Vancouver Emerging Artist Award

The Contemporary Art Society of Vancouver (CASV) has announced an Emerging Artst prize, that comes with a cash award of $3,000, to encourage and support artists within the first five years of their careers.   

The prize will be the only one of its kind selected through an open competition.  “There are other artist prizes awarded in Vancouver, but those are by nomination only, and focus on mid-career or senior artists,” explained CASV President, Rachel Lafo.  “We wanted to provide emerging artists with a chance to showcase their work and receive financial support to enable them to keep on working.”  

The prize is open to artwork in all media by artists residing in the Lower Mainland. The prize defines an emerging artist as someone who has completed training, is in the first five years of an artistic career and has had at least one exhibition at an artist-run centre, public gallery, or commercial gallery.  A jury will select five finalists whose work will be exhibited at Access Gallery in Vancouver in late Spring 2012.   

The prize is entirely funded by CASV memberships and donations.  The CASV is a not-for-profit membership-based organization that focuses on promoting an appreciation and understanding of Contemporary Art.  Members enjoy studio visits, art trips, and lectures by prominent artists, critics, collectors, designers, architects and fine art professionals from North America and abroad. Founded in 1977, the Society has sponsored talks by such acclaimed artists and curators as Andy Warhol, Arthur Erickson, Agnes Martin, Germano Celant, Richard Prince, Jessica Stockholder, Ken Lum, Wanda Koop, Roy Arden, Gordon Smith and many others. 

For more information about eligibility and how to apply, please see the CASV website at http://www.casv.ca and click on the Emerging Artist’s Prize link.