VANL-CARFAC
Visual Artists Newfoundland & Labrador

For immediate release:

ST. JOHN’S NL:  (June 8th 2024) The eighteenth annual Excellence in Visual Arts Awards took place on June 7th at The Rooms in St. John’s. The EVA Awards celebrate the achievements of visual artists and recognize the significant contribution the visual arts make to the vibrant and dynamic culture of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Emerging Artist Award (sponsored by Lat49 Architecture) honors the promising start made by an emerging visual artist in the early stages of their career.  The Emerging Artist Award 2024 went to artist collective HOT 4 THE MOMENT, created by artists Georgia Dawkin and Drew Pardy.

The Mary MacDonald Award (sponsored by Perfect Day Design & Advertising) is named to honour NL’s beloved arts administrator, curator and writer Mary MacDonald, who passed away in 2017.  This award, thanks an individual or organization whose efforts have helped to sustain and build the visual arts sector.  The winner of this year’s Mary MacDonald Award is Bethany MacKenzie.  

The Critical Eye Award (sponsored by Christina Parker Gallery) celebrates the best piece of critical writing about Newfoundland art in any print or online publication worldwide. This year’s winner of the Critical Eye was Emily Critch, for her piece “L’NU/Beautiful: Jerry Evans’ Retrospective Weljesi.”   

The Tara Bryan Endurance Award (sponsored by the Tara Bryan Legacy Fund) recognizes the consistent dedication and commitment of an artist to their professional practice, and to sustained creative output and performance.  This year’s winner of the Endurance Award was artist Kathleen Knowling.

The Excellence in Fine Craft Award (sponsored by the College of the North Atlantic and the Craft Council of Newfoundland & Labrador) acknowledges individuals and groups who have made a significant contribution to the province’s craft culture in the past calendar year.  The inaugural winner of the Fine Craft Award was Ashley Hemmings. 

The Milestone Award celebrates a visual artist who has, in the last calendar year, achieved a significant milestone in their career, through exhibition or presentation, a breakthrough in their practice, or new and innovative exploration. This year’s Milestone Award went to April Allen.

For more information or to arrange interviews, contact the VANL-CARFAC office at vanlcarfac@gmail.com or 709-738-7303.

The EVA Awards are a Visual Artists Newfoundland and Labrador initiative.

 

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For immediate release: Visual Artists Newfoundland & Labrador is pleased to announce a new award category in the Excellence in Visual Arts Awards (EVA) program.  The Excellence in Fine Craft Award will promote awareness of, and provide distinction for, Fine Craft in Newfoundland and Labrador by honouring deserving artists and their work.  This exciting new award is co-sponsored by the College of the North Atlantic and the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador.

“The Excellence in Fine Craft Award is a prestigious recognition of outstanding skill, creativity, and mastery that celebrates artists who have made a significant contribution to Newfoundland and Labrador’s culture,” said Davida Smith, Dean of Academics, Applied Arts and Tourism. “College of the North Atlantic is proud to sponsor this award in partnership with the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, an exciting addition to Visual Artists Newfoundland and Labrador’s annual Excellence in Visual Arts Awards.”

“The Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador is excited to partner with the College of the North Atlantic and Visual Arts Newfoundland and Labrador to create the Excellence in Fine Craft Award,” said Melissa Tarrant, Executive Director of the Craft Council.  “The addition of this award celebrates the artistic value of fine craft in the province and recognizes craftspeople for their significant contribution to the historical and contemporary development of fine craft.”

The VANL-CARFAC Excellence in Visual Arts (EVA) Awards celebrate the achievements of visual artists and recognize the significant contribution the visual arts make to the vibrant and dynamic culture of Newfoundland and Labrador.  The winners of this year’s award will be announced at The Rooms on June 7th 2024.

To view criteria for the Excellence in Visual Arts Award or to make a nomination to the Excellence in Fine Craft Award or any of the EVA awards, visit https://vanl-carfac.com/eva-awards/eva-application-and-selection-process/ 

 

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Commission of Artwork: The Mary MacDonald Award
The 2024 Excellence in Visual Arts (EVA) Awards

Date of Call: April 2nd, 2024

To: VANL-CARFAC Membership

Description:       

VANL-CARFAC is looking to engage an artist to produce an original work to be presented as the prize for the Mary MacDonald Award.  This award is one of five awards to be presented annually as part of the EVA Awards (Excellence in Visual Art Awards). Offset reproductions will not be considered.

Eligibility:           

Artists submitting proposals must be up-to-date members of VANL-CARFAC. Individuals may become members at the time of submission. You can purchase your membership HERE.
Please, contact the VANL-CARFAC office should you need assistance.

Evaluation:         

1. The artwork must take into account the purpose behind the award, which is meant to honour an individual, group or organization whose efforts have helped to sustain and build the visual arts sector.

2. The artworks must be small in scale. As a rough guideline for applicants, we suggest that you keep proposed works within range of the following measurements:

• two-dimensional and framed works, approx. 11” x 17”

• three-dimensional works, approx. 1 ft. sq.

3. The visual artists currently sitting on the VANL-CARFAC EVA Committee will serve as the selection committee to evaluate all proposals and select the artist for this commission.

Submissions:     

Submissions can be made electronically via email to vanlcarfac@gmail.com (with ‘Mary MacDonald Artwork submission’ in the subject line) or mailed or delivered by hand to VANL-CARFAC, 155 Water St., St. John’s NL, A1C 1B3. All submissions must include the following materials:

• a short written project description, no more than one (1) page in length, stating visual art medium, materials, approximate size and concept of the proposed final artwork
• a sketch or some form of visual representation of the concept
• the artist’s CV
• up to 10 images of past work, saved as JPEGs , to be sent via email (only images of past works will be accepted, actual artworks will not be considered). This should be accompanied by a numbered image list with image title, size and medium, and the JPEG titles should include the artist name and image number (e. Smith_01)

Date of Call:  April 2nd 2024

Deadline for Proposals: April 19th, 2024

Notification of Selection: April 22nd, 2024

Final Project Delivery Date: June 3rd 2024

Fee:                          

Artist fee of $1000 (firm) to be paid for the completed artwork, payable once the artwork has been delivered. Any shipping costs are the responsibility of the artist.

Please note that VANL-CARFAC retains the right to photograph the artworks in the context of the EVA Awards Ceremony, for the purposes of display on our website, newsletter and other organization materials, including newspaper advertisements congratulating the winner of the award. The artist will be credited in all instances where the image may appear. We will not sell or licence images of the artworks for use by any other organization.

For more information about the EVA Awards program, you can view program information online at www.vanl-carfac.com or contact the VANL-CARFAC office by phone at 1-877-738-7303 or email, at vanlcarfac@gmail.com