VANL-CARFAC
Visual Artists Newfoundland & Labrador

Announcing the Shortlists for the 2026 Excellence in Visual Arts Awards

 

Shortlists Announced for the 2026 Excellence in Visual Arts Awards

For Immediate Release: (ST. JOHN’S, NL)  The twentieth annual Excellence in Visual Arts Awards will take place on May 29th at The Rooms, St. John’s, Newfoundland. The EVA Awards are the only awards program solely dedicated to celebrating the visual culture of Newfoundland and Labrador.

This year’s EVA Awards jury reviewed submissions from across the province, representing a wide spectrum of artistic mediums and styles.  Below are the shortlists for four of the six awards – the winners of the Tara Bryan Endurance Award (Prize $2000 – Sponsored by the Tara Bryan Legacy Fund and presented in partnership with CARFAC National) and Mary MacDonald Award (Prize: $1000 and an artwork by Hayley Butler— Sponsored by Perfect Day) will be announced at the EVA ceremony. 

 

The Emerging Artist Award honours the promising start made by an emerging visual artist in the early stages of their career. Sponsored by Lat49 Architecture.  Prize: $2000

The Emerging Artist Award Shortlist

Ernest Owusu Boateng

Hadiza Bello

Emily C. Pittman

 

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.   Prize: $2000

The Milestone Award Shortlist

Nasim Makaremi Nia

Toby Rabinowitz

Melissa Tremblett

 

The Critical Eye Award recognizes a visual arts writer for an exceptional piece of writing on a NL artist in any print or online publication worldwide.  Sponsored by Christina Parker Gallery.  Prize: $2000. 

The Critical Eye Award Shortlist

Rose Bouthillier

Laurabel Mba

Rhea Rollmann

 

The Excellence in Fine Craft Award acknowledges individuals and groups who have made a significant contribution to the province’s craft culture in the past calendar year.  Sponsored by the College of the North Atlantic and the Craft Council of Newfoundland & Labrador.  Prize: $2000. 

The Excellence in Fine Craft Award Shortlist

Christian Dauble

Nathan Keil

Toby Rabinowitz

 

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 (VANL-CARFAC) initiative.

1-100 Fundraiser for the EVA Awards

Our 1–100 board is your chance to support Excellence in Visual Arts. All funds raised go towards helping make our 20th Annual Excellence in Visual Arts Awards happen!

Click HERE to contribute to this year’s 1-100 board!

Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far!

 

 

 

Call for Proposals: Mary MacDonald Award Artwork

 
 
Commission of Artwork: The Mary MacDonald Award
The 20th Annual Excellence in Visual Arts (EVA) Awards


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)

Deadline for Proposals: April 10th 2026
Notification of Selection: April 13th 2026
Final Project Delivery Date: May 22nd 2026


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, click here or contact the VANL-CARFAC office by phone at 1-877-738-7303 or email, at vanl.carfac@gmail.com

Nominations For The 20th Annual Excellence In Visual Arts Awards Are Now Open!

For 20 years the Excellence in Visual Arts Awards (EVAs) have recognized the achievements of visual artists and have celebrated the significant contribution the visual arts make to the vibrant and dynamic culture of Newfoundland and Labrador.  All artists and art lovers in the province are encouraged to submit their nominations for the 2026 Excellence in Visual Arts Awards!

There are six categories for this year’s celebrations:

the Tara Bryan Endurance Award for lifetime achievement; the Milestone Award, for an artist who has had an exceptional year; the Emerging Artist Award honours the promising start made by an emerging visual artist in the early stages of their career; the Mary MacDonald Award, which recognizes an individual or organization who has helped the growth of the sector; the Excellence in Fine Craft Award acknowledges individuals and groups who have made a significant contribution to the province’s craft culture in the past calendar year; and the Critical Eye Award, which recognizes a visual arts writer for an exceptional piece of writing on a Newfoundland and Labrador artist in any print or online publication worldwide.

Cash prizes of $2000 are attached to the awards, except the Mary MacDonald Award, whose recipient receives $1000 and an original work of art.

Applications must be received or postmarked by April 22nd. Application forms and full rules can be found here.

As the only awards program solely dedicated to celebrating the achievements of this province’s visual artists, the EVA Awards have become an exciting part of the annual cultural activities in this province. This awards program recognizes artistic excellence province-wide.

For more information about the EVA Awards, please contact us at 1-877-738-7303 or vanlcarfac@gmail.com

© VANL-CARFAC 2015