The "Ica Pas Artist Scholarship Award" has been created by Barbara Pascaluta in partnership with Toronto Community Housing (TCH) Revitalization Team and Workman Arts with the purpose to celebrate artists who use their art to overcome challenges. It was inspired by the life and legacy of Ecaterina Pascaluta "Ica Pas” who was also a decades long TCH tenant, with the intent of uplifting and honoring artists by helping to utilize the power of their art to highlight and overcome injustices, challenges, and barriers. This scholarship looks to provide artists facing systemic barriers with some finances, training, and showcasing supports to further advance their artistic journey and practice.
Ecaterina Pascaluta "Ica Pas" was born in Iași, a Moldovan region of Romania on January 28, 1931. She grew up in the Romanian capital of Bucharest where she began her art journey. Throughout her studies and practice at the Fine Arts Institute in Bucharest, Ica was inspired by many art forms, artists, and cultures, though her biggest inspiration was drawn from the Dada Art Movement and many events of the times. Ica Pas never stopped creating art in various forms until her final days, a true artist who often used her very limited funds on art materials, books, and trips to the museum, immersing herself in the creation of art to make sense of the world and overcome internal and external struggles.
This award is dedicated to Ica Pas and all the other artists in TCH buildings who may fight silent battles and use their art to overcome and make it through another day.
This scholarship award supports Toronto Community Housing tenant artists' in further developing and advancing their artistic practices by providing the following support:
- $200.00 cash prize award.
- Membership training at Workman Arts.
- Inclusion of one (1) artwork in the annual juried Being Scene exhibition 2026.
To be eligible to apply applicants must:
- Be a tenant at one of the Toronto Community Housing buildings.
- Use art to move through challenges and barriers.
- Have an ongoing art practice (emerging, mid-career, established artist).
- Submit images of your artwork and a complete application form.
If you have any questions about the "Ica Pas Artist Scholarship Award" please contact Fatma Hendawy fatma_hendawy@workmanarts.com or Olivia Deresti olivia_deresti@workmanarts.com
If you need help filling out this application please contact info@workmanarts.com or call at 416-583-4339 Ext. 4
To book an appointment to use the computer lab at 250 Davenport Rd. Please contact Cheuk Him Lui (Isaac) lui_c@cotainspires.ca