio

Born (1961) and raised in Italy, Toni Hamel holds a BFA from the Academy of Fine Arts in Lecce (Italy), a post-graduate Certificate in Computer Graphics from Sheridan College in Oakville (Ontario, Canada), and the Golden Key Award from the University of Toronto (Ontario, Canada) where she attended the Specialist Programme in Psychology.

After a successful career as an Interactive Media developer and University of Toronto instructor, since 2007 Hamel has focused exclusively on her art practice. Her work has been exhibited at galleries across Canada, including Galerie Youn (Montral), Latcham Gallery (Stouffville), John B. Aird Gallery (Toronto), Robert McLaughlin Gallery (Oshawa), Station Gallery (Whitby) and the Art Gallery of Peterborough, and internationally at the Truman Brewery Gallery 25 in London, England, and the ExpoArte in Milan, Italy among others. Hamel is the recipient of many awards and three Ontario Arts Council grants. Her work is held in public collections (Government of Ontario, Robert McLaughlin Gallery) and in private collections in Canada, the US and Europe.

Affiliations and memberships:
CARFAC Ontario
Honorary Member, White Water Gallery, North Bay, Ontario
Station Gallery, Whitby, Ontario

Grants:
Ontario Arts Council, Emerging Artist Grant 2014
Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance Grant 2012
Ontario Arts Council, Emerging Artist Grant 2011

Artist Residency:
2015 – Gallery A / Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa

Selected Exhibitions and Awards:
2015
October 30 to December 6 – “The Lingering”
Touring exhibition circulated by the Robert McLauglin Gallery
Solo Show, Grimsby Public Art Gallery, Grimsby

June 18 to July 19 – “Stories of the familiar transformed”
Invitational Group Show, Galerie Youn, Montreal

March 1 to April 1 – “Land of Id”
Solo Show, Gallery A / Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa

February 10 to March 6 – “Drawing 2015”
John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto

2014
November 29 to January 11 – “Slice of life”
Station Gallery, Whitby – 1st Prize

March 6 to March 11, “No Barking Art – Biennial 2014”
Truman Brewery Gallery 25, London, England

February 4 to February 28 – “Drawing 2014”
John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto

2013
September 14 to November 24 – “The Lingering”
Solo Show, curated by Sonya Jones, Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa

June 6 to July 20 – “Home: stories from here and away”
Invitational Group Show, curated by Chai Duncan, Latcham Gallery, Stouffville

January 8 to February 1 – “Drawing 2013”
John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto – Curry’s Prize

2012
October 20 to December 2 – “Reading the image”
Invitational Group Show, curated by Olexander Wlasenko, Station Gallery, Whitby

March 11 to April 29 – “Triennial 2012”
Invitational Group Show, curated by Carla Garnet, Art Gallery of Peterborough, Peterborough

February 7 to March 2 – “Drawing 2012”
John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto

2011
“Rock, paper, scissors”
Group Show, curated by Olexander Wlasenko, Station Gallery, Whitby – Award of Merit

“Annual Juried Exhibition 2011”
Group Show, curated by Chai Duncan, Latcham Gallery, Stouffville

“Desmond Juried Art Exhibition 2011”
Group Show, University of Guelph, Ridgetown – 2nd Prize

2010
Oshawa City Hall Public Art Competition – 1 of 3 finalists
Oshawa Civic Center, Oshawa

“PineRidge Arts Council 12th Juried Exhibition”
Group Show, McLean Community Centre, Ajax – Veridian Prize

“OAA 42nd Annual Juried Exhibition”
Group Show, Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa – 1st and 3rd Prizes

“Desmond Juried Exhibition 2010”
Group Show, University of Guelph, Ridgetown – 2nd Prize

“Annual Juried Exhibition 2010 ”
Group Show, curated by Chai Duncan, Latcham Gallery, Stouffville – 2nd Prize

“Cause and Effect”
Group Show, curated by Ontario Artists Association
John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto – Award of Merit

“Drawing 2010”
John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto – 1st Prize

2009
“Annual Juried Exhibition 2009”
Group Show, curated by Oleaxander Wlasenko, Station Gallery, Whitby – 2nd Prize

“First National Juried Drawing Exhibition”
Group Show, curated by Clayton Wyndatt and Amanda Burke, White Water Gallery, North Bay – Finalist

“Desmond Juried Exhibition 2009”
Group Show, University of Guelph, Ridgetown – 1st Prize

1983
“ExpoArte”, Milan, Italy – Premio Lubiam
“International ExpoArte”, Bari, Italy

1982
“International ExpoArte”, Bari, Italy

Publications:

2015
Ink & Arrows – Issue 8

Interview with Gallery A artist Toni Hamel, The RMG Blog

Toni Hamel: The land of Id, The RMG Blog

2014
“RIDDLE FENCE” – Issue #17 (artwork published: “The vanishing” from the White Primer body of work,”The quest”, “Transference”, and “Home maker” from The remedy collection, and “The rescue” from Hic et Nuncseries)

“SLICE” – Spring/Summer Issue (artwork published: “The unearthing” from The lingering series and “The healing” from The remedy collection)

“ROOM – Canada’s oldest literary journal by and about women” – Issue 37.1 (artwork published: “Departures” and “Wish I were my alter ego” from The lingering series)

2013
Exhibition review of “The lingering” by Margaret Rodgers

“Toni Hamel: the lingering” – Exhibition catalogue with essay by Sonya Jones – Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, Ontario. It can be purchased at Amazon.com

“Oshawa This Week” – Interview by Mike Ruta, Sunday, October 20, 2013

“Durham College Chronicle” – Interview by Will McGuirk, 2013-14 Issue 2

“SNAPD Oshawa”, October 2013 issue

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery Newsletter, Fall 2013, hard-copy and PDF version, Page 3-4

“Surfacing, Winter” – Tabloid showcasing Durham’s artistic and creative people – Durham Region, Ontario

2012
“Platform, Fall” – Station Gallery Newsletter (cover and page 2) – Station Gallery, Whitby, Ontario

2009
“The First National Juried Drawing Exhibition” – Exhibition catalogue – White Water Gallery, North Bay, Ontario

Teaching:

2013
Courseware designer
“Entrepreneurship and Professional Practice”
School of Media, Arts & Design – Fine Arts Advanced Program
Durham College, Oshawa, Ontario

1999 – 2002
Courseware designer and instructor
“Multimedia Design”, “The visual display of information”
School of Continuing Studies, Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario

2002
Guest lecturer, invited by Daniela Sneppova
Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario

1999 – 2002
Courseware designer and instructor
“Macromedia Director”, “Authorware/Lingo”, Digital Media Studios, Toronto, Ontario

1985 – 1986
Instructor, non-credit Art courses
“Sketching and Drawing “, “Painting with Oils”, “Art for kids”
Lakeland College, Vegreville, Alberta

Professional Experience:

2000 – Member of IMAT (Interactive Media Arts and Technologies Association), AIP (Association of Internet Professionals), Macromedia Developers Network

2001 – 2005
President / Creative Director
I-mediaFactory Inc., Whitby, Ontario, Canada

Full-service interactive media development, training and consulting for clients such as Nortel Networks, Wysdom Canada, University of Toronto, Bell Canada and others

1996 to 2000
President / Creative Director
Visual Encounters by Toni Hamel Inc. – Interactive media development and consulting, Scarborough, Ontario

Design and development of inter/intranet sites, hybrid CD ROMs, kiosks installations, speaker supports and digital press kits. Services offered included project management, information architecture, interface design, graphic production, authoring/coding, usability testing, documentation.

1994 – 1996
Creative Director
Cipher New Media Inc., Toronto, Ontario

Duties included design and development of New Media products.
Responsible for concept development, story-boarding, information architecture, graphic production, freelancers’ training, authoring, usability testing, documentation

1991 – 1994
Freelancer
Microplacement Inc., Toronto, Ontario

Duties included graphic design (for print) and interactive media development (for screen) for a variety of clients

Speaking Engagements:

2013 – 2015
Artist Talks – Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa
2013
Artist Talk – The Latcham Gallery, Stouffville
1999, 2001, 2002
“WebGirrls” (Association of Women in Digital Media) Annual Conferences

Education:

1994 – 1998
University of Toronto*
Psychology, Specialist Programme
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1990 – 1991
Sheridan College
Computer Graphics, Post-Graduate Certificate
Oakville, Ontario, Canada

1979 – 1983
Academy of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting/Studio Programme)**
Lecce, Italy

1978 – 1979
University of Rome “La Sapienza”
Faculty of Architecture***
Rome, Italy

1974 – 1978
High School of Fine Arts
Honours Graduation Diploma
Taranto, Italy

* Awarded Golden Key National Honour Society award for academic excellence

** Selected to represent the Academy at the International ExpoArte (1982, 1983).
Received Premio Lubiam (1983)

*** Completed four first-year level courses