Canada’s prestigious Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts is a lifetime achievement award recognizing an artist’s career, body of work and contribution to the visual arts, media arts and fine craft (through the Saidye Bronfman Award) in Canada. This year, seven artists and one arts professional are being honoured in recognition of their exceptional careers and remarkable contributions to the visual arts, media arts and fine craft. The 2020 winners are: Deanna Bowen, Dana Claxton, Ruth Cuthand, Michael Fernandes, Jorge Lozano Lorza, Ken Lum, Anna Torma and Zainub Verjee, who is recognized for her outstanding contribution to the profession.
This exhibition, presented by the AGA in collaboration with the Canada Council for the Arts, presents the work of this year’s award recipients. It is a rare opportunity to see the work of these artists, who live in all parts of Canada, together in one location. The AGA is honoured to have been selected by the Canada Council for the Arts to curate and host the 2020 exhibition.
The Governor General’s Awards were created in 1999 by the Canada Council and the Governor General of Canada to celebrate Canada’s vibrant arts community and recognize remarkable careers in the visual and media arts. Over the last two decades, a total of 170 contemporary visual and media artists, and arts professionals, have been honoured.
The Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts 2020 exhibition is organized by the Art Gallery of Alberta and curated by Catherine Crowston. Presented by EPCOR, with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
For the official Award Announcement, click here. For winner bios in French, please visit fr.ggarts.ca
Please click here to read a critical text from Zainub Verjee, which accompanies her work in the exhibition.
Click here to see a virtual tour and installation images of the exhibition.
Watch artist talks here: