NaAC X Won Lee Prize

In partnership with the family of the late artist Won Lee, the award commemorates his legacy and celebrates creative excellence among Canadian visual artists living with developmental, physical, and/ or acquired disabilities. 

To qualify for the NaAC x Won Lee Prize, candidates must be entered through a nomination process.

After passing an initial assessment, all finalists will be adjudicated by a panel of four artists/ curators from across Canada, in addition to a representative from the family of the late Won Lee.

All nominees must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Be a Canadian resident identifying as having a developmental, physical, and/ or acquired disability.
  • Be a practicing, emerging, or mid-level career artist working in a visual art medium.
  • Be 18 years of age or older.

Only nominations from arts administrators, educators, critics, curators, or other established arts professionals will be accepted.

Nomination Guidelines

Completed nomination packages must include:

  • A completed nomination form signed by both the nominator and nominee
  • A nomination statement (500 words max.)
  • The nominee’s artist bio (200 words max.)
  • The nominee’s artist statement (200 words max.)
  • The nominee’s CV
  • Maximum 10 support images of the nominee’s artwork from within the last 5 years (complete with image details: title, year, size, medium, image credit)
  • Artist headshot (complete with image credit)
  • A signed media consent form

All support materials must be submitted in a single PDF Document. Images embedded into the nomination document must be no smaller than ½ page.

Athena Cooper, Winner of the 2023 Won Lee Prize