PLEASE NOTE: Due to the disruption of Covid 19, SFFA Awards were deferred in 2020.
In 2021, we may support up to 12 Artist awards, 2 in each category as listed below.
Annually, six designated awards of $5,000 are offered to Saskatchewan artists who are creating new work or developing works-in-progress in the following categories.
Literary Award; supported by The Colleen Bailey Memorial Endowment Fund
The award is designated for an emerging professional literary artist working on a novel or story collection, or on a book featuring Saskatchewan art or photography.
The endowment fund is in memory of Colleen Bailey, Yorkton businesswoman, art collector,
patron, and supporter of the arts.
Indigenous Literary Award; supported by The Dick & Jane Endowment Fund
This award supports the development of an emerging professional Indigenous writer under the age of 35 in any literary discipline.
The endowment fund was created by Richard Spafford and Jane Turnbull Evans, philanthropists, and lifelong patrons and supporters of the Arts.
Regina Artist Award; supported by The Harry Nick Kangles Endowment Fund
This award is designated for an established artist living in Regina, with a professional practice in music, theatre, or the visual arts.
The endowment fund was created in memory of Harry Nick Kangles, a Regina businessman, art collector and supporter of the arts.
Visual Award for Female; supported by The Jane Turnbull Evans Fund for the Arts
This award is designated and restricted to supporting a female, emerging professional visual artist.
The endowment fund was created in memory of the late Jane Turnbull Evans, an artist, arts educator, and arts administrator.
Visual Award; supported by The Shurniak Endowment Fund
This award is designated to support emerging professional Saskatchewan artists working in visual arts.
The endowment fund was established by the late William (Bill) Shurniak, founder of the Shurniak Art Gallery in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan.
Indigenous Artist Award; supported by The Cameco Endowment for Indigenous Artists
The award is designated to support activities that are related to the costs of the art project or practice, and for activities that reflect Cameco’s values of safety and environment, people, integrity, and excellence.
This endowment fund was created by Cameco to support emerging or established Indigenous artists working in any arts discipline.
Artistic Category
• Emerging Artist – An artist who has moved beyond training into professional practice and has begun to produce a body of independent work, locally or provincially recognized.
• Established Artist – An artist who has been practicing art professionally for some time and has produced a significant body of work recognized provincially, nationally or internationally.
We consider only one application by an individual at each deadline. The jury may decide to move your application to another award category for which you are eligible and more suitable for your proposal.
Applications from previous award winners will only be considered following a 7-year period, regardless of category, so we may support the greatest number of Saskatchewan artists.
Eligible Applicants
Emerging or Established Professional Artists who are:
• Saskatchewan residents (one year minimum)
• Canadian citizens or permanent residents
• Graduate students working on a project that is not being submitted for academic credit. (as confirmed by a letter from their department head).
• Saskatchewan residents absent from the province for a period of up to one year for an artistic residency, arts education, or related opportunity, who intend to return at the end of the term.
Ineligible Applicants
• Presenters or agents applying on behalf of an artist.
• Undergraduate students, except where an applicant has developed an artistic practice prior to enrolment at an educational institution, and providing the project is not being submitted for academic credit (as confirmed by a letter from their department head).
Eligible Activities
• Creation of new work or development of a work-in-progress within a calendar year of receiving the award.
• Activities required to continue with a work-in-progress.
Ineligible Activities
• Activity undertaken prior to the application deadline or after the one-year project term.
• Activity undertaken for academic credit or for professional development.
• Commissioned work.
Adjudication
An independent jury panel of artists and arts professionals assesses all the applications based on the following criteria:
Adjudication Criteria
1. Applicant’s Artistic Practice 40%
• Your resumé, body of work and level of achievement and the merit of your existing work in the context of traditional or contemporary practice in any arts discipline.
• The development of a distinct and personal body of work.
2. Artistic Merit of the Activity, 60%
• The difference the project will make to the development of your artistic practice and career.
• The merit of your proposed work or work-in-progress in the context of traditional or contemporary artistic practice.
Acknowledgement Letter
Award recipients will submit a letter acknowledging the Foundation’s support and that of the Endowment Fund’s donor within one month of the Award. Excerpts from the letter may be forwarded by the Foundation to the donor sponsoring the Award.
Recognition of Funding
Within 18 months after the end of the project term, recipients will submit a two-page summary telling us about the creative activity accomplished over the one-year term, the impact of the Award on your artistic practice and information about actual or anticipated presentations, performances, or publication of the work.
Please acknowledge the financial assistance of the Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts whenever possible, including appropriate social media, in print or public presentations of the project.
Confidentiality of Information
The personal and confidential information provided by an applicant is required to process their application and is collected, used, and disclosed in accordance with appropriate legislation. It will only be shared as necessary to facilitate the jury process. The names of Awards recipients, community, project description and awards amounts will be made known publicly.