Today, YVR Art Foundation celebrated the recipients of the 2019 YVR Art Foundation scholarship awards at a special event held at Vancouver International Airport / Aéroport international de Vancouver (YVR). YVR Art Foundation offers art scholarships to B.C. and Yukon Indigenous artists who create visual art that reflects B.C. or Yukon Indigenous culture.
“On behalf of YVR Art Foundation, I would like to congratulate this year’s extraordinary group of artists,” said Susan Jackson, Executive Director, YVR Art Foundation. “The 2019 YVR Art Foundation scholarship recipients represent a wide range of emerging and mid-career Indigenous artists in B.C. and the Yukon. We are pleased to support their artistic goals and provide them an exciting opportunity to pursue art mentorships, education and community projects.”
YVR Art Foundation scholarships are awarded annually to B.C. and Yukon Indigenous artists in two categories: Emerging and Mid-Career. The Emerging Artist scholarship awards, previously known as the Youth Scholarship Program, are for B.C. and Yukon Indigenous artists who are looking to further develop their artistic potential. The Emerging Artist scholarship enables artists, aged 17 to 29, to study or work with an artist mentor or attend a recognized school of art over a one-year period. For artists looking to take their work to a new level or extend it to a new area, the Mid-Career Artist Scholarship Program allows artists aged 30 and older to study with a master artist, pursue a special project or attend a recognized school of art over a one-year period.
As part of their scholarship, Emerging Artists are brought to Vancouver for an awards event, and both categories of artists can also exhibit their work at YVR for one year. Scholarship recipients are selected through a formal jury process and each recipient is awarded $5,000.
The recipients of the 2019 YVR Art Foundation Emerging Artist Scholarships are:
- Stephanie Anderson, Wet’suwet’en from Terrace
- Marlo Wylie Brillon, Haida, Cree from Comox
- Reuben Mack, Nuxalk from Bella Coola
- Teresa Vander Meer-Chasse, White River First Nation from Whitehorse
- Atheana Picha, Kwantlen from Delta
- Skilaaw, Haida from Masset
- Joshua Watts, Nuu-chah-nulth from Victoria
The recipients of the 2019 YVR Art Foundation Mid-Career Artist Scholarships are:
- Morgan Asoyuf, Tsimshian from Squamish
- Kelly Robinson, Nuxalk, Nuu-chah-nulth from Bella Coola
- Nathan Wilson, Haisla from Terrace
“Through YVR’s community investment program, YVR Art Foundation is a long standing partner,” said Kim Halowski, Manager, Community Relations, Vancouver Airport Authority. “We are proud to once again support the incredible work YVR Art Foundation does to support the development and advancement of B.C. and Yukon Indigenous artists. Travellers can look forward to seeing some of the art exhibited in our terminal in the near future.”
Since 2005, YVR Art Foundation has awarded more than 145 scholarships, grants and awards to B.C. and Yukon Indigenous artists totalling over $575,000. Beginning in 2005, more than 80 scholarship recipients have exhibited their work at YVR, contributing to the airport’s well-known sense of place.