VANL-CARFAC
Visual Artists Newfoundland & Labrador

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.

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!

For Immediate Release:  February 18th, 2026 — Visual Artists Newfoundland and Labrador (VANL-CARFAC) is pleased to announce Luca Apel as the recipient of the 2026 Pivotal Point Grant.

Luca Apel is a sculptor and installation artist based in St. John’s who works with scavenged and off-cut wood to create works inspired by physiology and his heritage as a Polish immigrant. The Pivotal Point grant is in support of a trip to the Carving Studio and Sculpture Centre in West Rutland, Vermont. This trip is meant to build on his current practice, with workshops on new techniques in wood sculpture and in carving in alabaster, limestone and marble.

“I’m compelled to push the boundaries of my technical abilities, while also realizing that this means overcoming substantial technical challenges.” Luca said.  “At a certain scale wood sculptures begin to exceed the size of available trees – especially here in Newfoundland—but joinery makes that possible.   The Carving Studio and Sculpture Centre is one of the few places where I can learn both advanced woodworking joinery and stone carving together.  I can create my own pieces with hands-on mentorship from a skilled professional and access to the sorts of specialized tools and safety equipment that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive.”

“Luca’s application articulated with exceptional clarity how pivotal this grant would be to the evolution of his practice,” said this year’s jury. “Having only recently transitioned from two-dimensional carving to freestanding wood sculpture, and now beginning to work in stone, he stands at a significant moment of growth. This opportunity offers an ideal context in which to both deepen and expand the skills he has so thoughtfully developed, while applying them within an entirely new medium. Luca’s work is already distinguished by its remarkable detail and expert craftsmanship, and the jury is eager to see the compelling directions his practice will take from here.”

For media enquiries, please contact VANL-CARFAC at vanlcarfac@gmail.com or (709)-738-7303

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