Artists-Run Art Spaces And Galleries From Across Canada Invited To Apply For The 2023 Lacey Prize
Call for applications now open
The National Gallery of Canada (NGC) invites artists-run centres and community-focused galleries from cities and towns from across Canada to submit their applications for the 2023 Lacey Prize. In its third edition since its inception in 2019, the Prize provides financial assistance and recognizes the essential contributions of these art organizations to Canada’s cultural sector. The first-place winner will receive $50,000, and two runners-up will receive $20,000 each. The deadline to submit applications is Sunday, September 24, 2023.
The three winners will be selected by an independent jury and announced in early December 2023. For more information and to download the application form, visit: https://www.gallery.ca/about/prizes/lacey-prize.
“Artist-run centres and community galleries play a vital role in Canada’s vibrant visual arts scene,” said Josée Drouin-Brisebois, Senior Manager, National Outreach, National Gallery of Canada. “They support artists and innovative artistic practices in significant ways, and foster advancement in contemporary art. They are part of the fabric of local communities while extending their reach nationally and beyond. The Lacey Prize not only recognizes their outstanding work and contribution, but also provides the winners with the financial support to help them pursue their mission.”
Funded through a gift by Dr. John Lacey and his late wife Naomi, and supported by the National Gallery of Canada Foundation, the biennial Prize was launched in 2019 in partnership with the NGC. The Lacey Prize also facilitates a more active relationship between these centres and the National Gallery of Canada, with a contemporary art curator travelling from Ottawa to visit the winning centre and local artists.
“The National Gallery of Canada is honoured to support the Lacey family’s commitment to empowering the work of Canada’s artist-run centres and community-focused galleries,” said Lisa Turcotte, Chief Executive Officer, National Gallery of Canada Foundation. “True visionaries and Distinguished Patrons, Dr. John Lacey and his late wife, Naomi, through their establishment of the Lacey Prize, continue to make lasting impact to organizations which will shape the future of Canada’s vibrant contemporary art community.”
Previous Lacey Prize recipients
Hamilton Artists Inc., located in Hamilton, Ontario, and known as “The Inc.”, was the recipient of the inaugural Lacey Prize in 2019. Blinkers Art and Project Space, located on the land space marked as Treaty One Territory also known as Winnipeg, in Manitoba, was the winner of the 2021 edition.
“Small organizations such as ours strive to create lively spaces where artists can experiment and grow within their own communities while still participating in a broader dialogue with Canadian art as a whole. The national recognition of the Lacey Prize confirms the scope and reach of the work artists do here. At the same time, the award has emboldened our organization to continue taking risks while providing financial support to help us persevere through difficult times,” said Derek Jenkins, Executive Director, Hamilton Artists Inc.
There are more than 180 artists-run centres in the visual and media arts, contemporary craft and architecture, throughout Canada.
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For media only: for more information, please contact:
Josée-Britanie Mallet
Senior Officer, Media and Public Relations
National Gallery of Canada
[email protected]
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About the National Gallery of Canada
Ankosé: Everything is Connected | Tout est relié
The NGC is dedicated to amplifying voices through art and extending the reach and breadth of its collection, exhibitions program, and public activities to represent all Canadians, while centering Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Ankosé—an Anishinaabemowin word that means “everything is connected”—reflects the Gallery’s mission to create dynamic experiences that open hearts and minds, and allow for new ways of seeing ourselves, one another, and our diverse histories, through the visual arts. The NGC is home to a rich contemporary Indigenous international art collection, as well as important collections of historical and contemporary Canadian and European art from the 14th to the 21st century. Founded in 1880, the NGC has played a key role in Canadian culture for more than 140 years.
To find out more about the Gallery’s programming and activities, visit gallery.ca and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. #Ankose #EverythingIsConnected #ToutEstRelié.
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.