Photo by Craig Boyko.
The OCAD U community mourns the passing of Michael Snow, a renowned Canadian artist. Snow, who passed away on January 5, 2023 at the age of 94, graduated from the Ontario College of Art (OCA) with his AOCA (Associate’s diploma) in 1952, with majors in Design and Drawing & Painting, before it became OCAD University.
“The OCAD U community sends its condolences and love to Michael Snow’s family and friends,” expresses President and Vice-Chancellor Ana Serrano. “Canadian art has lost a legend. Michael was a distinguished alum and a big influence and mentor to many in our community. His work knew no boundaries, his profound impact as an artist resonated deeply in Toronto, across Canada, and internationally, and he will be dearly missed.”
Remembering Michael Snow
Michael Snow’s illustrious career in art explored a wide range of media including film, installation, sculpture, photography and music. His relentless curiosity constantly drove him to experiment with new technologies and concepts, creating compelling art that continues to inspire the Canadian art landscape.
In 1961, he introduced his trademark project The Walking Woman, where he developed a series of images using a black cut-out figure of a woman, capturing the way people reacted and interacted with the form. Not one to be held to one artistic format, he went on to explore the world of film, creating such works as Wavelength (1967)—a milestone in avant-garde cinema—and La Région Centrale (1971).
Snow left his mark on Toronto through his works Flight Stop (1979) at the Toronto Eaton Centre and The Audience(1989) at the Rogers Centre (formerly the SkyDome).
In 1981, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 2007, he was promoted to Companion for his contributions to international visual arts as one of Canada’s greatest multidisciplinary contemporary artists.
Snow received honorary Doctorates from universities across Canada and abroad, including Université de Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne (2004), University of Toronto (1999), University of Victoria (1997) and Brock University (1975). He received many international honours and awards, and his works are established in public collections around the world.
He received an Alumni of Influence Award from OCAD U in 2019, recognizing his accomplishments as a Distinguished Alumni.