Branscombe House Artist-in-Residence announced as Sobey Art Award Longlist Artist
01 May 2020
Lou Sheppard, Richmond’s current Branscombe House Artist-in-Residence, has been announced as one of the Sobey Art Award’s 25 longlist artists and a recipient of a $25,000 prize. The City of Richmond congratulates Lou Sheppard on this achievement.
In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, The Sobey Art Foundation and the National Gallery of Canada recently announced updates to this year’s Sobey Art Award program. Dr. Sasha Suda, Director and CEO of the National Gallery of Canada, announced the forgoing of naming a short list or single winner of the $100,000 award, Canada’s largest contemporary art prize. Instead $625,000 was distributed equally amongst the 2020 longlisted artists, a sum that historically covers the award program, artist residencies, exhibition costs and the annual gala ceremonies.
Lou Sheppard has been adapting Richmond-based community engaged programming in response to COVID-19. There are current and forthcoming opportunities for community participation, like the artist’s weekly art prompts published on their blog, and the What We Can’t Say in English project. Sheppard is looking for words from other languages that have no English equivalent. If Richmond residents speak a language other than English and have a word they can’t find a satisfying translation for, the artist wants to connect with them. Over the next few months Sheppard will be gathering these words and their attempted translations, and create a series of podcasts and posters.
Lou Sheppard is a Canadian artist working in interdisciplinary audio, performance and installation based practice. In their current practice, Sheppard uses processes of translation and metaphor to interrogate structures of power and performativity in data and language. Their work often leads them to collaborate with communities and with musicians, visual artists and performing artists.
The Branscombe House Artist Residency takes place in a restored Edwardian-style house in the residential area of historic Steveston. Branscombe House is located at 4900 Steveston Highway and is one of the earliest homes built in the area.
Learn more about the current residency by visiting the artist’s blog at www.lousheppard.com/branscombe, and stay connected by following @branscombe_house_2020 and @howartworks on Instagram. Details about the Branscombe House residency program can be found at www.richmond.ca/branscomberesidency.