Ottawa, February 15, 2017 – Today the Canada Council for the Arts announced the winners of the 2017 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts. The awards carry a $25,000 cash prize and recognize outstanding career achievement. They are funded and administered by the Canada Council for the Arts, and include categories for artistic achievement in visual and media arts, fine craft (Saidye Bronfman Award) and outstanding contribution.

The 2017 winners are:

• Michèle Cournoyer, Filmmaker / animator
• Mike Hoolboom, Filmmaker
• Shelagh Keeley, Visual artist
• Glenn Lewis, Visual artist
• Landon Mackenzie, Visual artist
• Philip Monk, Curator & writer
• Shelley Niro, Visual artist
• Pamela Ritchie, Jewellery artist (Saidye Bronfman Award)

How Canadians can learn more about this year’s winners and their work:

Watch short films on each of the winners, directed by award-winning Canadian filmmakers and commissioned by the Canada Council in partnership with the Independent Media Arts Alliance. The 2017 videos are featured at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and on domestic and international Air Canada flights and promoted via social media.

Visit the Winnipeg Art Gallery from April 8th to September 4th, 2017 for an exhibition featuring selected works by this year’s winners.

Join us at the National Gallery of Canada on February 28th from 6 – 8 pm for a conversation between 2017 GGArts winners and Rhiannon Vogl, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art, followed by a meet-the-artist reception in the Gallery’s Watercourt Foyer from 8 – 9 pm.