Accomplished Cape Breton artist Mary Jane Lamond and the local community of Christmas Island have been named as finalists for two important arts and culture prizes. The 2010 Portia White Prize and the Community Arts and Culture Recognition Award will be presented at the fifth Creative Nova Scotia Awards Gala on Friday, Oct. 29 at Pier 21 in Halifax.
An independent jury of artists reviewed nominations for the Portia White Prize and identified Lamond as a finalist for the $25,000 prize, which promotes excellence, innovation and expression in the arts. Lamond is a singer and Gaelic cultural ambassador from Glendale, Inverness Co. who uses modern instrumentation and arrangements to provide a beautiful framework for Nova Scotia’s Gaelic traditions and songs. Her gripping vocal performances have earned her many Juno and East Coast Music Award nominations as well as a MuchMusic Global Groove Award.
The winner of the Portia White Prize will receive $18,000 and be asked to name an emerging artist or an arts organization to receive the $7000 protégé prize.
The $10,000 Community Arts and Culture Recognition Award, which is presented by the Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership Council, will go to one of four communities that have been selected by an independent panel. Cape Breton’s Christmas Island is known for its focus on Gaelic traditions and culture. Concerts, céilidhs, traditional milling frolics, Gaelic language classes, advocacy for Gaelic language instruction in the local school, Gaelic road signs, and cultural programming at the community centre integrate Gaelic arts and culture into the fabric of community life. The Municipality of Clare, The Region of Queens Municipality and The Town of Truro are also finalists.
The Established Artist Recognition Awards, with $5,000 going to each of the finalists, and the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterwork Arts Award of $25,000, will also be presented at the Creative Nova Scotia Awards Gala. The gala is hosted by the Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership Council.
The Creative Nova Scotia gala will begin at 6:00PM with the service of the first course of dinner in the Welcome Pavilion of Pier 21. Guests will be invited to contribute to a live participatory art project, and many pieces and images of artists’ work will be on display. At 6:45pm, guests will transition to a sit-down main course and dessert, and the rest of the evening will be filled with performances, addresses and presentations.
Performers at the event will include Janice Jackson, Compania Azule, Cartoon Conrad Productions, Sharon Hodgson, Iain Murray, The Fiddle Tree, the Maritime Centre for African Dance, Vicki Martin and the works of many more!
Tickets are $50 each.
To reserve your tickets by phone call Zed Events at: 422-6277 ext 4.
For more information including details on registration, visit www.creativenovascotia.com.
The Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership Council, in consultation with the arts and culture sector, provides advice and recommendations to guide the Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage regarding ongoing investment in Nova Scotia’s artists, cultural industries and cultural activities.
