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Barry Ace has been selected by the 2023 Sobey Art Award Jury for inclusion in the Ontario Region longlist. On April 25, 2023, the National Gallery of Canada and the Sobey Art Foundation announced the longlisted artists in their press release which was also shared on their social media accounts.

The Sobey Art Foundation and Sobey Art Award

Championing visual arts in Canada, the Sobey Art Award is one of the most generous prizes for contemporary artists in the world.

The Sobey Art Foundation was established in 1981 with the mandate to carry on the work of entrepreneur and business leader, the late Frank H. Sobey, who was a dedicated collector of investment quality Canadian art. The Sobey Art Foundation continues the work begun by Frank Sobey, preserving representative examples of 19th and 20th century Canadian art.

One of the finest private collections of its kind, the Sobey Art Foundation has assembled exemplary examples from Canadian Masters such as Cornelius Krieghoff, Tom Thomson J.E.H. MacDonald and David Milne. The collection is housed in an intimate setting at Crombie House, the former home of Frank Sobey and his wife Irene in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Tours are regularly scheduled throughout the summer months and by appointment year round.

In 2002, the Sobey Art Foundation created the Sobey Art Award and, in the few short years since its introduction, it has become Canada’s preeminent award for contemporary Canadian art. It is an annual prize given to emerging artists of any age. This year, a total of $400,000 in prize money will be awarded: $100,000 to the overall winner, $25,000 to each of the shortlisted artists, and $10,000 to the remaining long-listed artists. According to Sobey Art Foundation Chair, Rob Sobey, the Award is intended “to stimulate interest, discussion and debate regarding contemporary Canadian art and to shine a spotlight on the creative minds across this country whose energies and passions are devoted to creating that art.”

Since its inception, the Sobey Art Award and accompanying exhibition have been organized and administered by the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. In 2016, the Sobey Art Foundation entered into a partnership with the National Gallery of Canada, which organizes and circulates the exhibition.

Photo of Barry Ace: Jasmin Daigle

Press

National Gallery of Canada Sobey Art Award Press Release (April 25, 2023)

Galleries West: Long List for Sobey Art Award Announced.

e-flux: Sobey Art Award 2023 longlist.

ARTnews: Sobey Art Award Reveals Long List