Aboriginal Artists Receive Creative Achievement Awards

Six B.C. First Nations artists were honoured by Premier Gordon Campbell and Keith Mitchell, chair of the British Columbia Achievement Foundation, at the second annual BC Creative Achievement Awards for Aboriginal Art.

“The artists honoured today reflect the spirit and generosity of the First Nations history, traditions and culture,” said Premier Campbell, who is director of the BC Achievement Foundation. “Through their carving, painting, clothing and weaving, these recipients share with all British Columbians their interpretation of the stories which have been passed down through the generations.”

Mary Michell, a Carrier artist from Burns Lake, was named the recipient of the 2008 BC Lifetime Creative Achievement Award for Aboriginal Art. This award recognizes First Nations artists whose dedication to their work has had a profound impact on both their community and First Nations culture.

The five recipients of the juried competition, the BC Creative Achievement Awards for Aboriginal Art, were:

• Bruce Alfred, Kwak waka’wakw, Namgis
• Reg Davidson, Haida, Old Massett
• Charles W. Elliott, Coast Salish, Tsartlip
• Debra Sparrow, Coast Salish, Musqueam
• Daniel Tom, St’at’ime, Seton Lake Band

Each received a $5,000 prize and is granted the use of the British Columbia Creative Achievement Award seal to signify their creative excellence.

The BC Creative Achievement Awards for Aboriginal Art were created to recognize the important role of First Nations art in British Columbia’s history and cultural identity.

The British Columbia Achievement Foundation is an independent foundation established and endowed by the Province in 2003. The Creative Achievement Awards for Aboriginal Art are one of five initiatives of the foundation. The others are the BC Community Achievement Awards, recognizing those who have made a significant contribution to their community; the BC Award for Canadian Non-Fiction, recognizing excellence in literary non-fiction; the BC Creative Achievement Awards, recognizing excellence in applied arts and design; and Time to Read: the BC Achievement Award for Early Literacy.