We have reproduced here the full text of the speech by Ms. Evadne Anderson introducing Cheryl Braganza on the occasion of conferring the "Montreal Woman of the Year 2008" Award. Read Cheryl's response here.
INTRODUCTION
by Evadne Anderson – Montreal Woman of the Year Ceremony – November 17, 2008
In order to say these few words, I reviewed the criteria for the Montréal Council of Women’s, Woman of the Year Award. And then, I understood perfectly why Cheryl Braganza was the choice for 2008.
I first met Cheryl a few years ago when she was suffering from cancer. When I visited her at home, she was so frail-- and so gracious-- lying on her sick bed, talking in whispers, but surrounded by the most vibrant paintings which reflected the woman behind the pain.
Today, what a transformation! Truly the 3 pillars of her life which have fostered this regeneration are her family-- her beloved sons and champions of whom she never stops talking: Andre, Carlos and Miguel, and her many cousins, aunts and uncles who have always cared for her. The 2nd pillar is certainly her community involvement. The 3rd -- her artistic life as musician, painter and poet.
Jackson Pollock the legendary abstract expressionist American painter once said, Each good painter paints what he is . Let’s change that right now to the generic “she”—Each good painter paints what she is. When we look at a Braganza painting, what do we see? Woman-- in all of her myriad, sometimes paradoxical, but always recognizable aspects. There’s joy and wonder sometimes, frailty and beauty, majesty and power.
We also see a spirit of generosity in the lavish flow of colour and lines. This generosity is also evident in the way Cheryl interacts with the world around her. She has donated the use of her artwork to many community organizations in Montréal --such as Rights and Democracy; Centraide, Literacy Unlimited, the Jewish General Hospital Segal Center for Cancer Research, and most recently, McGill University’s Social Equity and Diversity Education Office. Her paintings have been reproduced in the McGill Newsletters of the MCRTW (Research & Teaching on Women) and in 2007, 12 copies of her paintings were used to create a calendar in support of women in Afghanistan.
At one time, Cheryl volunteered at a seniors’ residence where her mother lived, teaching art. At another time, she co-coordinated the music program of the West Island Palliative Care Centre. Some of you may also know of her one-woman mission to bring art to the walls of this Centre. I’ll briefly mention the story because it so accurately capsulizes the spirit of generosity that is as natural to Cheryl as breathing is.
In 2002, when the West Island Palliative Care Centre was being constructed in her neighbourhood, Cheryl decided she wanted to offer a painting---Then she thought, why not give other artists the opportunity to do the same? So, in true Braganza style, she jumped in, placing ads in the Montreal Gazette and in other local newspaper, and in a short time, her basement was overflowing with artwork. In total, 140 artists contributed, far beyond her initial expectations.
Earlier this year, perhaps like me, some of you may have also popped down to the Salvation Army on Notre Dame street after reading the Gazette article: Music to rummage by: Pianist has turned Salvation Army thrift shop into a cabaret. As Cheryl played in the window, almost every day for a couple of months, I noticed people in the store with shining eyes, smiling and humming and coming up to request a song or to sing a song or two themselves. There was such a feeling of good cheer—like Christmas in July.
I have also seen her warmth and generosity first hand as she spends time with young people, most recently, the SAWA (South Asian Women’s Association) students at McGill. And on Thursday evenings at Griffintown Restaurant’s piano, there’s this tiny Asian lady, accompanied by 3 tall men on bass, drum and trumpet, playing her heart out. If you're in the area of Notre Dame Street and de la Montagne (Mountain) any Thursday evening around 7:00 p.m, why don't you pop in? Lots of fun! Good food! Great music!
Another aspect, so notable about Cheryl’s paintings, is the sheer accomplishment in terms of quality and number of works produced. Just this year alone, she has completed 50 paintings to date. She has exhibited on 3 continents, starting as a student in London in the 60’s. Braganza collectors proudly display her canvases in the UK, Ireland, India, Pakistan, Australia, the USA and Canada. Recently, she’s been invited to exhibit in a prestigious coffee table art book, entitled: International Contemporary Masters of 2009. Another distinct honour is the invitation to participate at the International Biennale of Contemporary Art in December 2009 in Florence, Italy for which she is presently seeking a sponsor as the cost is prohibitive.
To become such an accomplished artist, Cheryl works hard at her craft, sometimes painting from dusk to early morning. And because her life is also her craft, we see her attending a song-writing workshop, taking jazz piano classes, diligently keeping in touch with her friends from her early years and those from more recent times – many of whom are here today and have earned the designation of being her « Wild and Wicked Women » friends.
Finally, I think that what touches us most about Cheryl’s paintings is hope and the respect for life that we see mirrored there--in the Goan market-woman, sitting at the side of the road, looking squarely at the viewer, in the woman, startled by the wonder of a butterfly, in the mother and her children, dancing in celebration.
Why an artist as the Montreal Woman of the year? Why not?
If, as has been said, a culture is only as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamed by artists. Then…of course!
If as German composer Robert A Schumann remarked years ago: The object of art is to send light into the darkness of men’s hearts, then, Cheryl Braganza, in all her many involvements, is using her life in the service of others.
The title of one of her smaller paintings Daring, Caring Sharing seems to embody her life philosophy and her Yes- we- can ideals. I think it fitting to end with a few words from one of her poems, written for a beloved aunt. These words are also, quintessentially, Ms Braganza, as many of us know her to be:
She is a shooting star, no not Bollywood—you know that sudden light that appears in the sky, that startles and brightens up the darkness, then disappears and reappears again and again and again…She is Andante, Grazioso, Vicace all rolled into one,…She is Ulysses the restless traveler—floating on streams of clouds, boats, planes, rickshaws, everything that moves back and forth in time—to seek, to pick, again and again and again….She is embodiment of … a heart that is overflowing again and again and again.
This is the Montréal Woman of the Year, 2008, Cheryl Braganza
(Portrait at top by Steve Campbell)
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