The Winnipeg Arts Council handed an award recently to visual artist Divya Mehra after resuming its award ceremonies following a break due to the pandemic.
Mehra’s work deals with her diasporic experiences and historical narratives. She incorporates found artifacts and readymade objects in works in a multitude of forms, including sculpture, print, drawing, installation, performance, video and film.
Mehra, actually won the award for 2021, but it was the first time the mayor's arts award luncheon could be held since 2019, says Carol Phillips, the council's executive director.
"We are thrilled that we are not only able to celebrate this talented and diverse group of artists, but we are also able to celebrate the previous year’s winners for whom no public celebration was held," says Phillips. "They all contribute immensely to Winnipeg’s cultural vitality and unique artistic life."
The awards, established in 2007, recognize artists who demonstrate excellence and creativity, and patrons or volunteers whose ongoing support is vital to the success of the arts in Winnipeg.
This year's winners are Taylor McArthur (Pogé hąská wašté wiyá/Hummingbird Woman), who is helping to build Indigenous digital art practice; filmmaker and artist Rhayne Vermette, who recently released her first feature film, Ste. Anne; and Susan Lamberd, who has spent 10 years as the volunteer chair of Arts AccessAbility Network Manitoba.
Other 2021 winners are graphic novelist Tasha Spillett; Lisa Meeches, who has developed and hosted television programs that share stories of Indigenous resilience; Heather Cram, a landscape artist who worked to help establish Winnipeg's public arts program; and Douglas MacEwan, who has donated and raised funds for many Winnipeg arts organizations.
Source: Winnipeg Arts Council