Gallery Artist Tamsin Sloots nominated for NSCAD Starfish Award

Ten distinguished artists have made the shortlist for NSCAD University’s Starfish Student Art Awards.

The grand prize winner will be announced at the Starfish gala on Thursday, April 20, 7 to 9 p.m. at NSCAD’s Port Campus. The winning artist is awarded the $5,000 purchase price for his or her artwork, which then becomes part of NSCAD University’s permanent collection. Nine finalists will receive $1,000.

Each of the 10 nominated works represents a different visual art discipline: drawing, printmaking, painting, sculpture, textiles, jewellery and metalsmithing, filmmaking, intermedia, ceramics, and photography.

Drum roll please! Here are the 10 finalists, the artworks and the categories in which they are nominated:

• Sculpture: Angela Arsenault (MFA 2017), Ghosts in the house, 2016, mixed media, installation;
• Painting: Carly Belford (MFA 2017), Flower Painting, 2016, 40.6 cm x 50.8 cm x 5 cm;
• Ceramics: Annabel Biro (BFA 2017), Here’s a chair! 2017, ceramics, photography, 150 cm x 150 cm x 60 cm;
• Photography Andrew Godsalve (MFA 2018) Getting To Know 500,000,000 Years in 9 Weeks and 17 Gigabytes, 2016, photographic print collage, 111.75 x 152.5 x 91.5 cm;
• Intermedia: Julie Hall (BFA 2017), Like a Flood Themselves, 2017, audio, 0:11:11;
• Drawing: Jacob Irish (BFA 2017), The Battersea Effigies, 2017, ink on paper, 110 x 76 cm;
• Jewellery Design and Metalsmithing: Ann McCosker (BFA 2017), Sub-Settler’s Duo, 2017, sterling silver, fine silver, steel cable, tourmaline, moonstone, quartz, opal, 3.3 x 7 cm, 21.5 x 19.5 x 1 cm
• Textiles: Christiane Poulin (BFA 2017), Winds of Change: a Lace-scape, textiles, seven panels each 400 cm x 102 -128 cm
• Film: Julie Simmons (BFA 2017), evanesce, 2017, experimental film
• Printmaking: Tamsin Sloots (BFA 2017), outside identity, inside you, 2016m intaglio, woodcut, chine-colle, Japanese papers, book board, cotton rag paper, dress pins, thread, 16.5 x 14 cm

Congratulations to all the finalists!

Members of our jury this year include Ingrid Jenkner, director MSVU Art Gallery; Susan Hanrahan, executive director, Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council, and Peter Kirby, Arts Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage. Melanie Colosimo, director of the Anna Leonowens Gallery, is chair of the Starfish Student Art Awards committee.

This is the eighth year for the Starfish Student Art Awards, named for presenting sponsor Starfish Properties and supported by a record number of corporate sponsors. NSCAD University is grateful for the support of property developer Louis Reznick, who initiated the awards to celebrate top talent across 10 visual arts disciplines at the university.

Special features of the gala included a "walking jewellery exhibition," a show and sale by NSCAD's Ceramics Department, and music by Not You, featuring NSCAD librarian Rebecca Young.

Established by property developer and art collector Louis Reznick and NSCAD University to recognize and promote exceptional students, the award celebrates top talent across 10 visual arts disciplines at the university.

The winning artist receives a $5,000 purchase prize, with the artwork added to a special section of the permanent President’s Collection at NSCAD University known as “The Reznick Family Art Bank.”  Nine finalists receive $1,000 each. This premier award provides young artists with vital visibility as they embark on their careers.

More details available at www.nscad.ca