Meet Cheryl Rock Winner of Best of 2D Works 2019

First and foremost, we want to reassure our artists, our partners, and the public that we are monitoring the impact of COVID-19 closely. To date, TOAF59 will be moving ahead in July 2020, and will notify stakeholders and the public immediately of any changes. The TOAF team cares about the health and safety of our artists and the public we serve. Please visit our website to read our official statement on COVID-19.

We extend our congratulations to each of the 780 artists who submitted their applications to TOAF59 before the deadline. Thanks as well to our network for spreading the word about our Call for Artists.

In these uncertain days, we hope to add a moment of inspiration in the way we know best: by introducing you to the talented artists who tell our human stories though unique perspectives. In this spirit, we will continue sharing stories of TOAF artists and ask that you consider their works as a gesture of support and encouragement in these times. 

In this issue of our newsletter, we would like to introduce you to Cheryl Rock, an award-winning artist who tells stories of our shared human experience through her intricate hand-cut paper works. Her powerful imagery earned her the title of Best of 2D Works and a cash award of $2,000 generously supported by Nicholas Metivier Gallery.

We hope you find joy in discovering her work. 

All the best and stay safe.

Meet the Artist

About Cheryl Rock

On Winning the Award

"I have always wanted to participate in the prestigious Toronto Outdoor Art Fair. TOAF 2019 was my first juried experience of this kind! I am excited about the growth of my artistic practice, humbled, and honoured with the privilege of having been awarded the Best of 2D Works Award supported by the Nicholas Metivier Gallery. This generous recognition brought a lot of my goals into realignment and reaffirmed what I already knew to be true, that art has the potential to reach beyond the intersections of gender, race and cultural frame of reference."

Cheryl's booth at TOAF in 2019 with her award winner banner and the artist receiving her award from Nicholas Metivier's Sarah Massie at the TOAF Awards Ceremony in 2019

"The content of my artwork speaks to experiences that we can all relate to, connecting to the human condition in a myriad of ways. I believe that awards such as this one also inspire upcoming artists to strive for excellence. 

This generous award has enabled me to take art production to a higher level. The funds will also support the work I do with mentoring young artists." 

– Cheryl Rock

Works by Cheryl Rock

Her work, in her own words

Cheryl’s current series is Re-visioning Royalty. She uses her two-dimensional pieces to communicate notions of beauty, resilience, royalty, and tenacity.  Re-presenting the stories of the Black diaspora, Cheryl’s two-dimensional cut paper pieces explore; Afrofuturism, Black identity, cultural hybridity and document the tenacity of the human spirit.

“I speak to the Black experience, but I am always talking about the human condition – about what we can endure, dream, fail at and survive!”
– Maya Angelou

Banner: Crop of 'Seedling', 8 x 10, hand cut archival paper and mixed media by Cheryl Rock