Ian Wallace wearing the Order of the Owl medallion in front of Jack Shadbolt’s “Birds in the Thicket II-IV“. (photo by Khim Mata Hipol)
Canadian artist Ian Wallace has been awarded the Order of the Owl by Artists for Kids.
The award was given in recognition of his contributions to contemporary art and “his transformative impact on the Canadian cultural landscape,” according to a news release.
For more than five decades, Wallace has played an active role in the Canadian visual arts scene. A board member for the Artists for Kids’ management committee and the Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation for Young Artists (which supports the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art), he is also a practicing artist, with work that includes painting, photography and installation.
For many years, he taught art history at the University of British Columbia and the Vancouver School of Art (now the Emily Carr University of Art and Design) and in 2004, he received the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2013 and in 2022, he won the $100,000 Audain Prize for Visual Art.
“Ian Wallace’s commitment to the arts has been unparalleled. Ian has been a touch point that we all have leaned on, again and again, to support our collective work supporting art education that profoundly fosters connection within our community,” said Allison Kerr, Director of Artists for Kids and the Gordon Smith Gallery, in the release.
The award was presented to Wallace in November in Vancouver.
Artists for Kids is a program operated by the North Vancouver School District in British Columbia. It brings together artists, educators and the community, to provide inspiring educational experiences for thousands of youth and children.
Presented by Artists for Kids, the Order of the Owl is presented to people who have demonstrated “an extraordinary commitment to who demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to advancing the arts and culture in Canada. The award celebrates visionary leaders whose life and work exemplify the transformative power of the arts, inspiring and enriching communities across the country.”
Source: Artists for Kids
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