Jesse Wente's memoir, Unreconciled: Family, Truth, and Indigenous Resistance (Penguin Canada) is a finalist in the non-fiction category of the eighth annual Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize. The $10,000 award was created to bring literary recognition to Canadian talent and boost the careers of debut authors. Wente is the chair of the Canada Council for the Arts. The winners will be announced June 22. For more information, see the shortlist here.
A book that looks at Northwest Coast art at UBC's Museum of Anthropology from an Indigenous perspective has been nominated for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. Where the Power Is, a co-production with Figure 1, is a finalist for the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. The book brings together some 80 contemporary Indigenous knowledge holders with historical art, ranging from ancient stone tools and woven baskets to carved masks, poles and silver jewelry.
Vancouver's Centre A, an international centre for contemporary Asian art, is launching its first-ever arts writing mentorship program from April 28 to July 18. It's open to self-identifying Asian youth and young adults from 16 to 30 and aims to foster greater understanding of cultural experiences. The 12-week program will help six to 10 emerging writers launch or grow a professional writing practice. Participants will learn from established writers, editors, artists and curators, such as Bopha Chhay, Allan Cho, Monika Gagnon, David Garneau, Su-Ying Lee, Yaniya Lee, Cecily Nicholson, John Tain and Rita Wong.
The Alberta community of Lac La Biche will host two provincial arts award ceremonies – the 2022 Emerging Artists and the 2021 Distinguished Artists – on June 10 and June 11. Salma Lakhani, the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, will announce 10 new 2022 Emerging Artists awards. As well, three 2021 Distinguished Artists – Faye HeavyShield, Cheryl Foggo and Vicki Adams Willis – will be showcased at an awards dinner at Portage College. For information, go here.
A traditional Buffalo Winter Count Robe was recently presented to the University of Regina at a special ceremony. The robe was painted by knowledge keeper Wayne Goodwill from Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation. “This Buffalo Winter Count Robe symbolizes what happened in the past 200 years to the First Nations people on the plains,” said Goodwill, one of the last known robe painters in the province. The university says the robe will be used as a teaching tool to support truth and reconciliation. For more information, go here.
The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery in Waterloo, Ont., has used a provincial grant for building resilient communities to improve its brand, identity and messaging to connect more deeply with its community and build financial stability. Denis Longchamps, the gallery's executive director and chief curator, says the grant gives the institution "the tools to ensure our fundraising efforts match our mandate and provide the support necessary to continue offering innovative and accessible programs." The gallery's mandate is to support ceramic, glass and vitreous enamelling arts regionally and nationally.