2016 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts Exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada

OTTAWA, March 23, 2016 /CNW/ - An exhibition featuring selected works by the winners of the 2016 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts opens on March 24^th at the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) and will be on view until September 5^th, 2016. Members of the public are invited to a free opening at the Gallery on Thursday, March 24^th starting at 5 pm, when they may visit the exhibition, organized in collaboration with the Canada Council for the Arts, and attend the opening ceremonies to celebrate the laureates,.

Rhiannon Vogl, NGC Associate Curator of Contemporary Art and organizer of the exhibition, has selected and assembled key works by Toronto photographer Edward Burtynsky; filmmaker Philip Hoffman, of Mount Forest, Ontario; textile artist Jane Kidd (Saidye Bronfman Award), of Salt Spring Island, British Columbia; visual artist Wanda Koop, of Winnipeg; visual artist Suzy Lake, of Toronto; media artist Mark Lewis, of London, U.K., and visual artist William Vazan, of Montreal. Toronto-based curator Marnie Fleming's outstanding contribution will also be highlighted. The exhibition will include both works from the national collection and loans from the laureates and private and public collections. #GGarts

"The exhibition, presented for the 15^th year in collaboration with the Canada Council for the Arts, offers visitors the chance to see some exceptional works by the great Canadians being celebrated this year. As has been the case in previous years, a good portion of these works is drawn from the national collection," said NGC Director and CEO, Marc Mayer.

To learn more about the winners, read their profiles and watch their video portraits on the Canada Council for the Arts' website.

Each year since 1999, the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts – which are funded and administered by the Canada Council for the Arts – celebrate  distinguished Canadian artists for their remarkable careers in fine or applied arts, film, video, audio and new media. One additional award honours an outstanding contributor to the visual and media arts through voluntary or professional activities, while the Saidye Bronfman Award has, since 2007, been included for distinction in fine crafts.

Opening
Members of the public are invited to attend the Opening of the exhibition at the Gallery on Thursday, March 24th, starting at 5 pm. Speeches will begin at 6 pm in the Gallery's Scotiabank Great Hall, featuring the NGC Director and CEO, Marc Mayer, Canada Council for the Arts' Director of Cabinet and Corporate Secretariat, Joanne Larocque-Poirier, and a presentation of the recipients. Admission to the Gallery and exhibition is free from 5 pm to 8 pm.

About the National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada is home to the most important collections of historical and contemporary Canadian art. The Gallery also maintains Canada's premier collection of European Art from the 14th to the 21st century, as well as important works of American, Asian and Indigenous Art and renowned international collections of prints, drawings and photographs. In 2015, the National Gallery of Canada established the Canadian Photography Institute, a global multidisciplinary research centre dedicated to the history, evolution and future of photography. Created in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada has played a key role in Canadian culture for well over a century. Among its principal missions is to increase access to excellent works of art for all Canadians. For more information, visit gallery.ca and follow us on Twitter @gallerydotca.

NGC Magazine
NGCmagazine.ca, the National Gallery of Canada's online magazine, is a frequently updated source of information on the Canadian art world and events at the National Gallery of Canada. Correspondents from across the country provide engaging and exclusive content on historical and contemporary art in Canada. This online magazine also includes interviews with artists. Read the article about the exhibition, online now.

Hours
Until April 30^th, the NGC is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursdays until 8 p.m. Open every day from May 1^st to September 30^th. The Gallery will still be open until 8 pm on Thursdays.

Admission
Admission to the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts exhibition is included in admission to the NGC Collection. Adults: $12; Seniors and full-time students: $10; youth aged 12-19: $6; families (two adults and three youth): $24. Admission is free for children under the age of 12 and for Members. Free admission Thursdays between 5 pm and 8 pm. For more information: 613.998.8888 or 1.888.541.8888.

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Canada Council for the Arts Media Kits
An electronic press kit complete with video interviews, nomination statements and event listings as well as images of the artists and their works is available on the Canada Council for the Arts' website at: http://ggavma.canadacouncil.ca/

SOURCE National Gallery of Canada

For media only: For more information about the exhibition, please contact: Josée-Britanie Mallet, Senior Media and Public Relations Officer, National Gallery of Canada, 613-990-6835 / [e-mail]; Ashley Tardif-Bennett, Canada Council for the Arts, 613-566-4414, ext. 6030 or 613-983-0847 (cell); To arrange interviews with the winners: Genesis PR, Geneviève Blouin: 514-887-8187