(This story is sponsored by the Sobey Art Foundation.)

The Sobey Art Award is the innovative brainchild of the Sobey Art Foundation, which collects and preserves representative examples of 19^th- and 20^th-century Canadian art.

Created in 2002, the Sobey Art Award is intended to promote and provide opportunities for young Canadian artists. As an incentive to spur even more creativity, the award has one of the largest monetary prizes in contemporary art.  

This year’s Sobey Art Award exhibition is now on view at the Art Gallery of Alberta, in Edmonton. This exhibition features the inspiring works created by the five shortlisted artists: Stephanie Comilang, Nicolas Grenier, Kablusiak, Anne Low, and D’Arcy Wilson.

This year, $240,000 in prize money has been presented. The winner of this year's award is Stephanie Comilang, who will receive $100,000 to put toward future projects.

The Art Gallery of Alberta will be displaying more than 35 thought-provoking works, which span many different art forms. The five shortlisted artists have used photography, sculptures, painting, drawing, and video-based installations to communicate their ideas and philosophies.

The Sobey Art Award aims to not only bring the participating artists nationwide and international exposure, but also spark public discourse on compelling issues. The talented young artists address colonial structures, politics, loss of identity, and disconnection from nature within their works.

A residency program is also granted by the Sobey Art Award, which provides time, space, and facilities to a selection of the talented Canadian artists shortlisted for the award. Including travel costs and living expenses, the total annual value of the program is approximately $75,000.

For those visiting Edmonton and keen to view unique art, the exhibition is open to the public from October 5 until January 5. 

For more information about the exhibition, visit the website or follow the Sobey Art Award on Facebook or Twitter.