SALT SPRING NATIONAL ART PRIZE SOCIETY

The Salt Spring National Art Prize Society (SSNAP) manages a biennial juried open competition focused on Canadian contemporary visual arts. From an intake of over 2 000 submissions approximately 50 artworks are accepted for the core national exhibition as determined by an independent jury of four eminent Canadian artists curators and collectors. The work of the finalists are exhibited for a month on Salt Spring Island. A second independent jury selects approximately 50 works produced by residents of the Gulf Islands for a 3-week exhibition running in parallel with the core SSNAP exhibition. This show recognizes and celebrates the artistic creativity and originality of local artists in a diversity of artistic genre. An associated suite of activities takes place during this festival of fine art – artist talks youth tours and events various cultural events such as panel discussions by curators and individual presentations on the role of art in society. The Society is governed by a Board of Directors and managed largely by volunteers. It is funded primarily through private donations and corporate sponsorships. The large volunteer contingent is responsible for all aspects of governance of the Society and the bulk of the operational activities including researching identification and appointment of jurors shipping and receiving of the artwork training coordination and scheduling of volunteers and managing events.