Scholarships awarded to area artists

Andrea Hardman, 18, an aspiring First Nations artist, who is one of six recipients of this year's YVR Art Foundation Scholarship, has always been drawn to the creative, from finger painting as a child to her preferred medium of photography as a young adult.

A member of the Nisga'a and Carrier Nations, Hardman incorporates her First Nations heritage into her work, viewing her subjects through a cultural lens. Through the scholarship program she will return to her community and create a photographic essay on traditional harvesting practices.

"I am going to do a photographic project called Food from our Land. I'm going to go to my reservation and ask some of my grandfathers and family if they can take me on a hunting trip and fishing and get the women to take me to their houses and cook. I will take pictures of each of the family members doing their part in gathering food," said Hardman.

The scholarship program, which was established in 2005 by the Vancouver Art Foundation, offers $ 5,000 to young First Nation artists.

"We provide an opportunity for aspiring young First Nations youth who are interested and talented in art to develop their artistic potential in Northwest Coast art," said Clive Grout, chair of the YVR Art Foundation.

"We want these young artists to identify a specific project or target or a goal, which they can work on with our financial support with their results being displayed at the airport," said Grout.

The presentations of the 2006 scholarships was held at the Fairmont Hotel at the Vancouver International Airport on May 29. In attendance was YVR Art Foundation board members, sponsors, benefactors, last year's recipients and this year's six recipients.

The 2006 scholarship recipients are Chrystal Sparrow, 23, Morgan Green, 22, Andrea Hardman, 18, Nykiya Graham, 25, Raymond Boisjoly, 25, and Kelvin Redvers, 19. The specified projects for this year range from wood carving to film studies.

The idea of creating a scholarship program stemmed from a conversation between the late and former art foundation patron Bill Reid and former art foundation president, Frank O'Neil. Reid voiced his concern that artists needed to learn the skills and basics of Northwest Coast art in order to maintain quality and provide further development of the artist, said Grout during opening remarks at the YVR Art Foundation gala.

The foundation, which was created in 1995 by the Vancouver Airport Authority, is designed to foster, promote, and display Northwest Coast art in public spaces, the primary being the Vancouver Airport. In addition to promotion, "the role of the YVR Art Foundation is to maintain and administer the growth of the collection at the airport and the rotating displays," said Grout.

The 2006 sponsors include the Audain Foundation for the Visual Arts, CIBC, Vancouver International Airport Authority, and the YVR Art Foundation. Scholarship Benefactors are BC Hydro, CARA Operations Limited, Deloitte, ICE Currency Services Canada, Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd., KPMG, and Host International of Canada.

Kelvin Redvers currently enrolled in the film program at Simon Fraser University, dreams of writing and directing narrative fiction. His interest in film peaked early on and by high school he opened a small video production business. His first documentary was the making of a porcupine quill bracelet by an Elder. With the scholarship money he will document the work of Don Yeomans, a Haida artist who will be carving a totem pole that will be displayed at the sky train station at the Vancouver International Airport. The station is currently in the building phase and expected to be completed by 2009.

"When I was about nine my family got a digital camera and I just took that and went with that. I just found with that in my hands I was happy," said Redvers of the Chippewa Nation.

Kwiaahwah Jones, 22, an aspiring fashion designer and one of last year's recipients, was on hand at he gala to display her finished artwork. Early on she discovered an interest in designing regalia and by 17 had directed her designing skills to the Haida form line. After apprenticing for four months with an Elder making button blankets she knew design was her calling.

"I heard about this fashion design school, Touch of Culture, a Native fashion design school, and I decided to go... I started last February without any funding, just went on a whim and then I won this scholarship. It was really good because I didn't have any money, any food. From there, I met all the right people, the scholarship foundation members, people from the Vancouver Art gallery, people actually proclaimed me as an artist. Winning the scholarship was so beneficial," said Jones.

The recipients are selected through an independent jury process. Any First Nations youth under the age of 25 with a focus in the arts is eligible to apply for the scholarship.