The 12 recipients of awards at the NEXT! Competition and guests were invited to a celebratory dinner November 2. I was again honoured by being asked to be one of the 3 artists who fielded a Q & A session. Michael Zarowsky, the winner of the Sedi-Mayer-Katz Award and Kathe Merilovich, recipient of the Cherry Carnon Award III were also on the panel. A few of the topics discussed included differing approaches to the canvas, what warrants the definition of 'abstract', and different and varied marketing strategies.