For the first time in Western Canada, the WAG is honoured to host the exhibition of shortlisted artists for the Sobey Art Award—the pre-eminent award for contemporary Canadian art. Announced November 19, the recipient of the 2014 Sobey Art Award is Nadia Myre of Québec.
Myre was chosen from a shortlist that includes:
West Coast and the Yukon: Evan Lee
Prairies and the North: Neil Farber and Michael Dumontier
Ontario: Chris Curreri
Atlantic: Graeme Patterson
Members of the 2014 Curatorial Panel:
Jordan Strom, Curator, Exhibitions and Collections, Surrey Art Gallery, British Columbia
Paul Butler, Curator of Contemporary Art, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Manitoba
Srimoyee Mitra, Curator of Contemporary Art, Art Gallery of Windsor, Ontario
Marie-Eve Beaupré, Conservatrice de l'art contemporain, Musée national des beaux arts, Québec
Pan Wendt, Curator, Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Prince Edward Island
The Sobey Art Award: The New Masters
Over two shows, CBC's DEAS will profile the five regional finalists. The programs air at 9 p.m. (9:30 p.m. NT) on December 15 & 22, 2014, and are produced in partnership with The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. Listen to Part 1 here.
About the Sobey Art Award:
The Sobey Art Award was created in 2002 by the Sobey Art Foundation. It is an annual prize given to an artist age 40 and under who has exhibited in a public or commercial art gallery within 18 months of being nominated. A total of $100,000 in prize money is awarded annually; $50,000 to the winner; $10,000 to the other four finalists; and $500 to each of the remaining longlisted artists. Since its inception, the Sobey Art Award and accompanying exhibition have been organized and administered by the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
About the Sobey Art Foundation:
The Sobey Art Foundation was established in 1981 with a mandate to carry on the work of entrepreneur and business leader the late Frank H. Sobey, of collecting and preserving representative examples of 19th and 20th century Canadian art. One of the finest private collections of its kind, the Sobey Art Foundation has assembled exemplary works from Canadian Masters like Cornelius Krieghoff, Tom Thomson, and J.E.H. MacDonald.
About the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia:
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is the largest art museum in Atlantic Canada, with a mission to engage people with art. The Gallery houses the province’s art collection and offers a range of exceptional exhibitions, education, and public programming.