Nominations Open for Provincial Arts Prizes, Awards

Tourism, Culture and Heritage
July 10, 2009

Nova Scotia’s vibrant creative community is being celebrated with several well-known provincial arts and culture prizes and awards.

The prizes will be awarded at the fourth annual Creative Nova Scotia Conference and Awards Gala on Oct. 24 in Yarmouth.”Communities across Nova Scotia benefit from the creativity of our artists and performers,” said Percy Paris, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage. “It is important that we recognize their creative excellence and acknowledge that they make our province a better place.”

Nominations are being accepted for:

— Portia White Prize, deadline Wednesday, July 15: It is the province’s largest and most prestigious cultural award and recognized as one of Canada’s major awards in the arts. The recipient must be an established artist, born in Nova Scotia or a resident for the past four years. The $18,000 prize includes the opportunity to name an emerging Nova Scotian artist or cultural organization for a protégé prize of $7,000.

— Prix Grand Pré, deadline Saturday, Aug. 15: It is an annual award of $2,000 for an established creative or interpretive Acadian Nova Scotian artist. It recognizes artists in performing arts and film, visual arts and crafts, and literary arts, whose work reflects Acadian cultural values and traditions, while demonstrating excellence and originality.

— Community Arts and Recognition Award, deadline Tuesday, Sept. 15: It is presented annually by the Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership Council to a community that demonstrates the value it places on arts and culture in community life. Funded from the Nova Scotia Arts Endowment Fund, the award has a cash value of $10,000.

— Established Artists Recognition Award, deadline Tuesday, Sept. 15: It is presented annually by the Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership Council to five artists considered to be in mid-career. Funded from the Nova Scotia Arts Endowment Fund, each award has a cash value of $5,000.

“By recognizing those who contribute to the development of our arts and culture sector, we encourage others to pursue excellence, too,” said Joella Foulds, chair of the Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership Council. “That plants the seeds of future creativity and accomplishment.”

For more information, or to obtain a nomination form, visit www.gov.ns.ca/tch or contact Peter Kirby at 902-424-3422 or kirbypc@gov.ns.ca.

Media Contacts: Michael Noonan
Tourism, Culture and Heritage
902-424-1593
E-mail: noonanmg@gov.ns.ca

Joella Foulds
Nova Scotia Arts and Culture
Partnership Council
902-578-1258
E-mail: joella@celtic-colours.com