Winners of New Generation Photography Award featured in inaugural exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada

OTTAWA, April 11, 2018 /CNW/ - The Canadian Photography Institute (CPI) of the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) presents PhotoLab 4: New Generation photography Award Exhibition from April 13 to August 19, 2018. The exhibition features the work of the winners of the inaugural New Generation Photography Award. Elisa Julia Gilmour from Toronto; Meryl McMaster from Ottawa; and Deanna Pizzitelli from Ottawa were singled out for making outstanding work in the photographic arts so early in their careers.

"This award allowed me to continue to focus my energies on creating art and enable me to forward my practice as I work on a new body of work," said Meryl McMaster.

Established in 2017, the New Generation Photography Award recognizes up-and-coming photo-based artists aged 30 and under working in Canada. Created by CPI in collaboration with its Founding Partner, Scotiabank, the Award is intended to support and advance the careers of young artists working in the photographic medium. Each artist receives $10,000 in prize money, as well as, the exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada and the opportunity to work closely with CPI curators and production staff on site.

"The Canadian Photography Institute, in partnership with Scotiabank, is proud to present the innovative work of the talented young artists awarded the 2018 New Generation Photography Award," said Ann Thomas, Interim Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Canada and former Senior Curator of CPI. "PhotoLab 4 will be on view at the same time as the exhibition The Extended Moment: Fifty Years of Collecting Photographs, providing Gallery goers a full spectrum of how generations of photographers have responded to the world around them and the inspiring dialogue that has occurred between them."

The inaugural exhibition features photographs, portraits, and video/sound installations that explore gender identity, Indigenous representation, longing, loss, spontaneity, self-discovery, and more. John Doig, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Scotiabank, describes the work in the exhibition as providing a "unique insight into how young Canadians perceive the world."

Elisa Julia Gilmour said she was honoured to have her work selected by a jury of experts and given the chance to show her work to new audiences. "It is a rare opportunity to be given the platform to exhibit for a large public, pushing the work to lead a public life of its own."

Gilmour, McMaster and Pizzitelli were selected from a longlist of 24 nominees announced in February 2018. The jury consisted of: Robert Bean, Professor of Visual Arts at NSCAD University; Stan Douglas, artist and winner of the Scotiabank Photography Award in 2013; and Elena Navarro, Director of the Foto México festival.

The winning artists will participate in education programming and artist talks at the Gallery on May 5, 2018. The work of all the longlisted nominees will be featured in an exhibition at OCAD University's Onsite Gallery as part of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival from May 12 to June 17, 2018.

"The experience of putting together two exhibitions with such major institutions is really helpful," said Deanna Pizzitelli. "You learn a lot about your field, such as installation design, institutional pathways, challenges and problem-solving related to fabrication. Because of this, I've allowed myself to think more ambitiously. Winning this prize has allowed me to think about my work on a larger scale."

Hours of operation
From May 1 to September 30, 2018, the Gallery is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, and on Thursdays from 10 am to 8 pm. Holiday exceptions apply, and hours are subject to change without notice. Please visit gallery.ca for more information.

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Tickets: $15 (adults); $13 (seniors); $7 (age 24 and under and full-time students); $30 (families: two adults and three youth, 17 and under). Admission is free for children under the age of 11 and for Members. Includes admission to the national collection, and all exhibitions excluding Impressionist Treasures. Free admission on Thursdays from 5 pm to 8 pm. To find out more.

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About the National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada is home to the most important collections of historical and contemporary Canadian art. The Gallery also maintains Canada's premier collection of European Art from the 14th to the 21st centuries, as well as important works of American, Asian and Indigenous Art and renowned international collections of prints, drawings and photographs. In 2015, the National Gallery of Canada established the Canadian Photography Institute, a global multidisciplinary research center dedicated to the history, evolution and future of photography. Created in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada has played a key role in Canadian culture for well over a century. Among its principal missions is to increase access to excellent works of art for all Canadians. For more information, visit gallery.ca and follow us on Twitter @NatGalleryCan

About the Canadian Photography Institute
The Canadian Photography Institute of the National Gallery of Canada is a multidisciplinary research centre dedicated to the history, evolution and future of photography in all its forms. The Institute was established in 2015 and officially launched in 2016. Its collections, which are regularly enriched with new donations, are built upon the National Gallery's Photographs Collection, the collection of the former Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography and the still photos of the National Film Board of Canada archives. Part of the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Photography Institute receives unprecedented support from CPI's Founding Partner, Scotiabank, the Archive of Modern Conflict (AMC) and the National Gallery of Canada Foundation. More information about the Canadian Photography Institution can be found on the Gallery's website gallery.ca/cpi.

About the National Gallery of Canada Foundation
The National Gallery of Canada Foundation is dedicated to supporting the National Gallery of Canada in fulfilling its mandate. By fostering strong philanthropic partnerships, the Foundation provides the Gallery with the additional financial support required to lead Canada's visual arts community locally, nationally and internationally. The blend of public support and private philanthropy empowers the Gallery to preserve and interpret Canada's visual arts heritage. The Foundation welcomes present and deferred gifts for special projects and endowments. To learn more about the National Gallery of Canada Foundation, visit ngcfoundation.ca and follow us on Twitter @NGC_Foundation

About Scotiabank
At Scotiabank, we aim to support organizations that are committed to helping young people reach their infinite potential. Young people are our future leaders and Scotiabank's goal is to help ensure that they have the necessary skills and resources they need to support their success. Together with our employees, the Bank supports causes at a grassroots level. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2017, Scotiabank contributed more than $80 million to help our communities around the world.

Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. We are dedicated to helping our 24 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 89,000 employees and assets of over $923 billion (as at January 31, 2018), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @Scotiabank.

SOURCE National Gallery of Canada

For media only: Josée-Britanie Mallet, Senior Media and Public Relations Officer, National Gallery of Canada, 613.990.6835, [email protected]