This year, it pays tribute to the landmark 10th anniversary on Thursday, March 21, at the Enjoy Centre and organizers are preparing a special bash.
The high-profile visual artist Lewis Lavoie is this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. His passion and ingenuity for art has inspired people across Canada and reshaped how we view art.
In the other five categories – established artist, emerging artist, youth artist, arts champion and excellence in arts teaching – the committee received 42 nominees. This is a spike from 2018, when only 27 nominees were listed.
“I was pleasantly surprised. It was nice to see so many names. We’ve been trying to promote more on social media and it seems to be working,” said Tamsin Brooks, the city’s community cultural co-coordinator.
Nominees in two categories face extremely stiff competition. The youth artist category and arts champion category each have 12 nominations. The emerging artist category has eight nominees, the excellence in arts teaching category garnered five and the established artist has four.
A jury of six experts in the community ranging from musicians, visual artists, administrators, photographer and a teacher, are tasked with making selections based on artistic excellence, sustainability over three years, and impact on the community.
Preliminary performances alongside a reception start at 6:30 p.m. The awards show starts at 7:30 p.m. and will be suitably shorter then previous years to make way for an after party featuring Mac Daddy – The Fleetwood Mac Experience.
Tickets are $25 and are available at Arden box or at 780-459-1542 or at www.ticketmaster.ca.
Lifetime Achievement
Lewis Lavoie
An illustrator and inventor of the Mural Mosaic concept, Lewis Lavoie always thinks big. Perhaps his most ambitious project was the Canada 150 National Mural Mosaic that linked cities and towns from coast-to-coast during the nation’s 150th anniversary.
The mural project attracted thousands of ordinary men, women and children, eager to paint tiles that were interlaced together like a puzzle.
It also caught the eye of major Canadian celebrities – icons such as Jann Arden, Sarah McLachlan, Fernando Pisani, Sam Roberts, Atom Egoyan and Roméo Dallaire who put their stamp on the murals.
Lavoie’s brilliance was displayed not only in weaving the massive assortment of tiles into an image, but also in the optical illusion the finished project radiated.
“The gift Lewis has when seeing a mural only comes with experience and is part of his talent. Everyone has a talent in his eyes, and how he can put it together is astounding. It becomes a community work that is really appreciated,” said Tamsin Brooks, community cultural co-ordinator for City of St. Albert.
The St. Albert artist first came to the attention of the masses as a talented performance artist who generously created works for fundraisers, auctions and special events.
His performance paintings, ranging from impressionist to modern pop culture styles, continue to make him greatly in demand.
Lavoie has also illustrated the Bellwether series of children’s books and created a biblical science fiction fantasy world titled World of Nod.
Emerging Artist Award
Stephen Badry
A multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, Stephen has been involved in several groups including Over Here!, Cypress, and Havelin.
Matthew Clarke
Matthew was born an artist. Like most artists Matthew has a day job. To express his frustrations with totems of elitism, he uses elements from his job site to create artwork.
Julianna Damer
A Ryerson University graduate, the Franco-Albertan artist and photographer divides her time between St. Albert and Toronto proudly exhibiting works and participating in residencies.
Cristian De La Luna
As a Latin singer-songwriter Cristian uses music to celebrate cultural diversity. He was recognized in 2013 with a Western Canadian Music Award nomination. In 2018, his album Sabes received an Edmonton Music Award.
Sandy Dewar
A 30-year resident, Sandy has expanded her interest in multiple visual arts mediums with some award winning work and pieces displayed overseas and in Canada.
Laura Edwards
Laura is a self-taught abstract painter who works with acrylic and resin on canvas. Her works are displayed in businesses throughout the city and at the Art Gallery of St. Albert.
Erin Spiller
Erin is a published St. Albert photographer and writer, and shoots images with restaurants, dance companies, musicians, festivals, local and international non-profit organizations.
Kateryna Young
A longtime artist, Kateryna lets colour inspire her and lead her in new directions. She loves abstract work and enjoys blending acrylic and mixed media with the use of glitter or gloss to create sparkling effects.
Established Artist Award
Kristine McGuinty
Kristine is a professional visual artist, teacher and volunteer. Her art is represented in galleries and she has received Signature Status with the Federation of Canadian Artists for excellence.
Ronda Metzies
Ronda is a core cellist with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Alberta Baroque Ensemble. She is also a founding member of Kent Sangster’s Obsessions Octet.
Brad Necyk
Brad is a visual and narrative artist. He was AHS Transplant Services first artist-in-residence and worked with head and neck cancer patients. He currently is the first visiting artist-researcher at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
Samantha Williams Chapelsky
Samantha has exhibited art for 10 years. Her paintings are in numerous corporate and private collections. She also works as an art instructor and lecturer, hosting workshops and sessions across Alberta.
Arts Champion Award
Phil Alain
Phil is an artist, show producer and promoter of the arts. He is the founder of Night of Artists, NOA Magazine and co-partner of Mural Mosaic.
Mary-Lou Drachenberg
Mary-Lou is a grassroots arts teacher, coach, mentor, actor, filmmaker, singer, ambassador and cheerleading facilitator for anyone aspiring to experience the arts.
Sandra Moloney
Sandra’s goal is to encourage lifelong learning and a sense of belonging by ensuring that arts programming and services are accessible to everyone in our community.
Dr. Alan Murdock
Dr. Murdock is a volunteer and financial supporter in a range of performing arts and cultural activities. He holds executive roles with the Arts and Heritage Foundation, the St. Albert Rotary Music Festival and is co-founder of the St. Albert Chamber Music Society.
Phoenix Tales Productions
Phoenix Tales Productions is a children's theatre troupe that focuses on teaching students in grades 7 to 10 theatre fundamentals through an annual production.
St. Albert Amplify Festival Youth Advisory Committee
The Amplify Youth Advisory Committee is a youth-led volunteer organization that strives to create innovative arts programming for local teens.
St. Albert Chamber Music Society
The St. Albert Chamber Music Society fosters an appreciation of chamber music by offering high-quality performances from distinguished artists and emerging chamber musicians.
St. Albert Dinner Theatre
St. Albert Dinner Theatre is volunteer-driven community theatre. Now in its eighth season, it enjoys a growing season subscriber base and community support while providing creative opportunities for artists and crews.
Ukrainian Cheremosh Society
As a promoter of Ukrainian dance over 30 years through an annual dance festival, Cheremosh also provides classes and showcases artistic entertainment.
United in Bronze Handbell Choir
United in Bronze is a volunteer St. Albert ensemble that performs a wide range of musical genres on English Handbells.
VASA – Visual Arts Studio Association of St. Albert
VASA is an artist-run centre that provides an opportunity for visitors to enjoy art. It also shares the talents of its award-wining artists with disadvantaged citizens.
Jenny Wilson
A passionate visual arts curator and director at Art Gallery of St. Albert, Jenny’s career and work is rooted in a commitment to making art engaging and relevant as well as physically and intellectually accessible.
Excellence in Arts Teaching Award
Peter Belec
Peter is a veteran guitar instructor who shares his passion and expertise with many students.
Michael Larocque
Raised in St. Albert, Michael currently teaches photography at Bellerose Composite High School. He organizes the Obelisk Film & Photography Festival, an annual student arts festival held at the Arden Theatre.
Louise Petersen
Louise is a passionate clay and multimedia artist who has taught thousands of students of all ages in her 30-year career.
Keri Puckrin
Keri was born and raised in St. Albert. She has taught piano for 16 years and is a published composer with the Canadian National Conservatory of Music.
Tree House Playschool
Tree House Playschool is a creative, caring preschool that has operated in St. Albert for more than 40 years. Focusing on imagination, discovery and learning through play, Tree House supports young emerging artists.
Youth Artist Award
Hailey Benedict
Hailey, 16, is a multi-talented North American award-winning singer/songwriter, performer and guitarist from St. Albert. Her diverse music talents are showcased on stages throughout St. Albert and beyond.
Kenzie Bliss
Kenzie, 12, started drawing seriously two years ago with the help of YouTube videos. She received commissions and recently submitted artwork for the Lions Club Peace Poster Contest. Her submission advanced to internationals.
Ben Brown
Ben is a local artist and actor in Grade 10 at Paul Kane High School. Ben has performed 10 shows with the St. Albert Children’s Theatre and Paul Kane Theatre.
Sydney Bourbeau
Sydney is a multi-instrumentalist musician who is active on the music scene.
She performs in musicals, busks at the St. Albert Farmers Market and performs at private events, public shows and fundraisers.
Abbie Giesbrecht
Now in the International Baccalaureate Art Program at SACHS, Abbie, 17, has a passion for art and received a sculpture and design art award in Grade 9.
Kalina Hanson
A passionate and active participant in the arts community, Kalina intends to pursue formal visual arts training in post-secondary studies.
Alicia Krips
A first-year music student at the University of Alberta, Alicia studies the French horn and piano. She has earned numerous awards and scholarships for musical performances, theory and history exams, and academic achievements.
Molly Leblanc
Molly is a St. Albert pianist with a passion for music. She plays the ivories at a Grade 8 level as well as composes and sings.
Elorra Marchand
Elorra is Paul Kane’s lead student photographer. Her work was displayed at Amplify Festival and she volunteers her photography skills around the community.
Amanda Penner
Amanda is a young singer-songwriter, often described as an old soul. Her melancholy melodies and thought-provoking lyrics tell powerful stories, as she travels from small coffee shops to larger festival stages.
Max Quilliam
Max is a queer and trans artist-activist whose work focuses on identity, community empowerment, and activism.
Andrea Shipka
Currently studying to receive a bachelor of music, Andrea works as a performer, songwriter, audio-engineer, photographer and booking agent.
