Visual Art

2D/3D: drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, installation, digital

Dance

performer, performance, choreographer or company

Theatre

producer, director, actor, specific production or company

Music

singing, songwriting, performance (individuals, groups), producer

Literature

prose, verse, fiction, non-fiction, analog/digital

Applied Art

pottery, fashion, jewelry, furniture, industrial design, graphic design, tattoo design, makeup artistry

Time Based Media

video,  film, animation, video games, interactive

Emerging Artist

recognition of artists who are early in their career, have produced a high-quality professional work, and demonstrate great potential for future work

Innovation

recognition of artists who push the boundaries of conventional practices in any artistic discipline

Art & Business

recognition of a business which excels in their support and stewardship of the arts

All nominees had to:

Reside in one of the following Central Okanagan regions*: Peachland, West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation, Kelowna, Lake Country, Central Okanagan East Electoral District and Central Okanagan West Electoral District, unless otherwise specified for individual award. Artsco recognizes that these communities are located within the unceded territories of the syilx/Okanagan people

Central Okanagan East Electoral District is inclusive of: Ellison, Joe Rich, South end of Lakeshore Rd, and Upper Springs Rd

Central Okanagan West Electoral District is inclusive of: Traders Cove, Fintry, Valley of the Sun, La Casa, Killiney Beach, Westshore Estates, Wilson’s Landing, Brent Rd, Trepanier, and Indian Reserve #9 & 10 of the Westbank First Nation

The production or achievement must have been “released” (exhibition, on website, made public or published) between January 1, 2016 to Dec 31, 2016

Public Presentation – work that has been publicly presented and acknowledged by cultural institutions, organizations or other outstanding practitioners (local,regional, national or international) Peer Recognition – attained a level of artistic excellence in their chosen discipline as recognized and acknowledged by other practitioners in that same discipline

Community Engagement – how the community and practitioner have previously and/or currently engage with each other – their ideas and their work – as demonstrated by any or all of the following:

gained local media attention

favorable peer review

quoted in other sources and/or by other practitioners

cultural event attendance

created learning opportunities, like workshops and lectures

Leadership – practitioner is recognized in the community as a leader in their discipline and/or nomination category

Extended Reach – how the artistic practitioner is putting the Central Okanagan on the map regionally, nationally and internationally.

1. Open Nomination Process - 1st Round

To ensure accessibility and easy public engagement, the OAA uses an open nomination process to solicit nominations from the community at large. All that is needed is the person's name, email and website / web presence to submit someone for nomination.

2. Pre-Nomination Jury

Artsco staff and a pre-nomination jury of up to 3 arts professionals vet the initial nominations to determine whether these nominations fit the nomination criteria (does the nominee reside in the Central Okanagan? Has the nominee been nominated in a suitable category?) If not, the pre-nomination jury will put the nominees into the suitable award category.

3. Nomination Packages - 2nd Round

Every Nominee that makes it through the pre-nomination screening is then asked to submit a nomination package, which consists of a CV / artist resume, Bio and examples of your work (images, video, audio).

4. Jurying - 1st Round

Each jury member reviews 10 - 15 packages in their category of expertise.

5. Jurying - Final Round

A final jury of 5 - 7 jury members meet in person to review the packages that received the top scores in each category to determine the finalists and the winners of each category.

Awards were adjudicated by a committee of previous winners, artistic peers, and prominent community members of the Central Okanagan. Previous winners may have resided outside of the Central Okanagan District. Jury members were not disclosed in advance of the Okanagan Arts Awards. In the event of a perceived conflict of interest, an alternate will replace the jury member in question. The jury operated with strict confidentiality.