University of Victoria theatre professor and award-winning production designer Mary Kerr has won the Molson Prize for her outstanding contributions to Canada’s cultural heritage.
Kerr — whose 50-year career includes high-profile work in theatre, dance, opera, film, and television — is the first designer in the prize’s 56-year history to be named a Molson Prize laureate.
The Canada Council for the Arts and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada initiative, funded by a $1-million endowment by the Molson Family Foundation, awards $50,000 to two individuals annually, one each from the arts and social sciences/humanities communities.
Previous winners in the arts category include Margaret Atwood, Marshall McLuhan and Glenn Gould.
Kerr has worked with the 91Ô´´ Opera Company, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada, among many others. Kerr has also work in special-event design, including with Expo 67 in Montreal, Expo 86 in 91Ô´´ and the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria.