Five Western Canadian Artists Receive Governor General's Awards

Five Western Canadian artists are among the eight winners of this year's $25,000 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts, the Canada Council for the Arts announced Tuesday.

Artistic achievement awards go to Germaine Koh, of Vancouver, as well as two Vancouver filmmakers, Nettie Wild and Shannon Walsh. Regina artist David Garneau wins the outstanding achievement award, while Winnipeg's Grace Nickel picks up the Saidye Bronfman Award, given annually to a craft artist.

The other artistic achievement awards go to Toronto artist Tim Whiten, Montreal artist Evergon and FASTWÜRMS, an artist collective based in Mulmur, a rural township north of Toronto.

"This year's award-winning artists have influenced our views, perceptions and experience of what Canada is and, more importantly, what it can become, with a growing emphasis on sharing artistic creation in all its diversity and boldness," said Simon Brault, the council's director.

The winners, chosen by peer assessment committees, also receive a bronze medallion and are the subjects of short video portraits commissioned by the Canada Council. As well, the National Gallery of Canada will mount an exhibition by the winners. No date for the exhibition has been released.

The Saidye Bronfman Award was established by the Bronfman family in 1977, and is considered the most prestigious award in Canadian fine crafts. Each year, the Canadian Museum of History   acquires either a single work or a series of works by the winner. 

The jury for the Saidye Bronfman Award was composed of Maegen Black, associate dean of the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design in Fredericton; Laurent Craste, a Quebec ceramics artist; and Vancouver glass artist Naoko Takenouchi.

The jury for the other awards was composed of New Brunswick artist Rémi Belliveau; Karen Chapman, a filmmaker from Metro Toronto; Edmonton artist Brenda Draney; Montreal artist Aude Moreau; and Reid Shier, exec­­­­utive director of Vancouver's Polygon Gallery.

The outstanding contribution award is given to artists who have made exceptional contributions to visual arts, media arts or fine crafts in a volunteer or professional capacity.

Artistic achievement awards are given to artists in recognition of their bodies of work. The awards honour their contributions to contemporary visual or media arts.

Source: Canada Council for the Arts