Sobey Art Award Long List Announced
The Sobey Art Foundation and the National Gallery of Canada have revealed the long list of nominees for the 2018 Sobey Art Award, Canada’s prestigious contemporary art prize for emerging artists.
Established in 2002 by the Sobey Art Foundation, the the award aims to promote new developments in contemporary Canadian art and provide opportunities for artists by bringing them national and international attention.
A total of $240,000 is awarded: $100,000 to the overall winner, $25,000 to each of the four shortlisted artists, and $2,000 to each of the remaining 20 artists on the long list. In addition, three nominees from the long list will take part in national and international art residencies funded by the Sobey Art Foundation and the Donald R. Sobey Foundation. This is the first year the international residency program is being offered.
The curatorial jury selected the long list of 25 artists from 100 nominations:
WEST COAST & YUKON
Hannah Jickling and Helen Reed
Arvo Leo
Krista Belle Stewart
PRAIRIES & THE NORTH
Joi T. Arcand
Przemek Pyszczek
Elif Saydam
ONTARIO
Sameer Farooq
Maggie Groat
Life of a Craphead
Nep Sidhu
QUÉBEC
Adam Basanta
Sophie Bélair-Clément
Julie Favreau
Yann Pocreau
Jon Rafman
ATLANTIC
Lisa Lipton
Jerry Ropson
Lou Sheppard
D’Arcy Wilson
The 2018 international jury, chaired by National Gallery of Canada’s senior curator of contemporary art, Josée Drouin-Brisebois, is composed of curators from five designated regions in Canada, as well as one international juror: Heather Igloliorte, an independent curator and Concordia University research chair in Indigenous art history and community engagement, for the Atlantic Provinces; Jean-François Bélisle, executive director and chief curator, Musée d’art de Joliette, for the Quebec region; November Paynter, director of programs, Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada, for the Ontario region; Kristy Trinier, an independent curator, for the Prairies and the North region; Melanie O’Brian, director, Simon Fraser University Galleries, for the West Coast and Yukon; and international juror, Séamus Kealy, director, Salzburger Kunstverein.
“I am thrilled that we received more nominations this year than ever before, and I’d like to recognize the role of the nominators in introducing us to artists and practices that we are not yet familiar with,” said Drouin-Brisebois.
The Sobey Art Award’s short list of nominees will be announced May 29. The winner will be announced Nov. 14.
The work of the five Sobey Art Award finalists will be featured in a special exhibition at the National Gallery from Oct. 3 to Feb. 10. The exhibition of finalists alternates each year between the National Gallery and other arts institutions across the country.
About the Sobey Art Award
The Sobey Art Award is awarded to a visual artist age 40 and under who has exhibited in a public or commercial art gallery within 18 months of being nominated. Past award recipients include Jeremy Shaw, Brian Jungen, Jean-Pierre Gauthier, Annie Pootoogook, Michel de Broin, Tim Lee, David Altmejd, Daniel Barrow, Daniel Young and Christian Giroux, Raphaëlle de Groot, Duane Linklater, Nadia Myre and Abbas Akhavan. The 2017 winner was Ursula Johnson.
Source: National Gallery of Canada
