HALIFAX, Oct. 15 /CNW/ - Canada's premier art award for contemporary
young artists, the Sobey Art Award, presented by Scotiabank, was awarded to
Michel de Broin of Quebec, at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia this evening as
the members of Canada's arts community gathered to celebrate the passion and
talent of this country's young artists.
    "Michel de Broin's work raises questions of the body and society while
engaging sculptural tradition, with ideas of resistance manifested in a
physical way," noted the jury panel. "Through paradox and inversion, he turns
systems against themselves so as to make their invisible properties visible.
His work is non-canonical, highly individual, inventive and original."
    Michel de Broin, age 37, was born in Montreal, Quebec. M. de Broin
presently lives and work in Montreal and Berlin and has a Masters in Fine Arts
from the Université de Québec à Montréal, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from
Concordia University. He is represented by Galerie Pierre-François Ouellette
art contemporain and was selected from among five shortlisted artists from
across Canada.
    "We are extremely proud that the Sobey Art Award continues to showcase
the best in contemporary Canadian art," said Donald Sobey, Chairman, Sobey Art
Foundation. "Our congratulations are extended to the winner, Michel de Broin,
and to all of the shortlisted artists. They are to be celebrated for their
passion in creating works that push limits, challenge perceptions, provoke
debate, excite our senses and ultimately stimulate interest in Canadian art."
    "This is Scotiabank's second year as presenting sponsor of the Sobey Art
Award - and we are proud to celebrate Canadian contemporary arts and culture,
and to provide young artists from coast to coast to coast with an opportunity
to present their work nation-wide," said Jane Nokes, Director, Scotiabank
Corporate Archives and Fine Art. "This is another way that Scotiabank is able
to support and enrich our communities by giving back to the places we live and
work. We are very proud of the contribution that the Sobey Art Award is making
to Canada."
    The Sobey Art Award, Canada's premier art award for contemporary young
artists, awards $50,000 to an artist under 40 years of age who has shown their
work in a public or commercial art gallery within 18 months of being
nominated. A panel of five curators, representative of each of the five
regions, met on May 15th and 16th, 2007 to take a national long list of 25
artists to a shortlist of five.
    The exhibition featuring the five shortlisted artists is on display until
December 2, 2007 at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. Next year's Sobey Art
Award exhibition will be located in Toronto.
    In 2002, the Sobey Art Foundation created the largest art award for a
Canadian artist under 40 years of age. In 2006, a partnership with Scotiabank
was established and the Sobey Art Award and exhibition are now celebrated
annually. The Sobey Art Award is a celebration of the passion and talent of
Canada's young contemporary artists.
    The Sobey Art Foundation was established in 1981 with a mandate to carry
on the work of entrepreneur and business leader, the late Frank H. Sobey, of
collecting and preserving representative examples of 19th and 20th century
Canadian art. One of the finest private collections of its kind, the Sobey Art
Foundation has assembled exemplary examples from Canadian Masters like
Cornelius Krieghoff, Tom Thomson and J.E.H MacDonald. The collection is housed
in an intimate setting at Crombie House, the former home of Frank Sobey and
his wife Irene in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Tours are regularly scheduled
throughout the summer months and by appointment year round.
    Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live
and work, both in Canada and abroad. Recognized as a leader internationally
and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic
activities, in 2006 the Bank provided more than $42 million in sponsorships
and donations to a variety of projects and initiatives, primarily in the areas
of healthcare, education and social services. Scotiabank is on the World Wide
Web at www.scotiabank.com.

    /NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available on
    the CNW Photo Network and archived at http://photos.newswire.ca.
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