The Estate of Lynne Cohen, in collaboration with the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ) and its foundation, is proud to announce that Maryse Goudreau is the recipient of the first Prix Lynne-Cohen. The new biennial award intended for Québec artists seeks to support the practice of up-and-coming visual arts professionals whose approach encompasses photography. The 2017 recipient will receive a $10 000 unconditional cash grant. The MNBAQ will produce a video brief highlighting her work that will be disseminated on its website and the social networks.
Down the years, during the course of a long career in art, Lynne Cohen received many awards and grants and expressed the desire at the end of her life to give something back. She thought she could not have done the work she did had she not received the support she received, and she wanted to contribute, in however small a way, to other artists continuing their work. She also emphasised that any prize I sponsored should have as few as possible strings attached. This request was gladly accepted by the Musée national, and we decided on a prize for work that included a photography component. Of course Lynne Cohen did not know who would receive the prize, but I am sure she would have been very happy, as am I, that the jury chose Maryse Goudreau. Lynne Cohen wanted and supported artists doing what she took to be serious work – "serious" was a word of high praise for her – and she would have reckoned Maryse Goudreau's work serious, more than that. Andrew Lugg (Estate of Lynne Cohen).