An unframed painting titled Love Knows No Color by Saskatoon Nutana Collegiate Grade 12 student Joyce Kandakai took first prize in the fourth annual Provincial Youth Visual Art Project. The work is an acrylic on canvas that shows two young people, one black, the other white sharing, an ice cream cone. Kandakai took home a $125 cheque, plus a certificate, plaque and medallion. The presentations took place April 11 at the MacKenzie Art Gallery where 14 of the art works were exhibited. They will be displayed at the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) conference scheduled for July 11-22 at Luther College, University of Regina and are available as an exhibition to any high school that requests it. Multi-Faith Saskatchewan will exhibit the works at all its functions this year.
Janel Broqueza, a Grade 11 student from Melfort took 2nd prize and a cheque for $100, Grade 10 student Brooklyn Beavnet from Saskatoon’s Centennial High school took 3rd and a $75 cheque and Benson Lemaigre, Grade 11 from the Dene School, Clearwater River First Nation received a $50 cheque for 4th. The remaining six in the top 10 each received a $25 cheque. Regina’s Archbishop Daniel Bohan made the presentations to the first and second place artists, David Katzman, co-chair of the art program and Doreen Pankewich, President of the Eastview Rotary Club one of the major sponsors of the art project, awarded 3rd and 4th prizes.
Entries from Saskatoon’s Centennial Collegiate and Regina’s St. Luke between them produced nine entries, five from Centennial and four from St. Luke. Centennial had three in the top ten and St Luke students who last year took first and second, had two in the top 10. Last year artists from St. Luke were judged first and second.
The Provincial Youth Visual Art Project is a Multi-Faith Saskatchewan project that is open to Grade10 – 12 students in all Saskatchewan high schools that teach the visual arts. Its theme is: a Celebration of Art, Faith, Spirituality; Saskatchewan Youth Working through Visual Arts for Peace, Unity and Care of the Earth. It began in 2010 and continues to grow and attract entries from around the province. Regina and Saskatoon provide most of the entries and others came from as far north as the Dene School on the Clearwater River First Nations, Melfort and Borden, Saskatchewan.
Krishan Kapila, who helped found Regina Multi-Faith and Multi-Faith Saskatchewan and is the co-chair and brainchild behind the art project said he is very pleased with this year’s entries and looks forward to the program accepting more art work next year.
