When Sarah Hancock is contemplating a new art piece, her process starts with a simple idea.
Last week, the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts announced Hancock as the 2023 winner of the Murray Clerkson Art Award. Hancock will receive a $1,000 prize to help establish her art career.
The 20-year-old Angus resident was chosen from five finalists for this year’s award, and describes her art as conceptual.
“I tend to start with an idea, or problem and that usually guides the art. It determines what medium I’m going to use, scale and what I’m going to make,” Hancock told CollingwoodToday. “Because that’s my process, every single piece of work comes out very different.”
Born and raised in Angus, Hancock says this was the third time she has applied for the award.
The first two times she was named as a finalist, but she notes a palatable shift this time around within the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts. She says she thinks the judging for the award is moving away from the Georgian Bay landscapes that have been a feature of past winners, and more toward emerging and young talent who take risks.
“It felt very moving beyond my personal win. I saw it more as a win for the community. I see changes in the BMFA. I was competing against more contemporary and young artists that I would consider emerging,” said Hancock.
“I’m very impressed that the (foundation) has shifted its focus to stay relevant to the community it’s serving,” she said.
The Murray Clerkson Art Award was created in 2010 through the Murray Clerkson estate and continues through a donation from the Conning family, owners of Clerkson’s Home Store in Collingwood. According to the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts, Clerkson’s wish was that the award would recognize an evolving or emerging artist, not yet professionally established, but who has reached a stage where they now possess a body of work that indicates strength, purpose and commitment.
Hancock says she’s been interested in art her whole life, as her mother is also an artist.
“I think that really helped me excel,” she said. “The ambiguity of art allows for a form of communication that isn’t limited by vocabulary. Through that, you can see that art is fundamental to culture.”
Hancock has one year left to finish her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from York University. Looking ahead, she hopes to explore marrying her art with a newfound interest in nature foraging.
“I want to make this part of my artistic practice. The environment is a topic that needs attention and will need attention probably for the rest of my life,” she said. “This year should give me time to do some self-directed work. I’m excited to see how far I can push the boundaries.”
The Murray Clerkson Award Exhibition including art from all five finalists is on display at 65 Simcoe St. until Aug. 4.
