Local wins art contest

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Rocky Barstad, a descendant of the Tsuu T'ina First Nation, and one of the mural artists featured in the soon-to-be-opened Aboriginal Peoples Gallery at the Provincial Museum of Alberta in Edmonton, is the winner of the 1997 Peace Hills Trust Native Art Contest.

This is the 15th year the competition has been held.

For Barstad, who owns an art gallery in High River, it is the first time he's won the award. He has entered before, but only managed second or third place finishes for his work. His winning piece was one of 175 entries in this year's competition. It is a head and shoulders rendering of a young girl. Using soft pastels, Barstad managed to create a gentle and subdued ambiance to the subject. The title of the piece is "Precious."

The award ceremony was held in Kelowna and coincided with the official opening of Peace Hills seventh branch on the Westbank First Nation Reserve.

Eugene McNabb from Regina came in second place in the competition with a piece entitled "Sacred Dogs." Third went to Hobbema's Wayne Roan for "Chicken Dancer."

Peach Hills Trust holds the competition to provide a vehicle for Canada's Native artists to promote their art work.

The competition also had three categories for Native youth. Randy Peters and Nona James-Point, both from Agassiz, B.C., and Tiffany Deneault from Kamloops were selected in the nine and under category. Jacquelyn Fontaine of Winnipeg, Travis Marty Tait from Sachigo Lake, Ontario, and Trevor Orvis of Winnipeg impressed the judges in the 10 to 13 category. Michelle Bright of Prince Rupert, B.C., Douglas Thomas Davey from Moose Factory, Ontario, and Rocky Metchooyeah of Chateh, Alberta, were the judges' selections in the 14 to 17 years of age category.

Each year, the winner of the major event has the honor of having his or her work put onto the Peace Hills Trust calendar. Barstad's art work graces the 1998 calendar, which is available now.