Image: The Bookstore, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
The National Gallery of Canada will present the 2026 Sobey Art Award Exhibition in collaboration with the Sobey Art Foundation, bringing together works by six artists shortlisted for the 2026 prize. The exhibition is scheduled to run from Friday, September 4, 2026, through Sunday, January 3, 2027, in Contemporary Galleries B204 at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.
According to the gallery, the shortlisted artists represent a cross-section of contemporary visual practice and include Melaw Nakehk’o, Samuel Roy-Bois, Audie Murray, Lotus L. Kang, Caroline Monnet and Shane Perley-Dutcher. The exhibition text says the artists’ works transform form in ways shaped by personal, cultural and material histories and experience, and that the shortlist exhibition will draw connections between their practices while highlighting the vitality of Canada’s contemporary art community.
The Sobey Art Award is presented through a juried selection process, and the exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Canada and the Sobey Art Foundation. The gallery’s listing places the show within its broader art awards programming, described as part of the institution’s effort to delve deeper into awards and related exhibitions honouring the achievements of individuals and organizations.
A complimentary publication on the six finalists will be available to on-site visitors, according to the gallery. That publication is listed as a special offering tied to the exhibition, which is set in the museum’s contemporary galleries on Sussex Drive.
The Gallery also issued an opening invitation for Thursday, September 3, 2026, before the exhibition’s public run begins. The opening is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m., with opening remarks at 6 p.m. in the Scotiabank Great Hall and an artist meet-and-greet at 6:20 p.m. in gallery B204.
The opening notice states that food and refreshments will be available for purchase and that admission is free, with a bilingual event format. It also notes that ASL interpretation is available for NGC events and programs when requested a minimum of 10 business days in advance by emailing info@gallery.ca with the event name, date and time.
The 2026 Sobey Art Award Exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Canada and the Sobey Art Foundation, and will be on view at 380 Sussex Drive in Ottawa from September 4, 2026, to January 3, 2027.
