Introducing our 2026 Poster Artist, Ned Pratt

Today, we introduce Ned Pratt as our poster artist for this year's festival!

Ned created a photograph for us during a residency in Bonne Bay last spring. The image is called "Memories of Places" and it's the first in what will be a continuing series. We're thrilled that Woody Point is where it started.

Ned sent this note about his process and inspiration for the image.

The white form in this image was photographed on the beach in Trout River this spring, during my Writers residency visit to Bonne Bay. The shape is the silhouette of the “Woody Point Heritage Theatre.” This photograph is the beginning of a larger series of images titled “Memories of Place.” In the context of this body of work, the form represents memory.

I have been interested in how our memories affect all subjects we perceive throughout our lives. Observations we make are veiled by the memories we carry with us.

Memory is a ghost that stands between the viewer and real-time observation, enhancing, improving, or destroying the reality of our observations.

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Ned Pratt was born in Salmonier, NL, and holds a BFA in photography from NSCAD and a BA in art history from Acadia University. His work has been exhibited at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival, and Oh, Canada: Contemporary Art from North America at MASS MoCA. In 2018, his touring survey exhibition One Wave, curated by Mireille Eagan, opened at The Rooms and toured across Canada. He's the recipient of the 2017 Large Year Award from Visual Artists Newfoundland and Labrador.