News & Events

The Walrus wins at the Advertising and Design Club awards

The Walrus Magazine was awarded four silver awards and thirteen merits at the Advertising and Design Club Directions awards on November 12. The silver awards were for:

• Art direction for a single spread: The Counterpart, Summer 2007


• Magazine cover: Lightness of Being (The Queen) by Chris Levine, December 07


• Illustration: Parallel Universe by Graham Roumieu, July/Aug 2007


• Illustration: Tunneling Through Time, Illustation by Chris Lee, Text by Jeremy Keehn, September 2007

For more information, see, the Advertising and Design Club website.

November 13, 2008 11:41 EST

The Walrus’s fifth anniversary party in Calgary

The Walrus had its fifth anniversary party at the Theatre Calgary, Epcor Centre, on October 27. Here are some photos from the event:

Above: poet Christian Bok, writer Aritha van Herk, and Michael Green

Above: Aritha van Herk

Above: Christian Bok with Aritha Van Herk

For more, read these articles from the Calgary Herald:

"Brain food on the menu at night out with Walrus"
"Bladerunner"
October 31, 2008 11:27 EST

The Walrus is in Calgary on Oct 27!
Last chance to book tickets now!

The Walrus is Coming to Calgary

Calgary, October 27, 2008, 7:00pm

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

This year is the fifth anniversary of The Walrus, and we're celebrating by taking the magazine off the page and putting it on the stage at Theatre Calgary, in the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts.

A fundraiser for the Walrus Foundation, the evening will offer a unique blend of conversation, readings and music. Hosted by author and former Calgary Herald columnist Catherine Ford, it will feature performances by six-time JUNO Award winner Colin James, as well as a provocative discussion between University of Calgary professor Aritha van Herk and Walrus writer Chris Wood about monetizing clean water and the global green shift, and readings by Jaspreet Singh and other Walrus authors.

Your ticket includes great food and drink at the pre- and post-event receptions, which will boast goodie bags and a very special silent auction.

Show your support for The Walrus by joining us for this unique event. Tickets are just $125, and tax receipts are available from the Walrus Foundation.

Buy your tickets today at Ticketmaster.ca or by phoning 403-777-0000.

Presented with the generous support of RBC, Enbridge, the Calgary Herald, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Pilsner Urquell, Pages Bookstore and Bullfrog Power.

(Please note, the ticket competition is now closed. Thanks to all entrants, and congratulations to the winners.)

September 08, 2008 91:43 EST

New Walrus Art Director

The Walrus Foundation board of directors, co-publisher/executive director Shelley Ambrose and co-publisher/editor John Macfarlane are pleased to announce today that Brian Morgan has joined The Walrus as Art Director.

Mr. Morgan is moving from Maclean's where he has worked since 2006, most recently as Deputy Art Director. He worked in the art department at The Walrus from 2004-2006.

Mr. Morgan has also been part of design teams at The Globe and Mail, CanWest Media and a score of design houses. Mr. Morgan is a graduate of the Emily Carr Institute and the Rhode Island School of Design.

"We are thrilled Brian is returning," says Macfarlane. "It's been my privilege over the years to work with some exceptionally talented art directors, and I think Brian is in their league. I'm confident he'll make The Walrus not just the most beautiful magazine in Canada but one of the most beautiful magazines in the world."

"I am looking forward to working with John Macfarlane and returning to The Walrus," says Brian Morgan. "From an art point-of-view [former Art Director] Antonio De Luca has shaped an amazing book and I hope that I can build on, and add to, the truly great work he and his colleagues have done."


August 13, 2008 13:11 EST

Arctic Expedition: September

Visit walrusmagazine.com/arctic for more.


July 23, 2008 14:57 EST

John Macfarlane appointed Interim Walrus Editor

THE WALRUS FOUNDATION
July 2, 2008, Toronto

The Walrus Foundation board of directors and publisher/executive director Shelley Ambrose are pleased to announce today that John Macfarlane has agreed to work with The Walrus magazine as part-time editor and co-publisher during the period of transition brought about by the recent resignation of editor Ken Alexander.

Mr. Macfarlane recently stepped down after 15 years as editor of Toronto Life to pursue a career as a corporate director. Toronto Life was this year's Magazine of the Year at the National Magazine Awards. Mr. Macfarlane has also worked at many other Canadian publications, including a seven-year stint as publisher of Saturday Night magazine.

"We are delighted John has agreed to help us manage this change," says Ms. Ambrose, "His experience and expertise in magazine editing and publishing is unparalleled."

"John's stepping forward at this time reflects his life-long commitment to critical writing and journalism," says Allan Gregg, chair of The Walrus Foundation board of directors. "I can think of no one who is more qualified to assist us as we strive to make The Walrus a permanent part of the Canadian cultural landscape."

"It would have been difficult for me to turn my back on The Walrus in a time of need," says Mr. Macfarlane, who will continue to serve as a member of the advisory board of St. Joseph Communications (which owns Toronto Life), and who was recently elected chairman of the board of the Canadian Journalism Foundation. "Canada needs and deserves a magazine with its literary and intellectual aspirations. It's been remarkably successful in its short lifetime. I'm simply lending a hand until we find an editor who can make it even moreso."

Last week, creative director Antonio De Luca announced to staff that, after five years, he was moving on from The Walrus to explore other creative outlets. "It has been a rich experience," says Mr. De Luca. "We have all contributed as a whole to making this magazine important and award-winning. My departure has nothing to do with anything other than my need to fulfill other creative parts that will only help me aspire to reaching my own human potential. I leave The Walrus knowing there are excellent people here to continue the incredible work we have done thus far."

"For five years I have worked directly with Antonio De Luca," says former editor Ken Alexander. "It has been a remarkable learning experience and my singular pleasure. Antonio's special insight was to realize that for The Walrus strictly representational imagery (from illustrations to photography) would fail to help lift narratives off the page; his special talent was to get artistic contributors to develop a deep understanding of the textual material, and then to produce a parallel visual narrative, a story in pictures that emboldened, enhanced, and made memorable the reading experience. For very good reason, artists love working with Antonio. He stretches them, forcing them to arrive at end products that are purposeful, beautiful, and intellectually vigorous. Antonio will be missed."

"Antonio has been with The Walrus since its inception," says publisher Shelley Ambrose. "Under his watchful eye, the magazine has won a wide array of art and design awards, the organization has trained two dozen art interns who have gone on to magazine jobs around the country, in the U.S. and abroad, and he has given The Walrus a distinctive look and feel. We'd like to thank Antonio for his dedication and wish him well in all of his future endeavours."

The Walrus is published by the charitable, non-profit Walrus Foundation and relies on readers, advertisers, foundations, private and public sector support for its survival. Donations are tax deductible. Visit walrusmagazine.com.
July 02, 2008 11:28 EST