Harvey Lev looks at a paper sculpture by artist Shawn Mackie and other drawings at his Main & Station venue in Parrsboro. He his hoping artists will submit their work to the Nonesuch Art on Paper Awards, now open to all artists.
From his earliest memories as a boy visiting his father’s print shop in Montreal, to his own career in the paper supply business, Lev has seen plenty of the business side of the product, but he has also taken pleasure in seeing what artists can do with it.
With this in mind, Lev’s Main & Station in Parrsboro has announced the international Nonesuch Art on Paper Awards, open to all artists and featuring cash and residencies valued at $20,940.
“It’s anything that’s on paper, be it drawing, lithographs… they have to be original artworks and in theory are not for commercial use like a label for soup or something, however why not?” said Lev. “There is no limit, as long as paper is used somewhere in the process.”
The entry could be a sculpture made out of pulp, a watercolour print, an oil painting on paper, a paper model, or even a book if it is a unique work of art, according to Lev.
“We didn’t limit it, although one of those awards is limited only to people doing sculpture,” he explained. “All others are for whatever.”
One award is limited to entries from the Maritime Provinces, while another is limited to the area around Montreal.
The awards include the Nonesuch Best Work Award, the L’Usine de Papier Award, the Main & Station Award, the Griffintown Award, and the Wellington Church Award.
Entries will be accepted until April 30, and award winners will be announced on Sept. 3. A finalist exhibition will take place at Main & Station in Parrsboro from Aug. 20 to Sept. 10. A catalogue of entries will also be published online and a print catalogue of the 50 finalists will also be available.
For more information on the awards and how to apply, visit the website http://hmsnonesuch.com/nonesuch-art-on-paper-awards/.
It is the first year for the awards, but hopefully not the last, according to Lev.
“I’ve been in the paper business all my life, so I thought this was a suitable place to start to do that,” he said. “If successful, then the long-range plan is to build on it, and look at other kinds of things.”
Twitter: @ADNandrew
