Anita Sikma grew up the daughter of an automotive technician and it is this experience that informs both her design aesthetic and love of handcrafted labour. Her most recent collection is named after her father’s automotive shop in Saskatchewan and features jewellery inspired by muffler clamps, cold connectors and sprockets. With her intuitive understanding of mechanical design, Anita has developed her collections using the traditional process of ‘lost wax casting’, blending contemporary elegance with Art Deco influence to create her androgynous classics. Starting in her East Vancouver apartment and growing into an independent studio space, Anita’s use of raw materials and hand tools supports a shrinking handful of local, family-run businesses. Her work has been featured widely in numerous publications and has a strong following of jewellery lovers and dedicated collectors.
The Huu-ay-aht Group of Businesses is the arm’s length economic development corporation of the Huu-ay-aht First Nation. It initially started with forestry businesses but grew to include an additional six limited partnership operation, comprising of 14 businesses in six years. It started with one employee in 2011 and now has over 120 full time, part-time, and casual employees.
A recent purchase of 11 properties has breathed new life into the community providing additional jobs and revenues for the Huu-ay-aht. As Chief Councillor Robert Dennis Sr. likes to say, “our businesses allow us to manage prosperity instead of poverty.”
Sam Carter has dedicated himself to the trumpeting of BC’s vibrant applied arts and design community for the past four decades. Artist, mentor, curator, advocate and educator, Sam has guided and inspired scores of young artists and provided them with international opportunities through his work as Professor Emeritus at Emily Carr University and beyond. Determined to define design in BC, to educate British Columbians and Canadians about the exemplary work happening in their backyard, Sam sees design as a life force, integral to our quotidian tasks and unique experiences. Through his curatorial work, Sam embraces both cutting edge technology and ancient techniques, seeing all excellence in design as worthy of celebration. His efforts have challenged and changed the conversation around local applied art and design and helped focus an appreciation of the role of functional art within the province’s cultural economy. Sam continues to mentor students, serve on civic boards and committees, travel extensively as curator and educator, while devoting his time to art and design initiatives throughout the world.
Brad Turner creates sculptural and functional glass objects with a strong focus on conceptual originality, superb craftsmanship, and cohesive intent. He maintains a diverse practice that weaves in-and-out of craft, art and design. While his work displays the care and technical expertise expected of top artisans, it is imbued with a unique design sense. As an object maker, Brad strives to create well-made, thoughtful objects that add relevant content to creative culture. He has steadily garnered recognition for his work, receiving 24 industry awards over the years, and readily pursues artistic development over stability. Brad has quickly become a positive influence within the Vancouver glass scene and is considered a talented and committed artist, designer and craftsperson who contributes his wealth of knowledge to the community.
Life Compass Counseling provides counseling services for children, adults, couples and families with a variety of behavioural and emotional issues. Under its umbrella, Equine Edge offers equine assisted therapy by partnering patients with horses to address those same challenges. Services are provided in an arena surrounded by four legged therapists offering innovative programs for youth where traditional approaches have not worked.
Based in a chronically underserved area of the province, Life Compass Counseling has assisted many families who would otherwise go without support. Since its formation in 2009, the business has grown exponentially in size, scope and has served numerous and diverse patient needs.
To pursue a career anchored in creativity and design, Steven Pollock dropped his briefcase 15 years ago and picked up an unconventional material: concrete. Using self-taught techniques, Steven finishes the cast concrete and incorporates other materials to create minimalist pieces, which leave very little room for forgiveness; each piece must be perfect and no detail goes unnoticed. Mirroring the environment around him and drawing on the relationship between humanity and its interaction with nature, Steven’s work utilizes BC’s homegrown materials and is often inspired by local architecture. In his own words, “Working with concrete is a commitment. It’s a material that retains the ugly and the beautiful.” Steven’s award-winning bold and distinctive designs are easily recognizable and make a unique contribution to BC’s cultural and creative economy.
