Acclaimed visual artist and curator Susan Gibson Garvey accepted the Portia White Prize and Acadian singer and songwriter Ronald Bourgeois accepted the Prix Grand Pré at the 2017 Creative Nova Scotia Awards gala today, Nov. 18. Ninety-five thousand dollars in awards were presented at the annual celebration in Halifax including two new awards – Indigenous Artist and Emerging Artist.Ms. Gibson Garvey, from Canning, Kings Co., has been active in the visual arts community as an artist, educator, critic, curator and public gallery director for over 40 years. "I am thrilled and honoured to receive this prestigious prize, named for the extraordinary artist Portia White,” said Ms. Gibson Garvey. “I am deeply grateful to those who nominated me, and proud to be a part of the wonderfully collaborative and supportive artistic community here in Nova Scotia."The $25,000 Portia White Prize is named for the Nova Scotia artist who was considered one of the best classical singers of the 20th century. The prize recognizes cultural and artistic excellence on the part of a Nova Scotian artist who has attained professional status, mastery and recognition in their discipline. The $25,000 award includes a $7,000 protégé prize that the winning artist donates to an emerging artist or a supportive institution. Ms. Gibson Garvey chose Visual Arts Nova Scotia’s Mentorship Program for that prize. The $5,000 Prix Grand Pré recognizes creative and interpretive artists working in any medium whose work reflects Acadian cultural values, while demonstrating excellence and originality."Nova Scotia's culture is an intimate part of who we are in the province and we're proud to recognize these outstanding artists," said Leo Glavine, Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage. "As minister, I extend my personal congratulations as well as the congratulations of the Government of Nova Scotia to the 2017 award recipients. I know I speak for all Nova Scotians when I say we are proud of you and your accomplishments.” Other prizes presented at the gala were:--the $10,000 Community Arts and Culture Recognition Award, to the community of Parrsboro--Emerging Artist Recognition Award ($5,000 each) to filmmaker Heather Young of Halifax, and artist, composer, producer, arranger, instrument builder, multi-instrumentalist, and musical explorer Jay Crocker of Crousetown, Lunenburg Co. --Established Artist Recognition Award ($5,000 each) to composer and Dalhousie Fountain School of Performing Arts professor Jérôme Blais of Halifax, visual artist Kim Morgan of Seabright, and multidisciplinary artist William Robinson of Halifax--Indigenous Artist Recognition Award ($5,000) to Todd Labrador, Wildcat community, Acadia First Nation, Queen’s Co., a self-taught artisan best-known for building traditional birch bark canoes.The winner of the $25,000 Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterworks Arts Award, the largest annual award to any work of art in Nova Scotia, was Polyphonic Lively, by composer Dinuk Wijeratne.More information about the awards and winners is available at https://artsns.ca/creative-ns-gala/creative-ns-awards-gala-2017.Source: Release