Two people will stand in the spotlight to accept the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Awards next Saturday.
Out of a field of about 50 candidates, painter Jane Ash Poitras and author Robert Kroetsch were selected to receive the prize, with each receiving $30,000. The recipients also receive a hand-cast medal designed by Wei Yew, a pin and framed citation and the option of holding a residency at the Leighton Artists' Colony at The Banff Centre.
The awards were first established by former lieutenant-governor Lois Hole. They were designed as a way of showcasing the wealth of homegrown talent while paying special praise to a select few who have attained outstanding achievement or made significant contributions in the arts in Alberta. Previous winners include St. Albert Place architect Douglas Cardinal.
A jury comprised of three people from across the country review the nominees and can pick on up to three winners. The awards are given out every two years.
Susan Green, chair of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards Foundation, said it was a tough task to select two winners out of such a talented field of artists representing the disciplines of visual arts, theatre, music, dance and writing. The nominees and the winners show what our province has to offer in terms of culture and creativity.
"It is a great credit to our province that we, as Albertans, are able to enjoy such a wonderful depth of artistic talent."
St. Albert is hosting the fourth awards ceremony next Saturday during the inaugural ArtiCulture celebration, one of the many highlights of the city's yearlong 150th anniversary festivities.
Jane Ash Poitras, RCA
Born in Fort Chipewyan in the early 1950s, she was raised in Edmonton's McCauley neighbourhood. This was fertile ground for her to develop and hone her creative skills and use her artistic voice to comment on her culture and her identity.
The internationally acclaimed visual artist first graduated with a science degree before gaining her bachelor of fine arts in printmaking from the University of Alberta. She then earned a master's degree from New York's Columbia University.
She is now a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and her works are found in many prestigious public, private and commercial collections. She has been showcased in numerous solo and group exhibitions worldwide and currently teaches as a sessional lecturer at the U of A. She is much in demand as a guest lecturer at universities and galleries across North America and the world.
Ash Poitras described her emotional reaction when she first heard the news.
"You just don't believe it. You're just stunned. It takes a while for it to sink in," she said. "Unbelievable. You want to cry and then I got nervous for three days."
Although she has already received many accolades, she holds a special place in her heart for this one.
"All of these prestigious people have had it before me. For crying out loud, it's the most important thing that's ever happened to me in my life."
Robert Kroetsch, OC
Robert Kroetsch first gained fame for writing But We Are Exiles in 1965 and notoriety four years later with The Studhorse Man. That title won him the Governor General's Award for Fiction in 1969.
The 83-year-old central Alberta native hasn't written a novel since the late 1990s but he still produces books of poetry, the latest one arrived just last year.
His next one on the slate is called I'm Getting Old Now. Old? Perhaps, but he isn't ready to rest on his laurels.
Kroetsch is praised not only for his body of work but for his subject matter. He has written extensively about Alberta in nine books of fiction, seven non-fiction works and 14 collections of poetry.
"It's very special for me. Being recognized at home is a unique experience," he explained. "There are a lot of fine artists in Alberta."
Although he did live in the United States for 20 years, this is where his heart lies and his soul flies.
"The country of my imagination was always Alberta. That's the place I was writing about."
He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2004.
