Vanderhoof First Nations Artist's Work Recognized With Award

Friday, October 16, 2009 03:48 AM

VANCOUVER – A Vanderhoof First Nations artist, Noeleen McQuary, is among six recipients of the third annual BC Creative Achievement Awards for Aboriginal Art honoured this week by Premier Gordon Campbell and Keith Mitchell, chair of the British Columbia Achievement Foundation.

"Through their carving, painting, jewellery and weaving, these artists have made an important contribution to a tradition of cultural diversity and richness that stretches back through the centuries," said Premier Campbell,

who is director of the BC Achievement Foundation. "It is a tribute to the incredible cultural heritage of B.C.'s First Nations and an extraordinary legacy that all British Columbians can take pride in."

Mitchell introduced the awards and explained, "The BC Creative Achievement Awards are the most prestigious awards for Aboriginal Art in British Columbia. Since 2007, the awards have tracked the careers of outstanding

practitioners in Aboriginal art while reflecting the healthy and vibrant diversity of Aboriginal culture throughout the province."

McQuary,of the Carrier Nadleh Whut'en, receives a $2,500 prize and is granted the use of the British Columbia Creative Achievement Award seal to signify creative excellence.

Earl Muldon, a Gitxsan artist from Hazelton, was named the recipient of the 2009 BC Lifetime Creative Achievement Award for Aboriginal Art. This award recognizes First Nations artists whose dedication to their work has had a

profound impact on both their community and First Nations culture.

The other recipients are:

* Calvin Hunt, Kwakiutl (Port Hardy)

* Richard Hunt, Kwakiutl (Victoria)

* John Marston, Chemainus (Ladysmith) and

* Isabel Rorick, Haidi (Hornby Island)

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