The Reed T. Cooper Bursary was created in memory of Mulmur artist Reed T. Cooper (1931–2006) by his wife, Jane Cooper.
Jane Cooper was instrumental in supporting the arts in Dufferin County and sadly passed away in December 2024. The bursary will now be carried on by her daughter, Sheila Cooper (McCutcheon). Donations to the Reed T. Cooper Bursary can be made via CanadaHelps which issues an automatic tax receipt.
This award is intended to support the growth and development of artists. It is awarded annually to a visual artist in Headwaters Region (Caledon, Dufferin County & Erin) who has been working professionally for a minimum of five years, and who displays a unique talent and a potential for excellence. Applications are accepted from June 1 to September 30.
Anyone interested in obtaining a piece of Reed’s art is invited to contact Shiela at sheila.mccutcheon16@gmail.com
Congratulations to Beckie Morris for her successful 2025 bursary submission: “As a mid-career scenic designer, painter, and scenic carpenter with over 20 years in the theatre industry, this bursary will enable me to explore projection mapping, digital rendering, and immersive stage technologies that will expand the ways I bring stories to life.”
See Beckie’s BIO and details of her accomplishments in our Arts Directory: Beckie Morris
Bursary Details
- Frequency
Annual
- Value
The Dufferin Arts Council may award up to a maximum of two bursaries of $3,000 each, per year, based on a review of proposals received.
- Eligibility
Open to any mid-career artist who resides in the Headwaters Region (Dufferin, Caledon, & Erin) and who is a member of the Dufferin Arts Council. For the purposes of this bursary, a mid-career artist speaks to those who have already established a sizable audience, a consistent body of work and defining style, and have been working as a professional artist for at least 5 years.
Eligible media include, but may not be limited to; painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, fibre arts, glass, wood, photography, digital/computer-generated art. A recipient of the Cooper Bursary can re-apply after a period of five years.
- To apply
Eligible artists shall submit a detailed written proposal for a special thematic project related to the advancement of their work or career, which may include, but not be limited to:
- Researching, preparation and/or mounting of a special exhibition
- Undertaking to explore new ideas and/or techniques in the artist’s choice of media that may include travel which would result in providing new opportunities for artistic growth
- A professional development opportunity
- All applications will be carefully and respectfully considered.
Please remember:
- Complete the bursary form in full and submit it with any supporting material (including photos) you feel necessary to present your idea/proposal.
- DAC reserves the right to reject applications that are incomplete.
- Bursary recipients will be asked to report on their project experience and results to DAC in an acceptable form, which may include: a written report, exhibition, or presentation within the two-year timeline. A written progress report is required at the end of the first year.
- The bursary recipient must acknowledge DAC’s support by using the DAC Logo on all advertising, websites and other electronic communication.
- Deadline
Proposals may be submitted from June 1st to September 30th. We expect to announce the bursary recipient by the end of October.
- Selection
A Selection Committee will receive and review proposals, and recommend a preferred recipient(s) to the Dufferin Arts Council Board for approval. The Selection Committee is comprised of a member of the Cooper family, immediate Past President of the Dufferin Arts Council Board, a working artist from Dufferin County not applying for the bursary and the recipient(s) of the previous year’s bursary. The selection committee may be modified as needed.
Success Criteria
The bursary has been created for mid-career visual artists of any medium as a boost to the development of their career by further studies, setting up an exhibition of their work, research, travel, taking advantage of a professional development opportunity. Whatever the proposal, the terms of the bursary are that it is awarded as a furthering of development in the artist’s knowledge and results in a completed project.
The following rating scale will be used to assess each application. Click to view.
Success Criteria
- Outcome/Potential for excellence
- Measurable result – Show/Presentation
- Has a unique and cohesive body of work
- Can be endorsed by the Dufferin Arts Council
- Meets the standards of past recipients of the Reed Cooper Bursary
Financial Commitment
- Clear budget specifics
- Potential for future revenue
- What percentage of the total will the artist contribute?
Application Form
Past Winners
| Artist | Medium | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Beckie Morris | Set Design | 2025 |
| Heidi von der Gathen | Jewellery | 2024 |
| Emily Escoffery | Oil | 2023 |
| Deb Menken | Acrylic | 2023 |
| Ricky Schaede | Oil/Acrylic/Ink | 2019 |
| Ann Randeraad | Clay | 2019 |
| Anthony Jenkins | Oil/Acrylic | 2018 |
| Darlene Hassall | Oil/Acrylic | 2018 |
| Ann Clifford | Sculpture | 2017 |
| Debbie Ebanks Schlums | Glass/Installation art | 2016 |
| Emilia Perri | Acrylic | 2015 |
| Pat Burns-Wendland | Textiles | 2014 |
| Sharon Wadsworth Smith | Acrylic | 2014 |
| Ken Hall | Sculpture/Metal | 2013 |
| Linda Jenetti | Oil/Acrylic | 2012 |
| Bridget Wilson | Glass | 2011 |
| Roslyn Levin | Sumié | 2010 |
| Peter Adams | Oil | 2008 |
| Christine Rogers | 2007 |
Reed's biography
REED T. COOPER 1931 – 2006
Growing up in Bermuda, Reed had his work accepted by the Royal Watercolour Society at an early age. Later, at university, his interest in art was rekindled, and as he embarked on a career with the civil service in Ontario, Reed pursued his second vocation. By the late 1960s he had held two solo shows at the Pollock Gallery in Toronto and was accepted in numerous group shows across Canada. He had work selected for watercolour and drawing exhibitions mounted by the National Gallery of Canada, which also bought one of his works.
In the ‘70s and ‘80s Reed refined his printmaking techniques and by the 1990s was devoting nearly all of his time to serigraphy. During these years he had his work accepted into several juried exhibitions, and became a member of several art societies, including the Ontario Society of Artists.
Retiring to Mulmur Township in Dufferin County, Reed became active on the local art scene. Participating in annual studio tours and group exhibitions with other local artists, he also held solo exhibitions, at the Dufferin County Museum & Archives; in Creemore; at Killarney Mountain Lodge in Killarney, Ontario and in Toronto.
Reed was a successful entrant in several juried shows in Ontario, including the Headwaters Arts Festival, three annual open exhibitions at the Tom Thomson Gallery in Owen Sound, and Spring Rush, an exhibition sponsored by the Dufferin Arts Council in 2002, when he was a prize winner. On two occasions (May 2003 and July 2005) Reed participated in a two person show at the Silk Purse Gallery in West Vancouver.
From January to March, 2005, Reed showed his work from the 1960s at the Dufferin County Museum & Archives. This “historical” exhibition featured 34 large acrylic paintings and linoblock prints, some on loan from private collectors.
As a committed member of St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Rosemont, Reed always hoped his work would find a place in the church. He would have been honoured that, in 2007, one of his paintings was adapted for a stained glass window.
After his death, his widow Jane, in concert with the Dufferin Arts Council, initiated the Reed T. Cooper Bursary in Visual Arts. This annual award, of up to $3,000, is given to a local artist in mid-career who shows promise for excellence in pursuing his or her artistic career.
Please consider making a donation to the Reed T. Cooper Bursary.