Sylvie Fortin To Deliver Commencement Address at May 14 Ceremony

Sylvie Fortin, a leading contemporary art expert and editor of award-winning ART PAPERS magazine, will be the keynote speaker for Watkins College of Art, Design & Film’s spring 2011 Commencement on Saturday, May 14.  The graduation ceremonies will be held at the Downtown Presbyterian Church, 154 Fifth Avenue North in Nashville, at 2 p.m.

After distinguishing herself as an independent curator, art historian and critic, Ms. Fortin joined ART PAPERS as editor-in-chief in 2004 and has since positioned the Atlanta organization as a vital global institution through cutting-edge programs that assert the social relevance of contemporary art. ART PAPERS magazine is now available in more than 60 countries, and the expansion of the international lecture series ART PAPERS LIVE! has been singled out for its innovation, relevance and timeliness.       

“Sylvie Fortin is a cultural leader who represents the forefront of art and ideas for the 21st century,” said Ellen L. Meyer, president of Watkins College of Art, Design & Film.  “Her insights will certainly inspire our graduates as they face the unique rewards and challenges of a career in the arts.”

Prior to joining ART PAPERS, Ms. Fortin was Curator of Manif d’Art 5—the 5th Quebec City Biennale in 2010; Curator of Contemporary Art at the Ottawa Art Gallery (Ottawa, Ontario, 1996-2001); Program Coordinator at la chambre blanche (Quebec City, Quebec, 1991-1994), and a long-term collaborator with OBORO (Montreal, Quebec, 1994-2001). Her critical essays have been published in Canadian, American and European catalogues, and her reviews have appeared in many periodicals including Art Press, C Magazine, Espace, Fuse, NKA: Journal of Contemporary African Art and Parachute.

Ms. Fortin studied Art History and Theory at the University of Toronto, Université Laval, and Duke University. She has received numerous nationally and internationally significant grants and awards as a critic and curator, as well as for her academic research. She was named Lexus Leader of the Arts in 2007.

Watkins’ commencement is free and open to the public.  For a map and directions to Downtown Presbyterian Church, visit www.dpchurch.com.

About ART PAPERS

ART PAPERSis a non-profit organization dedicated to the examination, development, and definition of art and culture in the world today. Its mission is to provide an independent and accessible forum for the exchange of perspectives on the role of contemporary art as a socially relevant and engaged discourse. This mission is implemented through the publication of ART PAPERS magazine and the presentation of public programs.

Visit www.artpapers.org