Sobey Art Award increases total prize value to $100,000 with Call for Nominations

HALIFAX, Jan. 27, 2014 /CNW/ - The annual total prize value for the Sobey Art Award, Canada's pre-eminent contemporary art award, has been increased to $100,000.

In addition to the $50,000 prize awarded to the winner of the Sobey Art Award, additional funding will increase the award to each of the four remaining short-listed artists to $10,000 (previously $5,000) and to introduce a $500 award to each of the remaining 20 long-listed artists.

"The Sobey Art Award was created to foster the careers of young Canadian visual artists and as such the Trustees of the Sobey Art Foundation felt it appropriate to use the funds available to give a boost to all of the long listed artists in this process," said Rob Sobey, Chair of the Sobey Art Foundation.  "Support for young Canadian artists has been the vision of the Sobey Art Award since its inception in 2002 and we felt this was the best way to enhance that mission."

The Award is presented annually to a Canadian artist age 40 or under who has exhibited work in a public or commercial art gallery within 18 months of being nominated. The 2014 Sobey Art Award will accept nominations from Feb. 1 to Feb. 28.

Sarah Fillmore, Chief Curator of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and Curator of the Sobey Art Award said: "Curators, artists, gallerists, critics - we call on you to bring forward those names you feel most passionately should be on everyone's lips."

For more information, visit: www.sobeyartaward.ca

SOURCE: Art Gallery of Nova Scotia

Media contact:
Bernard Doucet
c/o Sobey Art Foundation
[phone] ext 2301
[phone]
[email protected]

Nicole Watkins Campbell
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
[email protected]