The Hnatyshyn Foundation is seeking nominations for the 2025 William and Meredith Saunderson Prizes for Emerging Artists!

About the prizes:

The Saunderson Prizes consist of three awards of $10,000 dollars each for young emerging Canadian visual artists whose practices show potential and who are deemed to have the determination and talent to contribute to the legacy of art in Canada. Previous laureates include Séamus Gallagher (2024), Lan “Florence” Yee (2023), Esmaa Mohamoud (2018), Audie Murray (2018), Tau Lewis (2017), Bridget Moser (2015), and many other exceptional artists who have gone on to enjoy illustrious careers and continue to exhibit their work nationally and internationally.

Who can submit a nomination:

Representatives of public and private galleries, fine arts training institutions, and artist-run-centres, are invited to submit a nomination. An institution may only nominate one candidate per year.

Deadlines:

- Deadline to nominate a candidate: April 14th

- Deadline for candidates to submit their materials: May 7th

To be eligible for a Saunderson Prize, candidates must be:

- Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada;

- Aged 35 years or less as of December 31 of the current year;

- Emerging professional artists, which we define as having approximately 3 to 7 years of professional practice.

Candidates must also have:

- A body of work that incorporates specialized training (not necessarily gained at an academic institution);

- A public presence and peer recognition;

- The determination and talent to contribute to the legacy of art in Canada;

- Had their work featured in at least two curated shows or public collections in Canada in the last five years.

- Current undergraduate and college students are not eligible for a Saunderson Prize.

How to submit a nomination:

Representatives from qualified institutions are invited to send a letter of nomination to the Foundation at [email protected] with the subject line “Saunderson Prize Nomination (Candidate Name)” by April 14th 2025.

The letter of nomination must include:

- The nominator’s title at the institution;

- The nominator’s phone number;

- The candidate’s current city of residence and/or work;

- The candidate’s email address and phone number;

- A brief bio of the artist and/or a web link where their bio may be found;

- An explanation of why, in the nominator’s opinion, the candidate is deserving of a Saunderson Prize;

- Confirmation that the candidate has been notified of their nomination and consented to the nominator sharing their information with The Hnatyshyn Foundation.

Adjudication:

Laureates will be selected by an independent jury composed of a Canadian mid-career artist and a Canadian mid-career curator. All selections are final. All candidates will be contacted with their results in June or July of 2025.

Runner-up prizes:

In addition to the three first-place prizes of $10,000, the three runners-up will receive a finalist’s award of $3,000.