Persistence nets artist $5,000 scholarship

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Ann McLean of Edmonton won first place and a $5,000 scholarship in the 1990 Asum Mena Alberta Juried Native Art Festival. Her winning piece entitled The Offering A/P is a detailed black and white etching. McLean, who is originally from Sturgeon Lake reserve, majored in printmaking during her fine arts studies at the University of Alberta. She plans to continue her studies in a masters program. Mc Lean was first runner-up in the 1989 Asum Mena festival and received honorable mention in 1988.

This year's first runner-up is Darlene (Peacock) Morin of Winterburn, who won with an unusual xerox installation drawing entitled Reality Vs Illusion. Morin, who has been enrolled in the visual arts program at Grant MacEwan Community College, was earlier given the Yellowhead Tribal Council's 1990 education program Indian authors' award.

Second runner-up Ken Swan is no stranger to Asum Mena festivals. He has been a regular participant and has continually been a sell-out artist. His winning piece Casket is a detailed pen and ink with color wash drawing. In 1992 Swan will complete the drawing program at the Alberta College of Art in Calgary.

Nisha James Wuttunee of Calgary was the recipient of $750 winning the special three-dimensional award. His sculpture, A Night of Vision, is a bronze casting and wood creation. Wuttunee said the elements of all his entries were revealed to him in dreams. This is the first year he has entered the Asum Mena festival. Wuttunee is attending the fine arts program at the University of Calgary and will graduate in 1992.

Honorable mentions were awarded to Victor Buffalo, Jacinta Wostenbrg, Linus Woods, Todd Kervin, George Kootenay, Marilyn Fraser-King, Farron Callihoo, Lou P. Cole, Patricia Sewell, Rocky Barstad and Melvyn Bensoin.

Three hundred pieces by 75 artists were submitted for the competition and 233 works were accepted.

Jury members were Stan Szynkowski from the Edmonton Art Gallery, Alfred Schmidt from the University of Alberta and Joane Cardinal-Schubert (R.C.A.), a noted Calgary artist and former assistant curator at the Nickel Art Museum.

The Asum Mena Festival will be held at the Front Gallery (12302 Jasper Ave., Edmonton) from Aug. 3-31, 1990.

Works by previous scholarship winners - Jane Ash Poitras, Faye Heavyshield, Kim McLain and Lauren Wuttunee - will be featured at the art festival along with works by Alex Janvier and Cardianl Schubert.

Asum Mena is Cree for Once Again.