The Lind Prize 2019

Claire Geddes Bailey

Evan Berg

Roxanne Charles

Garnet Dirksen

Jessica Johnson

Aaron Leon

Christian McGinty

Lilian Rose Smith

Ryan Stella

Weronika Stepien

Ran Zhou

On May 17, The Polygon Gallery opened a showcase of work by the finalists of the Philip B. Lind Emerging Artist Prize.

Established in 2016, the Philip B. Lind Emerging Artist Prize is awarded annually to an emerging BC-based artist working in mediums of film, photography, or video. While in past years, the Lind Prize was limited to BFA or MFA students, the 2019 competition has expanded its scope. For the first time, nominees have been accepted from outside academic institutions.

A jury consisting of writer and art collector Claudia Beck, Nanaimo Art Gallery curator Jesse Birch and BC artist Liz Magor chose 11 finalists from an outstanding selection of over 50 nominated portfolios.

On Tuesday, May 21 at an Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony, the winner of the Philip B. Lind Emerging Artist Prize was announced. We are delighted to recognise Jessica Johnson for her work Hazel Isle, a 14-minute documentary shot in Scotland, considering how the gradual loss of traditional language affects change in a rural community. Johnson has received a $5,000 prize towards producing a new project, which will be featured at an exhibition at The Polygon Gallery in 2020. An honourable mention has additionally been awarded to Claire Geddes Bailey and Garnet Dirksen. The shortlisted finalists will be on display at The Polygon Gallery until June 9.

The Philip B. Lind Emerging Artist Prize is made possible through a generous donation from Rogers Communications, in honour of Phil Lind’s commitment to the company and the communications industry over the course of 40 years.

Exhibition Tours

Tours of The Lind Prize 2019 will be hosted every Saturday at 2PM. To join the tour, meet at the ground floor lobby at 1:55PM. These tours are recommended for general visitors as an introduction to the contest and exhibition.

On Thursday, June 6 at 11am, The Polygon is pleased to offer an accessibility tour, recommended for visitors of all ages with vision loss, hearing impairment, or any other physical or social challenges. Led by an art professional, and accompanied by both a visual description guide and an ASL interpreter, this tour is designed to welcome all audiences to experience visual arts.

Tours in French and Farsi are available. See the Events page for dates and details.

Image: Jessica Johnson, Hazel Isle, 2018 (detail), single-channel video, 16mm film transferred to digital sound, 14 min

 

Presenting Sponsor Rogers Communications

This exhibition is part of The Polygon Gallery's Emerging Artist Mentorship Program, generously supported by Rbc New Logo