The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and the Sobey Art Foundation today announces the five artists who have been shortlisted for the 2015 Sobey Art Award, the pre-eminent award for contemporary Canadian Art.
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After lengthy deliberations at the Sobey Art Foundation’s Crombie House, the 2015 Jury produced a list of five remarkable Canadian artists whose work will be exhibited at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia beginning September 26, 2015. These five artists will compete for $100,000 in prize money and the winner of the top prize will be announced on the evening of October 28.
The Sobey Art Award has a prize value of $100,000 with $50,000 going to the winner and $10,000 awarded to each of the other shortlisted finalists and $500 to each of the remaining longlisted artists. The Sobey Art Award, established in 2002, is awarded to a Canadian artist age 40 and under who has exhibited in a public or commercial gallery within 18 months of being nominated. It is intended to further the national conversation about contemporary art and is widely recognized as one of the most prestigious awards for contemporary art in Canada.
The artists selected for the 2015 short list are:
· Atlantic : Lisa Lipton
· Québec : Jon Rafman
· Ontario : Abbas Akhavan
· Prairies and the North : Sarah Anne Johnson
· West Coast and the Yukon : Raymond Boisjoly,
The Shortlist of artists is not only regionally diverse but also represents artists working in a range of media and disciplines. The jurors commented on the highly professional and creative nature of the work they reviewed and there was a general sense of excitement about the art that will be exhibited at the 2015 Shortlist Exhibition for the Sobey Art Award at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
This year’s Curatorial Panel is:
· Michelle Jacques, Chief Curator, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, representing the West Coast and Yukon;
· Meeka Walsh, independent curator and Editor of Border Crossings magazine, representing the Prairies and the North;
· Crystal Mowry, Curator, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, representing Ontario;
· Mark Lanctôt, Curator Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal, representing Québec;
· David Diviney, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, representing Atlantic.
· Josée Drouin Brisebois, Curator of Contemporary art, National Gallery of Canada is the guest juror.
· Sarah Fillmore is the Curator of the Sobey Art Award and chairs the jury.
Report courtesy Sobey Art Award