The awards celebrate the arts and artists in Acadie

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By Yvon Gauvin
Times & Transcript staff

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The Éloizes Awards, which celebrate Acadian artistry near and far, are returning to Moncton next spring after a five-year absence from the Hub City.

The 11th edition of the Éloizes will be held April 29 through May 2 in Moncton with various art performances throughout the week, culminating with the gala night honouring the finalists with excellence awards in 14 categories. Éloizes is produced by the Acadian Association of Professional Artists of New Brunswick.

The event was held in past years in Caraquet, Charlottetown and Halifax and was last hosted in Moncton in 2004.

"After adopting a new format in 2007, the Éloizes event has become a great way to raise community awareness of the creative process and the quality and originality of professional artists' work," association president Louise Lemieux said at a news conference this week in Moncton announcing the choice for host city.

"After taking a year's sabbatical, the Éloizes event is back in force, ready to energize the city and shine a spotlight on artistic excellence."

Lemieux said Moncton is a natural fit, especially in light of the city's continued efforts in support of arts and culture,

The event provides the artists with a venue to showcase their talents and a chance for the public to gain awareness of the talent around them. It's also a fun event intended for everyone, she said. The Éloizes are attracting more and more artists to the competition and helping many further their careers on the public stage while promoting art and creativity in Acadie, she explained.

The final program can't be announced until the 18 finalists to compete are chosen early next year. The finalists will be some of the top French artists in different disciplines including music, dance, theatre, visual arts and literature.

"We're proud to be hosting the 11th edition of the Éloizes event in a collective celebration of artistic excellence," Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc said. Handling production duties will be Yannick Mainville as director and coordinator, while Amélie Gosselin will look after artistic direction. Due to budget constraints, the event is held only every two years instead of each year.

Both the provincial and the federal governments are helping support the event with financial contributions.