News release

2006 Portia White Prize Nominations Being Accepted

Tourism, Culture and Heritage (Dec. 2003 - Jan. 2011)

Members and supporters of the province's arts and cultural community have until Sept. 15 to nominate outstanding Nova Scotia artists for the 2006 Portia White Prize.

The Portia White Prize promotes excellence, innovation and expression in the arts by honouring artists who make a significant contribution to the province's cultural life.

It is the province's largest and most prestigious cultural award and recognized as one of Canada's major awards in the arts. The recipient receives a prize of $18,000 and the opportunity to name an emerging Nova Scotian artist or cultural organization for a protégé prize of $7,000.

Nominees must be established artists, either born in Nova Scotia or a resident in the province for the past four years. Nominated artists must have had a significant impact on the province's cultural life, be currently active in their practice and agree to be nominated.

All nominations are reviewed by a peer review committee. The committee is made up of current leaders in cultural development who are representative of the province's cultural and geographic diversity. The names of the committee members will be made public when the recipient of the prize is announced this fall.

Past Portia White Prize winners include writer and poet George Elliot Clarke, musician and conductor Georg Tinter, visual artist Gary Neil Kennedy, writer Alistair MacLeod, filmmaker Sylvia Hamilton, visual artist Charlotte Wison-Hammond, and theatre artists Jim Morrow and Walter Borden, all of whom excelled in their disciplines and attained professional stature and recognition.

Portia White was a Nova Scotian who rose through adversity to achieve international acclaim as a classical singer on the stages of Europe and North America. After retiring from the stage, Portia devoted her time to teaching and coaching young singers. Her achievements continue to instill pride in the African Nova Scotian community and stand as a model to all Nova Scotians.

For more information on the Portia White Prize or to obtain a nomination form, see the department's website at www.gov.ns.ca/dtc or contact Lois Ward at 902-424-6392 or by e-mail at wardlm@gov.ns.ca .