TORONTO.- Fifteen of Canada’s finest emerging visual artists were announced today as finalists in the 2014 RBC Canadian Painting Competition. As part of RBC’s ongoing support and dedication to emerging artists across several disciplines, this competition helps discover painters in the early stages of their career and provides them with the foundation and necessary tools to succeed.

“Each year, we are impressed by the calibre of submissions the RBC Canadian Painting Competition receives,” said Robin Anthony, curator, RBC. “The jury is buzzing about this group of artists, and we are excited to announce the list of finalists to the public and are hoping they benefit from the profile this competition will bring to their work.”

The jurors are some of Canada’s most respected artists, gallery directors, curators and art critics. They have the task of narrowing all applicants down to 15 finalists, and also act as informal mentors, helping to develop the careers and practice of the painters.

This year, RBC will award a total of $55,000 in prize money. The winner will receive a cash prize of $25,000, while two honourable mentions will each receive $15,000. The winners’ painting will also become part of RBC’s corporate art collection, one of the most valuable corporate collections in Canada, consisting of more than 4,000 pieces of art that has been collected for over a century.

“This competition had a definite impact on my career as a painter,” said Colleen Heslin, winner of the 2013 RBC Canadian Painting Competition. “Not only did the prize money afford me time to develop my practice, I also made invaluable professional connections.” Heslin’s most recent exhibition is being held at Monte Clark Gallery in Vancouver and runs until July 7, 2014.

The 2014 RBC Canadian Painting Competition finalists are:

Western Canada

Ashleigh Bartlett, Calgary, AB
Ufuk Gueray, Winnipeg, MB
Tiziana La Meila, Vancouver, BC
Laura Piasta, Vancouver, BC
Robert Taite, Winnipeg, MB

Central Canada

Jennifer Carvalho, Toronto, ON
Wallis Cheung, Toronto, ON
James Gardner, Toronto, ON
Gavin Lynch, Ottawa, ON
Megan McCabe, Toronto, ON

Eastern Canada

Carly Butler, Halifax, NS
Teto Elsiddique, Halifax, NS
Karine Fréchette, Montreal, QC
Nicolas Lachance, Montreal, QC
Elysanne Tremblay, Montreal, QC

The winner and two honourable mentions will be announced at a gala at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on Wednesday, October 1. All the finalists’ paintings will also be displayed at the gallery between Tuesday, September 9 and Wednesday, October 8, 2014. All the paintings will then be on exhibit at Art Toronto, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, from October 23 to 27, 2014.