PRIX POWERHOUSE 2012

La Centrale announces and congratulates the winner of the Prix Powerhouse 2012, karen elaine spencer.

La Centrale congratulates the finalists of this edition: Manuela Lalic and Monique Moumblow.

The Prix Powerhouse is a recognition award of 5000$ given to an artist in order to celebrate their artistic journey. It is aimed at women and gender minorities artists, mid-career or established, who have made a significant contribution to Montréal's cultural milieu. This award honors artists who demonstrate perseverance and who continue their work by remaining committed through their approach.

The 5000$ prize was granted during an award ceremony at La Centrale on June 28th, 2012.

karen elaine spencer
karen elaine spencer lives and works in Montreal. She has been active as an artist, performer, curator, mentor, jury, speaker and writer since she obtained her BFA (1986) from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. She also graduated with an MA (2001) from UQÀM. Her solo exhibitions have been presented in France and Canada and she has performed in several countries (Finland, Italy and the United States).

La Centrale would like to thank the jury for the second edition of the Prix Powerhouse, composed of:

• Catherine Bodmer (Artist, President of the Board of Directors of VIVA! Art action);

• Jérôme Delgado (Visual arts Critic for the newspaper Le Devoir and Cinema Critic for Séquences);

• Eliane Ellbogen (Curator and Artistic Director at Eastern Bloc);

• Lesley Johnstone (Curator at MACM);

• Anne Ramsden (Artist and Professor of Visual and Media arts, UQÀM).

Here is one of the curatorial texts written by the jury about the artistic practice of the laureates:

« Integrating conceptual art, action art, writing and drawing, karen elaine spencer has developed a range of artistic strategies that are constantly renewed (interventions in the street and on billboards, "mail art" , infiltrations, performances, drawings, blogs, etc.). Feeding on each other, these strategies emphasize the questions central to her practice: everyday life, power relations, margin, vulnerability and self-determination, as much artistic as political. » - Catherine Bodmer, member of the Jury 2012

The award dovetails within La Centrale’s mandate to promote feminist artistic practices and to support under-represented artists in dominant cultural institutions. For more details on the prize, see the About section.

La Centrale wishes to acknowledge the generous contribution of an anonymous donor who made this award possible.

La Centrale thanks its members, the nominated artists, the members of the jury and all those who participated in this second edition of the Prix Powerhouse.