Caribbean Camera reports that Trinidadian Canadian new Photo Laureate

Michele Pearson Clarke Selected as Toronto’s Second Photo Laureate by City Council

Toronto’s next Photo Laureate will be Michele Pearson Clarke, pending Toronto City Council approval on April 16. She will be the second photographer to hold this position.

Featured widely at exhibitions in Canada and the U.S.,Michele Pearson Clarke works primarily in photography, film, video and installation. Using archival, performative and process-oriented strategies, she explores the personal and political by considering experiences related to longing and loss.

Born in Trinidad and now based in Toronto, Clarke holds an MSW from the University of Toronto, and received her MFA from Ryerson. She is currently a lecturer in the Documentary Media Studies program at Ryerson University.

Toronto’s Photo Laureate is the first position of its kind in Canada. It honours a photographer recognized for exceptional photography and whose work focuses on subjects relevant to Torontonians. The Photo Laureate champions photography and visual arts in the city, and uses his/her perspective to create a dialogue on contemporary issues.

Clarke will receive an annual honorarium of $10,000 for the three-year appointment. She is expected to commit a portion of her working time to duties as Toronto’s ambassador of visual and photographic culture at City of Toronto events that promote those arts.

She will also develop a legacy project in collaboration with City of Toronto staff, unique to the individual Photo Laureate.

Pictured Left: outgoing laureate: (l)Geoffrey James, (M): Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson and (R): Michelle Pearson Clarke. From yesterday's Caribbean Camera story by sweir