TORONTO (PENDING) — The Gershon Iskowitz Foundation is pleased to announce RITA MCKEOUGH as the recipient of the 2024 GERSHON ISKOWITZ PRIZE. The $75,000 award is presented annually to an artist who has made an outstanding contribution to the visual arts in Canada. In addition to the prize, the Foundation will support a solo exhibition of her work, planned for Fall 2027 at the Art Gallery of Alberta.
Rita McKeough is a formidable artist whose five-decades-long practice spans multimedia works in sound, video, performance, and installation, rooted in Queer and Feminist politics and environmental care. Her work explores the interdependency of plants, animals and humans and offers an expanded view of the times scales in which they operate. Creating environments in which the natural and the mechanical intermix, she often unsettles the binary of animate/inanimate, using humour to encourage heightened vulnerability and intimacy. Describing McKeough’s work, 2024 Prize Jury Member Micah Lexier writes: “Hotdogs in hospital beds, singing flowers, mittens that bleed, a squirrel the size of a human, clocks spinning out of control, sentient carrots – welcome to the inventive, whimsical, profound world of Rita McKeough.”
In addition to her highly regarded profile as an artist, she is also a revered teacher, cherished for her empathetic mentorship of fellow artists. As Lexier notes, “Rita McKeough is a storyteller and a connector of people and has had a deep and lasting impact on generations of artists across the country.” His jury notes cite her as “a shape-shifting magician – a drummer, educator, community organizer, radio DJ, printmaker, performance artist and sculptor.” He concludes, “her work is deeply felt, labour-intensive, beautifully made, and has the unique combination of being both collaborative in nature while declaring a singular vision.”
The jury for the 2024 Gershon Iskowitz Prize was composed of senior artists June Clark, Micah Lexier, and Liz Magor (2014 Gershon Iskowitz Prize Winner), and Stephan Jost, Michael and Sonja Koerner Director and CEO of the Art Gallery of Ontario.
ABOUT RITA MCKEOUGH
Born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, in 1951, on the traditional and unceded land of the Mi’kmaq people, McKeough received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Calgary and Master of Fine Arts at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. She has exhibited her work across Canada and the USA in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including Remediation Room (Online, Calgary, 2022–ongoing), darkness is as deep as the darkness is (Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, 2020), dig as deep as the darkness (Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, 2019), Veins (OBORO, Montreal, 2018), and Oh, Canada (MassMOCA, North Adams, 2015). In 2009, McKeough was awarded the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts. McKeough is Associate Professor of Sculpture and Media Arts at Alberta University of the Arts (formerly Alberta College of Art and Design), located on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, and Métis Nation (Region 3) in Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta. Rita McKeough credits the support and assistance of her community in the production of her work.
ABOUT THE GERSHON ISKOWITZ FOUNDATION
The Gershon Iskowitz Foundation is a private charitable foundation established in 1986 through the generosity of painter Gershon Iskowitz (1921–1988). Iskowitz recognized the importance of grants in the development of artists in Canada, in particular acknowledging that a grant from the Canada Council in 1967 gave him the freedom to create his distinctive style. Iskowitz’s works are held in public and private collections across Canada and abroad. The Foundation’s principal activity is the designation of the Prize which is unique in that one can neither apply nor be nominated. A second distinct characteristic which many of the recipients have commented on is that the Prize is an important example of an artist supporting other artists. Iskowitz himself was actively involved in designating the Prize in its first years; after his death this responsibility passed to juries composed of trustees of the Foundation and invited artists and curators. The achievements of the first 20 years of the Foundation and the Prize are detailed in The Gershon Iskowitz Prize 1986–2006; the work of subsequent winners is included on the Foundation’s web site, www.iskowitzfoundation.ca
NEW EXHIBITION PARTNERSHIP
At the 20-year mark of the Prize, the Gershon Iskowitz Foundation formed a collaborative partnership with the Art Gallery of Ontario, to raise awareness of the importance of the Prize and through it the visual arts in Canada. The AGO holds an important collection of paintings by Gershon Iskowitz spanning from 1948 to 1987 and is home to the artist’s archives. Since 2016, the Foundation has sponsored solo exhibitions for prize winners Sandra Meigs, Rebecca Belmore, Valérie Blass, Shuvinai Ashoona, Ken Lum, Tim Whiten, Allison Katz and Faye HeavyShield at the AGO. For the 2024 Prize, the Foundation is pleased to announce that we will partner with the Art Gallery of Alberta, to sponsor a major solo exhibition for 2024 Prize Winner Rita McKeough of the artist work which will open in Edmonton in Fall 2027.
ABOUT THE ART GALLERY OF ALBERTA
Located in the heart of downtown Edmonton, the AGA is a vibrant hub for visual arts, learning, and community connection. For over 100 years, the AGA has celebrated creativity and cultural exchange, showcasing Alberta’s diverse artistic heritage alongside celebrated international artists. The AGA invites visitors to experience art through dynamic exhibitions, collections, education programs, and dynamic events. From ground-breaking contemporary works to historical treasures, every visit offers an opportunity to see the world through a new lens. As a leading cultural institution, the AGA serves as a gathering place where art meets community. Through workshops, tours, and public programs, we spark curiosity, foster dialogue, and inspire the next generation of artists and art enthusiasts. The Art Gallery of Alberta welcomes everyone to explore, connect and be inspired.
Visit youraga.ca to learn more.
For press inquiries, please contact:
Sarah Robayo Sheridan
Executive Director, Gershon Iskowitz Foundation
sarah@artsandletters.ca
Courtney Higgins
Head, Marketing & Communications
courtney.higgins@youraga.ca