2015 shortlist announced
Five jurors from each of Canada’s regions convened at the Crombie Collection in Abercrombie, Nova Scotia to select the Short List for the 2015 Sobey Art Award. Each region had presented a longlist of five artists which had also been agreed upon by the jurors last April and after a full day’s discussion the panel was able to produce a list of five remarkable Canadian artists whose work will be exhibited a the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia beginning September 26, 2015.
On October 28 the jurors will reconvene in Halifax to select the single artist who will be the recipient of the 2015 Sobey Art Award, Canada’s pre-eminent art award. These five artists will compete for 100,000 CAD in prize money and the winner of the top prize will be announced on the evening of October 28.
The artists selected for the short list are:
–Lisa Lipton, Atlantic provinces
–Jon Rafman, Quebec
–Abas Akhavan, Ontario
–Sarah Anne Johnson, Prairies and the North
–Raymond Boisjoly, West Coast and the Yukon
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 At Gallery, representing Ontario
–Mark Lanctôt, Curator Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal, representing Québec
–David Diviney, Curator of Exhibitions, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, representing the Atlantic Provinces
More information about the nominees is available at www.sobeyartaward.ca.
Media contact: Bernard Doucet, Director, Corporate Affairs, Sobeys
115 King St., Stellarton, Nova Scotia
T +902 752 8371 x 2301 / bernard.doucet [at] sobeys.com
Leslie Tinkham, Director, Development, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
T +902 424 0073 / leslie.tinkham [at] novascotia.ca
About the Sobey Art Award
The Sobey Art Award, Canada’s pre-eminent award for contemporary Canadian art, 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 CAD in prize money is awarded annually; 50,000 CAD to the winner; 10,000 CAD to the other four finalists; and 500 CAD 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. For information visit: www.sobeyartaward.ca.
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 examples 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. For information visit: www.artgalleryofnovascotia.ca.
