Quebec artist wins Sobey Award, Winnipeg duo among finalists

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This article was published 18/11/2014 (3457 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Quebecer Nadia Myre was named the winner of the 2014 Sobey Art Award Wednesday at an awards gala at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

The $50,000 award recognizes contemporary Canadian artists 40 and younger. Myre had been on the Sobey longlist the past three years, and wondered if the recognition would ever arrive.

“This is my last year to do it; I’m 40,” Myre said after the award ceremony. “I’m just really want excited, happy and proud.

“It takes a certain kind of grit to be an artist.”

Myre added that the recognition the award brings outweighs the cash prize, as the award’s reputation opens doors in famous art cities such as Paris and New York.

A five-member jury deliberated for five hours on Tuesday to decide the winner.

“Her artwork creates a symbolic image of wounding and resilience that conveys something deeply human while addressing urgent social concerns,” the jury said in a news release.

Myre is a member of the Algonquin Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, which is near Maniwaki, Que. A master’s graduate of Montreal’s Concordia University, Myre’s works have been shown at the National Gallery of Canada and the National Museum of the American Indian in New York. They will appear in the 2014 Shanghai Bienniale.

The Winnipeg team of Neil Farber and Michael Dumontier were among the five finalists, which earned them a $10,000 prize.

An exhibit that includes submissions from all five finalists is on display at the WAG. This year is the first time the Sobey Art Award has been presented west of Ontario.