Sobey Art Award Gets Richer
This year's Sobey Art Award will see more cash than ever before transferred into the hands of visual artists aged 40 and under.
The prestigious prize, now in its 20th year, will hand out a total of $400,000 in prize money, thanks to an increase to $10,000 for each of the 20 artists on the long list, says Rob Sobey, the chair of the Sobey Art Foundation.
“The Sobey Art Award is designed to seek out and promote the work of young artists across the country” says Sobey. “Every year we work with jurors and artists to improve the award’s structure and impact."
This year, the overall winner will take home $100,000, while each of the other four shortlisted candidates will receive $25,000.
In recent years, artists on the long list have received $2,000 each. But last year, because of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers simply awarded each artist on the long list $25,000, with no overall winner.
The prize, jointly administered by the foundation and the National Gallery of Canada, celebrates the careers of emerging Canadian artists. An exhibition of the shortlisted artists is planned for the National Gallery in the fall.
Nominations are open until March 5.
Source: National Gallery of Canada
