Abby Spooner (BFA 2026) is the recipient of the 2026 NSCAD Student Art Award.
The jury selected Spooner from a pool of nine Student Art Award finalists for her crocheted tapestry, Queen NeNe I. The announcement was made on Thursday, April 23, at a public gala reception and exhibition at the Anna Leonowens Gallery.
“I feel incredibly grateful and humbled to have won this award,” says Spooner. “This is my sixth year at NSCAD, and it felt like an eternity. So, winning this is just a really validating moment for me.”
This year’s jury included Therese Cruz, Director at Visual Arts Nova Scotia; Cam MacKay, Director at Chester Arts Centre; and David Howard, retired NSCAD Art History Professor.
The jurors were drawn in by Spooner’s attention to detail and playfulness, which left them “excited” and wanting to see more.
“The decision to use crochet was a great choice in relation to the theme, with a housewives’ traditional pastime turned on its head,” they wrote in a jury statement. “Using a reality star as modern-day monarchs or royalty; the use of gold and navy also elevated the piece, along with the scale. Despite the pop culture reference, we felt that work had a longevity beyond a moment in social history.”
NURTURING BRILLIANCE AND CREATIVITY
While the jurors were not able to attend the ceremony, NSCAD Interim President David Smith presented the award to Spooner, and says he was blown away by the talent from all finalists.
“The level of the works produced this year is a really good example of why NSCAD exists,” he says. “It is incredibly important that we nurture the talent of young artists so that they go on to affect change in the world of art, and as educators, we’re uniquely positioned to do that.”
Smith started the Student Art Award (previously known as the Starfish Art Award) with prominent art collector Louie Resnick in 2009, with the first award launching in 2010. What started as a “silly idea” has now evolved into a keystone event for student artists at the university.
“Seeing how the Student Art Award has grown nearly 17 years later, and seeing the quality of work that’s being produced, I feel like a proud dad,” he said with a laugh. “Today is evidence that we have great students that will become leaders and pioneers in their discipline. It’s important that we celebrate that creativity and nurture that brilliance.”
ABOUT THE WORK
Queen NeNe I is part of a larger body of work titled, Cohen’s Crown Jewels—a series of crocheted tapestries depicting historical monarchs, with the faces of the women from The Real Housewives franchise superimposed over their body. In this work, NeNe Leakes of The Real Housewives of Atlanta is rendered in the likeness of Queen Elizabeth I, from her 17th-century coronation portrait.
By framing historical rulers as early celebrities and the Housewives as modern monarchs, Spooner highlights the performative nature of these highly visible roles, and the double-edged sword of power and influence within their respective eras.
“I’ve always been fascinated by popular media and the effect it has on us and the world,” says Spooner. “I would sit and crochet while watching The Real Housewives with my sister. It was such an out-of-left-field concept and idea, and I never expected it to get any sort of traction—let alone win an award.”
Spooner says she would not have been able to accomplish this work without the support of faculty members Nora Renick Rinehart, Leesa Hamilton, Jennifer Green, Anke Fox, and the NSCAD Textiles department at large.
ABOUT THE PRIZE
As the grand prize winner, Spooner will receive a $5,000 purchase prize for their submission, which now becomes part of NSCAD’s permanent collection. In addition to the grand prize, Spooner will also be receiving a $1000 Textile Category Prize from individual donors Kara Holm and Thomas Curran.
The remaining eight finalists will receive $1,000 each for their entries and the recognition of being the top in their respective disciplines.
They are:
- SCULPTURE: Bianca McDonald – give’r the teeth
- JEWELRY: Kai Shen – ARC
- CERAMICS: Liam Miron – Free Real Estate
- PRINTMAKING: Mary-Sue Scratch – Journey through a Burning Brain
- DRAWING: Myles West – Was & Am, Am & Was
- PAINTING: Petra Bouwers – Out to Pasture
- PHOTOGRAPHY: Tovah Williams – Mnikwaqnik (After the Wildfire)
- FILM: Wanjiru Njoroge – “Usikimye”
