Mayor's Art Awards

Lakeshore’s 2026 Mayor’s Art Awards are now open for nominations.

The awards celebrate and recognize outstanding artistic talent and honour those who have contributed to the arts in Lakeshore.

Nominate a Local Artist

Award Timelines

Fall of 2025

Awards open for submission
Launch and promotion of art awards

December 31 of 2025

Submissions close

January-February of 2026

Panel of judges recommends a list of award recipients. Panel may include Lakeshore staff, including members of the Community Health and Safety Services Department, as well as a member of Mayor's Arts Awards Committee
List of recommendations are provided to the Mayor for endorsement

April/May of 2026

Awards reception hosted at the Atlas Tube Recreation Centre

Nomination Guidelines

Nominees may be self-nominated or nominated by a peer.
Nominees must live, work, volunteer, attend school, display or perform within the Municipality of Lakeshore.
A nominee may be nominated for only one award per awards cycle.
Municipality of Lakeshore staff members are not eligible for an award.

Nomination Requirements

Profile photo of the nominee and photo waiver
Complete online nomination form
Supporting documents attached to online nomination
Brief description (maximum 250 words) highlighting contributions.
Art resume/list of published works
Sample of nominee’s work (maximum five attached images)

2024 Mayor's Art Award Winners

Two artists under 21 were honoured with the Student Artist Award for outstanding promise and commitment to the arts.

Kristen Alexander has been doing art from an early age. She creates paintings, using watercolors and acrylics that convey emotion while inspiring and helping others to pursue art.
Hailey Cassidy is an elite dancer with an extensive resume of awards and experience. She studies aerials, acro, ballet, hip hop, jazz, lyrical, pointe, and tap dancing and represents Lakeshore, both locally and internationally.

Justin Jewell was awarded the Emerging Artist Award, which is given to an emerging artist with two to seven years of professional experience. Jewell has been a frequent performer around Lakeshore and Windsor-Essex region. He teaches music and sings, plays guitar, harmonica, and piano, has produced and written two original albums, and is working on his next single release.

Stephanie Kriza was awarded the Creative Entrepreneur Award, which is given to a business, organization or individual with a demonstrated impact on Lakeshore’s arts community. Kriza studied many art disciplines including painting, drawing, and pottery from an early age while attending school in Belle River. In 2013 she started teaching art classes in her home studio and now runs painting party classes throughout Essex County.

Christian Vegh was awarded the Artistic Excellence Award, given to an artist who has demonstrated artistic excellence in their field through a body of work, public performance, or exhibitions. Vegh is an indie artist, singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist who has been performing and volunteering in the music field for the past ten years. He has created four albums and performed in Canada, the United States and Europe, winning numerous awards.

Laurie D’Alessandro was awarded the Patron of the Arts Leadership Award, which is given to a volunteer, educator, supporter, or business that volunteers or supports the arts in Lakeshore. Laurie served as Chair of the Lakeshore Arts Advisory Committee and the Mayor’s Art Awards Committee and has been instrumental in developing arts support and recognition in Lakeshore. Beyond her work in Lakeshore, she has served as a Director on the Windsor Endowment for the Arts Board, demonstrating her commitment to the arts throughout the region.