The Victoria Arts Council presents the Salt Spring Island National Art Prize Winners Exhibition
12 January – 12 February 2022
Location: Victoria Arts Council, Main Gallery: 1800 Store Street
Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, noon to five pm
Admission: By donation
Once again, the Victoria Arts Council is partnering with Salt Spring Island National Art Prize to exhibit the winners from the fifteen categories of their biennale juried competition.
SSNAP was established in 2015 to recognize, showcase, and publicize the accomplishments of Canadian visual artists. Chosen from a pool of over fifty finalists, the 2021 grand prize of $20,000 was awarded to Vancouver photographer Kriss Munsya, who says his work “juxtaposes experiences of the past with desires of the future. It is a story of change and transformation that centers on a black man revisiting experiences that have been normalized in critical reflection of internalized supremacy. Things that at the time he thought were normal now have new meaning, and he wants to share the lessons within. He wants to erase those racially charged traumas to change his future. However, memory is not easy to manipulate! Digging into the past always brings up unexpected things.”
The exhibit at the VAC will include carving, photography, sculpture, installation, and painting as well as drawing and highlight the winners from various categories along with highlights from the Parallel Art Show that focuses on artists living and working in the Gulf Islands.
Participating artists include: Charles Choi, Michael NF Cywink, David Gluck, Jacqueline Huskisson, Connie Kuhns, Virginia Morgan, Kriss Munsya, Sherry Park, Klehwetua Rodney Sayers, Erin Stagg, Susan Benson, Garry Kaye, Liljana Mead Martin, Peter McFarlane.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Victoria art audiences to see high caliber work from across the country.” states Kegan McFadden, Executive Director of the VAC
The partnership, now two years running, makes the VAC the only place on Vancouver Island where this exhibit can be seen. Following the Victoria presentation of these fifteen artists, the show will tour to Vancouver.
Image credit: Kriss Munsya, Dreams Tonite. Highway Reflections, The Eraser. Edition 2 of 3 | 43.75″ x 35″ | Digital photography, C-print mounted on dibond.
Winner of SALT SPRING PRIZE / THE JOAN McCONNELL AWARD & RESIDENCY FOR OUTSTANDING WORK