News release

Artists Honoured at Creative Nova Scotian Awards Gala

Communities, Culture and Heritage (Jan. 2011 - Aug. 2021)

A celebration of excellence in Nova Scotian artistic achievements was held today Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Olympic Hall in Halifax.

The artistic theme for the 2018 Creative Nova Scotia Awards Gala was Flow, which explored the concept of water as a metaphor for artists and their creations.

The $25,000 Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterworks Arts Award, the largest annual award to any work of art in Nova Scotia, went to Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story created by Christian Barry, Ben Caplan and Hannah Moscovitch.

“I applaud Arts Nova Scotia and the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council for organizing this amazing event honouring our outstanding Nova Scotian artists,” said Leo Glavine, Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage. “The talented work shown makes our province a centre of excellence in the flourishing creative industry.”

Award winning Francophone songwriter Ronald Bourgeois of Halifax, was awarded the $25,000 Portia White Prize. Mr. Bourgeois received $18,000 and the remaining $7,000 was awarded to his chosen protégé, la Société Saint-Pierre of Chéticamp, a historical society with a mandate to promote and preserve the Acadian culture and language.

The town of Shelburne won the $10,000 Community Arts and Culture Recognition Award for integrating arts and culture into their community life.

Distinguished Mi’kmaw poet and activist Rebecca Thomas of Halifax, received the $5,000 Indigenous Artist Recognition Award for using her work as a powerful tool to share the history and culture of Indigenous peoples.

Visual artist Claude Chaloux of Belliveau Cove, Digby Co. took home the $5000 Prix Grand-Pré whose work reflects Acadian cultural values.

“I am so grateful to all of the artists, creative workers and cultural producers who are participating this year, and also to Arts Nova Scotia, our provincial arts funder and our producing partner Zed Events,” said Eryn Foster, artistic director for the gala. “This gala not only celebrates those Nova Scotians who are being awarded for their exceptional artistic achievements, but it also provides an opportunity to reflect upon the importance of the province’s vibrant, resilient and diverse community of creative minds and artistic visionaries.”

Three winners received the $5,000 Established Artist Recognition Award which recognizes professional mid-career artists:

  • performance artist anna sprague, Musquodoboit Harbour
  • dancer, choreographer and dance educator Sara Coffin, Halifax
  • composer and flutist Derek Charke, Wolfville

Two winners received the $5,000 Emerging Artist Award which recognizes artists in the early-stages of their creative careers:

  • writer-director Stephanie Clattenburg, Halifax
  • visual artist Anne MacMillan, Halifax

More information about the awards and award recipients is available at http://www.artsns.ca/creative-ns-gala/creative-ns-awards-gala-2018 .