Image Arts Awards 2020
Congratulations to IMA Student Award Recipients
It has been an extraordinary year and as we mark the anniversary of when the ways of learning changed for our students, one thing that has not changed is their talent and commitment to excellence. They have been resilient and innovative in continuing to produce outstanding work.
The School of Image Arts was one of very few schools at Ryerson implementing a hybrid teaching and learning approach last fall. Although all course material continued to be delivered online, in-person activities in our production and technology classes and the use of the photo studio and sound stage, albeit under restricted protocols, allowed our students to continue to apply their practical skills on campus. We are especially proud of our faculty and administrative and operational staff, whose leadership and dedication to our students focused on optimizing engaging ways of learning and accessing equipment and resources offered by our school.
The ways in which we celebrate the work and achievements of our students has also been affected. Although social activities surrounding our school’s year-end shows and Awards Night have been suspended, the showcases have been moved online. While we are not able to celebrate in person, it remains important to acknowledge our students’ academic and creative achievements and we invite you to enjoy their work. In the following program and reels are examples of work by our undergraduate students in film, photography, and integrated digital and graduate students in documentary media and preservations & collections management.
Ryerson film student wins 2020 Glenn Gould Protégé Prize, external link
Ojibwe filmmaker Victoria Anderson-Gardner selected by Glenn Gould Prize winner Alanis Obomsawin

IMA 2020 Awards Program
To our school’s donors, partners, friends, and family: Your support of our students is so very important in recognizing their talent and craftship and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your continued support and encouragement are an investment in the future of our students and graduates. We are proud of this past year’s achievements, including Curtiss Randolph and Chris Donovan (New Generation Photography Award), Andrew Cividino (Emmy Award for Best Direction in a Comedy Series), Alia Youssef (Ryerson University Gold Medal Award), Kazik Radwanski (Toronto Film Critics Association: Rogers Best Canadian Film Award for Anne at 13,000 Ft.), and Wynne Neilly (TIME magazine cover featuring Elliot Page).
Robert Ott, Chair
Awards Summary
- AWARDS PROGRAM
- AWARDS CRITERIA & RECIPIENTS (VIDEO)
- AWARDS RECIPIENTS PRODUCTION WORK (BFA - FILM)
- AWARSD RECIPIENTS PRODUCTION WORK (BFA - PHOTOGRAPHY)
- AWARDS RECIPIENTS PRODUCTION WORK (MFA - DOCUMENTARY MEDIA)
- AWARDS RECIPIENTS THESIS PROPOSALS (MA - F+PPCM)
- IMA STUDENT YEAR END SHOWS
Special thanks to Sesiny Samuel for her work on the Film program reel and Lauren Fong and Jomilee Geraldo for all of their assistance.
The School of Image Arts is greatly indebted to the individuals, families, companies and associations that have sponsored this year’s awards. Your contribution has made a difference to so many.
Awards Criteria and Recipients
Student Work - Film Program
Student Work - Photography Program
Student Work - MFA Documentary Media Program
MA: Film + Photography Preservation and Collections Management
2020 Recipients
SF Award in Photography: PDF fileAlexander Arslanyan - Internship/Research proposal
Peter Higdon Award: PDF fileCassandra Spires - Excerpt: Thesis Proposal
The Photographic Historical Society of Canada's Graduate Thesis Award: PDF fileBrandon Leung - Thesis Abstract
Barbara Sternberg Award: PDF fileHelen Lee - Research Proposal
Roloff Beny Foundation Photography Award: PDF fileRecipients

The First Edition Photobook Show

Congratulations to Christopher Donovan
New: Diversity and Leadership in Photography Award
PDF fileKashif Bin Arif, opens in new window
PDF fileAnanna Rafa , opens in new window
Be sure to check back for our IMA year-end student shows.
Our upcoming student year-end events include RUFF 21, Maximum Exposure 26 and Doc Now 2021. In addition, we invite you to visit our annual visual art and culture publication, Function, and Ryerson Artspace, our gallery at 401 Richmond. For more information, please see the links below.

Function is annual visual art and culture publication run by students from Ryerson's School of Image Arts.

Join us on Thursday, April 30th, 2021 at 6:30 pm for the twenty-sixth iteration of Maximum Exposure. This year, we look to the forefront of visual culture and image technologies while continuing its quarter-century legacy of showcasing the very best of IMA’s diverse array of student work.

Ryerson Artspace is a fully accessible, student and faculty run gallery space located at our new location 401 Richmond in the heart of Toronto’s art and design district. For over twenty-five years we have been providing a unique and professional setting for Ryerson students, faculty, and alumni to experiment and showcase their work.

Doc Now 2021 is an interdisciplinary documentary festival featuring innovative work from the Ryerson University’s Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Media program. This multi- arts, multi-media festival showcases the film, photography, installation, and new media work of a diverse group of international storytellers.