Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia Announces Masterworks Award

Lt.-Gov. Myra Freeman announced today, July 5, the creation of a new annual award to recognize the most significant masterwork of artistic creation or interpretation by a Nova Scotian artist or group.

The award will recognize, reward and encourage excellence in all creative media and highlight the achievement of artists who have a strong connection to Nova Scotia.

The award is valued at $25,000 and will be managed by a volunteer board of directors through the recently created Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Arts Award Foundation.

The first award will be presented in early 2006. The foundation will announce a short-list of five finalists who made a special contribution to Nova Scotia's cultural life in the previous year. By making the short list public, the foundation hopes to create more public interest and media involvement in the arts. The five finalists will be involved in a four-month process of display, presentation and discussion of their nominated works.

"In creating this award, I wish to recognize the many talented artists from our province and help create a dialogue about the contemporary arts and their importance to our society. The Masterworks Award will allow us to pay tribute to work created by Nova Scotian artists," said the lieutenant-governor.

Retired chief justice Constance Glube, chair of the foundation's board of directors, said the board is working to secure funding from the private and corporate sector to support the future of the Masterworks Award.

An independent selection committee will be formed annually to choose the five finalists and select the award recipient.

The Masterworks Award will be given in recognition of a work created by an individual artist or a collective group of artists. A commemorative award will be designed and produced by the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University. "We are excited about the development of this award, and acknowledge the lieutenant-governor's support of the arts during Her Honour's time in office," said Ms. Glube. "There will now be a permanent commemoration of Her Honour's support that will continue her commitment to the arts."

Local artist Dawn MacNutt commented that, "The Nova Scotian arts community is excited about the creation of the Masterworks Award. It is a wonderful legacy of Her Honour's support of the arts during her time in office, and it will lead to increased public awareness of the arts sector in our province."

The newly appointed board of directors includes Wayne Boucher, Annapolis Royal; Bernd Christmas, Membertou; Joella Foulds, Sydney; Fred Fountain, St. Margaret's Bay; Lee Lewis, Wolfville; Greg Silver, D'Escousse, and Ron Bourgeois, Judy Campbell, Joan Craig, Shauntay Grant, Tim Matthews, Barbara Richman, all of Halifax.