The Gershon Iskowitz Foundation has announced Calgary-based artist and longtime Alberta University of the Arts professor Rita McKeough (Associate Professor, Media Arts) as the recipient of the 2024 Gershon Iskowitz Prize, one of Canada’s most significant honours in contemporary visual art. The annual $75,000 award recognizes an artist who has made an outstanding contribution to the visual arts in Canada. As part of the prize, the Foundation will also support a solo exhibition of McKeough’s work, scheduled for Fall 2027 at the Art Gallery of Alberta.
McKeough, a pivotal figure in Calgary’s arts community since the late 1970s, is celebrated for an interdisciplinary practice that braids together sound, performance, sculpture and installation. Her work is known for its emotional charge and political urgency, where feminist ideas intertwine with what she describes as “mechanical poetry” — electronics, soundscapes and kinetic elements that amplify themes of resistance, care and social responsibility.
Addressing issues ranging from urban development to ecological impact, McKeough creates spaces where marginalized voices can be heard and where audiences are invited into dialogue. Her practice is deeply rooted in activism: installations hum with environmental concern, performances echo with empathy and hope, and sound becomes a vehicle for community-focused storytelling.
Alongside her visual art practice, McKeough has maintained an active musical life, performing as a drummer in several bands including Demi Monde and Sleepy Panther (with Richard Brown). This musical background has long infused her work, enriching her distinctive blend of disciplines and reinforcing her status as a transformative figure in Canadian art.
AUArts congratulates Rita McKeough on this national recognition and looks forward to celebrating her work in the years ahead.
