Sophie Jodoin, BFA 88, never expected the call that would change her week — and mark a milestone in her career. The Montreal artist won the inaugural Prix La Caisse en art actuel, a $25,000 award that recognizes Quebec’s leading mid-career artists.
“Winning came as a total surprise and took me a few days to absorb because it’s not a prize you apply for — you have to be nominated,” Jodoin says. “I am very touched and grateful because it’s a pretty important jury composed of curators from various museums in Quebec.”
The jurors were Bernard Lamarche, Curator of Contemporary Art (1960 to Present) at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec; Mark Lanctôt, curator at the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art; and Anne-Marie St-Jean Aubre, Curator of Quebec and Canadian Contemporary Art at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, holder of the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair.
‘A place of creativity and freedom’
A practicing artist for more than two decades, Jodoin explores identity and the body through drawing, collage, photography, video, text and installations. Her work “questions manifestations of femininity, intimacy, loss, absence and language.”
Jodoin’s pieces have been exhibited in many major institutions in Quebec and Canada, including at the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art.
“Sophie Jodoin occupies a unique place with a language all her own, producing works that are both intimate and powerful,” says Marie-Justine Snider, curator of La Caisse’s art collection. “By honouring her, we underscore the importance of her contribution to Québec’s cultural landscape, and hope to give her renewed impetus as she continues to pursue her artistic vision.”
More than a financial boost, the award acknowledges what it takes to sustain a creative practice over time. For Jodoin, that recognition feels personal. She’s weathered her share of financial and personal challenges throughout her career, but says, “You learn to approach them differently with experience and age.”