Ottawa, December 2, 2004 -- The Canada Council for the Arts announced today that the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax is the recipient of the 2004 York Wilson Endowment Award, for the purchase of Scenes from The House Dream, phase Two: 65 Footers, by contemporary Alberta-based artist David Hoffos. Since its creation in 1997, the York Wilson Endowment Award has been given annually to an eligible Canadian art museum or public gallery to assist it with the purchase of an original artwork by a Canadian artist that will significantly enhance its collection. The award, which is the result of gifts totaling $613,636 from Lela Wilson and the late Maxwell Henderson, honours the contribution of Canadian painter York Wilson by assisting Canadian institutions to acquire works by living Canadian painters and sculptors. Through the York Wilson Endowment Award, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia will be awarded $20,000 towards the acquisition of Scenes from The House Dream, phase Two: 65 Footers. The AGNS will feature the work in an exhibition beginning Dec. 9; media are invited to preview the work on Dec. 9 at 10:30 a.m. The members of the peer assessment committee for this year's award were Roger Boulet (Langley Centennial Museum, Fort Langly, BC), Judith Nasby (MacDonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph, ON), and Gemey Kelly (Owens Art Gallery, Sackville, NB). The Art Gallery of Nova ScotiaIncorporated in 1975 and with a history dating to 1908, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) is Atlantic Canada's largest art museum and home to Nova Scotia's provincial collection. The AGNS collection comprises over 10,000 works including paintings, drawings, textiles, ceramics and sculptures as well as several major loan collections including works from NSCAD University and from various departments of the province of Nova Scotia. The AGNS strives to bring the art of the world to Nova Scotia and the art of Nova Scotia to the world. This goal is achieved not only with exhibitions and programs but also with contemporary and historical collections that focus on the art of Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada, national and international artworks. David HoffosDavid Hoffos was born in Montreal in 1966 and lives and works in Lethbridge, Alberta. He received his B.F.A. with Great Distinction from the University of Lethbridge in 1994. Mr. Hoffos has maintained an active exhibition career since 1991. His film, video and installation works have been included in solo and group exhibitions in Canada, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and the United States. His most recent exhibitions include Scenes from The House Dream, TrépanierBaer Gallery, Calgary; Another City, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto. Group exhibitions in 2003-04 include Individuals, Antoni Tapies Foundation, Barcelona, Spain, and Silver; dreams, screens, and theories, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. He is the recipient of several Canada Council and Alberta Foundation for the Arts project grants, a Banff Centre Studio Residency Award, and was the runner-up for the distinguished Sobey Art Award in 2002. Mr. Hoffos is represented by the TrépanierBaer Gallery. Scenes from The House Dream, phase Two: 65 FootersScenes from The House Dream, phase Two: 65 Footers is a two channel video installation with a miniature model, mirrors, glass, three television monitors, two VCR's, tables, and a framed glass portal. Scenes from the Random House Dream exhibitions were organized in April 2003 and April 2004 by the TrépanierBaer Gallery. Both exhibitions were part of a multi-year project that TrépanierBaer Gallery and David Hoffos have committed to. Every year to 2006, four to five new scenes from this project will be launched. At the end of the cycle, Mr. Hoffos will exhibit all 20 to 25 scenes in one monumental installation. Mr. Hoffos is releasing the scenes randomly at the moment, but with a clear narrative line in mind that he will make evident at the end of the cycle when all the scenes are shown together. General InformationThe Canada Council for the Arts, in addition to its principal role of promoting and fostering the arts in Canada, administers and awards prizes and fellowships to over 100 artists and scholars annually in the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural and health sciences, and engineering. Among these are the Killam Prizes, the Killam Research Fellowships, the Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prizes, the Governor General's Literary Awards, the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts and the Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts. For more information about these awards, including nomination procedures, contact Janet Riedel Pigott, Acting Director of Endowments and Prizes, at (613) 566-4414, or 1 800 263-5588, ext. 5041; or Danielle Sarault, Acting Endowments and Prizes Officer, at (613) 566 4414, or 1 800 263-5588, ext. 4116. - 30 - Tous les documents du Conseil des Arts du Canada sont offerts en français et en anglais. Media contact: Carole BretonPublic Relations Officer1-800-263-5588 or (613) 566-4414, ext. 4523 Email this contactDonna BalkanSenior Communications Manager1-800-263-5588 or (613) 566-4414, ext. 4134 Email this contact Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (www.agns.gov.ns.ca )Jeff Gray Manager of Development(902) 424-2903grayjr@gov.ns.ca
