Public Exhibition of Short-listed Works for the
Mayor's Award of Distinction,

Contemporary Visual Art

Mayor Peter Kelly and HRM’s Cultural Affairs staff invite the public to meet the artists during the opening event of a public exhibition of short-listed works for the Mayor's Award of Distinction, Contemporary Visual Art on Monday, April 27, 2009.

Opening Reception

Following the opening event, the exhibition will be open to the public each Wednesday night from 7 - 9 p.m. through June 17, 2009, with the exception of May 6.

At the conclusion of the exhibition, the works of the winner and the two honourable mentions will be purchased as part of HRM's permanent art collection to be displayed in public locations across the municipality.

Mayor's Award of Distinction,

Contemporary Visual Art

The Mayor's Award of Distinction, Contemporary Visual art seeks submissions from HRM's emerging artists to publically recognize their talent and to enhance the Municipality's permanent public art collection.

The Mayor’s Award of Distinction, Contemporary Visual Art is a both a competition and purchase program. Because the competition is a purchase program, artists must follow the procurement process outlined at www.halifax.ca/procurement/tenders3.asp to enter the competition.

The award and purchase program is an initiative outlined in HRM’s Cultural Plan adopted by Regional Council in 2006, which identified as a priority the support of local artists and the promotion of their artwork by providing opportunities for public presentation . This strategy has been made operational in the form of the Public Art Policy, approved by Regional Council in September 2008.

Quick facts about the Award/Purchase Program:

• The contest is open to HRM-based, emerging and mid-career, 2D visual artists.

• Entries must be submitted by 4:30 pm, local time, on Monday February 23, 2009.

• Submissions will be assessed and short-listed by peer jury.

• The short-listed applicants will be invited to participate in a public exhibition in Halifax Hall in Halifax City Hall

• The works of the winner and the two honourable mentions will be purchased as part of HRM’s permanent art collection to be displayed in public locations across the municipality. The other short-listed exhibitors will be paid an honorarium for their participation in the competition.

• Artists may submit three works produced in the last year (between January 2008 - end of competition, Feb. 23, 2009).

• Additional work may be included to provide conceptual background to the works submitted.

• Entrants should also include a curriculum vitae, a conceptual (backgrounding) statement about the work, image list and CD with the images (72 dpi, 6"x6").

• All short-listed works will be featured on www.halifax.ca.

Due to storage limitations, the first year is restricted to 2D visual art. In future years the competition will be open to all media (with certain spatial restrictions) in the contemporary art milieu.

Complete details and rules of the competition may be found at: www.halifax.ca/procurement/tenders3.asp

Additional information may be attained through Jamie MacLellan, HRM Cultural Affairs, 490-1039. Technical information regarding the competition can be obtained through HRM Procurement Services, Stephen Terry, 490-2175.