Sobey Art Award leaving Art Gallery of Nova Scotia for Ottawa

After over a decade at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Sobey Art Award is leaving the province of its birth for the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

The award was created in 2002 by grocery magnate Donald Sobey as a national award for Canadian artists under 40.

It grants $90,000 each year to five Canadian artists chosen by region. A $50,000 prize goes to the winner and $10,000 to each of the runners-up.

The Sobey Art Foundation funds the prizes. AGNS staff and volunteers oversaw the process of accepting nominations and showing the winning artworks afterwards.

Lisa Bugden, interim director and CEO of the AGNS, says hosting the awards for 13 years has been a source of pride for the gallery.

"It's like seeing your child go off to university, you have mixed emotions, but in the end you're incredibly proud and that best describes how we're feeling today," she said.

Bugden said it was no surprise to the gallery when the Sobey Art Foundation made the announcement on Wednesday.

No change to award structure

"The Sobey Art Foundation has been talking for sometime about taking what has been built, the tremendous success and the award itself and helping to use that to help elevate young, contemporary Canadian artists on an international stage," she said.

In a news release, the chair of the Sobey Art Foundation, Rob Sobey, said it isgrateful to AGNS for being the original home and raising the profile of the award.

"We look forward to working with the National Gallery of Canada to build on its significance and elevate contemporary Canadian art across the country and around the world," he said.

Bugden said losing the award will mean a change to scheduling at the gallery.

"But what's important to remember is what remains here, the expertise that has been developed over the past 13 years, the incredibly robust network of contacts across the country. Thishelps position the AGNS going forward," she said.

The Sobey Art Foundation said the structure of the award will remain the same with an annual long list, short list and juried selection from across five regions of Canada.