The Salt Spring Arts Council is looking forward to another exciting autumn ahead with the Salt Spring National Art Prize set to bring innovative visual art from across the nation to Mahon Hall.
The call for submissions to the 2021-22 biennial event opened on Jan. 1 and will close on May 31. An exhibition of the finalists’ work will take place in September and October at Mahon Hall, showcasing approximately 50 finalists chosen by a national jury.
As the arts council explains in its press material, SSNAP was established in 2015 “to recognize, showcase and publicize the accomplishments of Canadian visual artists and to advance public appreciation of visual arts. Through this initiative, we encourage Canadian artists whose work demonstrates originality, quality, integrity and creativity to submit significant pieces with a real visual impact and depth of meaning.”
The organizers have pledged to continue the program for its fourth scheduled offering even though it’s unclear how the COVID-19 pandemic might be affecting events in the fall.
“As a biennial national art prize with $41,000 in awards, we are committed to continuing our legacy and look toward mounting a live exhibition in September 2021, respecting public health protocols in place at that time,” the SSNAP committee states.
Top prize is the Joan McConnell Award and Residency for Outstanding Work, comprising $15,000 and a residency valued at $5,000. Other cash prizes will be given to jurors’ choice and people’s choice award winners, and $2,000 is awarded to the best finalist from Salt Spring Island.
Entries are open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada who were 18 years of age or older as of Jan. 1, 2020. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional works are open to consideration.
All entries must be submitted by the artists themselves. Their identity will be anonymous to the jury during finalist selection process. Submission guidelines can be found at saltspringartprize.ca/submit/.
To receive updates on the process and the awards show timeline, people can click the Keep Me Informed button on the SSNAP website at www.saltspringartprize.ca.