(the pre-show view from the tech booth.)
We are proud to share the recipients of the 2022 Richmond Arts Awards. The awards were shared via ceremony on May 4th at Gateway Theatre, with the last three years’ worth of recipients in attendance. Mayor Malcolm Brodie hosted the awards. Congratulations again to all of the recipients!
Arts Education
Recognizes an individual or organization whose achievements and contributions to arts education have been significant and far reaching.
2022 Arts Education Recipient – Harry Yu
Harry has taught traditional Chinese painting to all ages of students for the past half century, and for the last 30 years, he has made numerous contributions to Richmond’s cultural community. Harry co-founded many clubs and associations in support of his chosen art form, the oldest of these being The Wednesday Arts Club (1998) and the most recent being the Chinese Arts Association Richmond (2018). Inspired by majestic mountains and nature, his beautiful works are skillfully drawn in the traditional Chinese style blended with his own innovative touches. Harry has held group and solo exhibitions across Canada and Asia (including the People’s Republic of China). The Government of Guangxi was so deeply impressed by this mastery of the ancient Chinese art form, that it has several of Yu’s paintings on permanent display at Liu Cheu Museum Art Gallery and Art Institute.
Artistic Innovation
Recognizes an individual artist or organization that is producing visionary creative work, exhibiting innovation within their arts discipline and/or bringing a new cultural experience to the City of Richmond.
2022 Artistic Innovation Recipient – Thomas Cannell
Thomas is a Coast Salish (Musqueam) artist whose artistic style is greatly influenced by his mother, Susan A. Point. He also studied graphic design and photography at Langara College and graduated from Capilano University’s Tourism Management program in 2005. The recipient of a British Columbia Creative Achievement Award, his art is featured in galleries in Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle and has been included in touring exhibitions throughout North America as well as in catalogue publications. His large-scale compositions can be seen in numerous public art works throughout southwestern BC, including a BC Ferries vessel. In Richmond, Thomas’ work includes the recently unveiled Sea to Sky painted glass artwork on No. 3 Road, Fish Trap Way located near the Richmond Olympic Oval and Ravens in Terra Nova Rural Park.
Business and the Arts
Recognizes a business that has made a significant contribution to the arts in Richmond by supporting a Richmond-based artist or arts organization through sponsorship, philanthropic and/or volunteer service.
2022 Business and the Arts Recipient – Mark Glavina. Phoenix Art Workshop
Mark has promoted the benefits of the arts through education and community engagement for more than 30 years. With training in graphic design and illustration, he has worked as a teacher and illustrator, and established a reputation as a muralist. In developing his own fine art, he explores environmental, cultural and social issues, while working with the figure and portraiture. His focus in recent years has been to develop a comprehensive teaching philosophy for the fundamentals of art and visual literacy. In 1997, Mark opened Phoenix Art Workshop, which hosts art classes both locally and abroad including very successful and popular international art excursions through The Travelling Brush. By organizing community art events like Chalk the Boardwalk and Grand Prix of Art, Mark has shared his intense passion for art making with other artists and the general public. Notably, he received the Business and the Arts Award in 2010, making him the first Richmond Arts Awards recipient to be honoured twice for his exceptional commitment to the arts.
Volunteerism
Recognizes an individual that has made a significant contribution to the arts in Richmond by supporting a Richmond-based artist or arts organization through volunteer service.
2022 Volunteerism Recipient – Keiko Go
Keiko has left an indelible mark in Richmond through her extensive list of volunteer activities. Every summer since 2008, she has been involved with the Obon Festival at the Steveston Buddhist temple, and she especially enjoys organizing cultural experiences. Examples include gathering local Japanese-Canadian artists to celebrate the temple’s 50th anniversary and organizing a group of Japanese dancers to participate in the annual Steveston Salmon Festival with the Jodo Shin Taiko players. Every spring, she organizes a concert to showcase the talents of Japanese musicians. More recently, to combat pandemic-related isolation, Keiko has written a short bi-weekly bulletin, Connect, for Japanese-Canadian seniors. She also spearheaded a project to make paper cranes in support of local healthcare workers and their seriously ill patients, which attracted the attention of media outlets across Canada.
Youth Arts
Recognizes a performing, literary or visual artist, 24 years of age or younger, who has demonstrated outstanding promise and commitment to the Richmond arts community. The winner of this category will be awarded a $300 cash prize by the Richmond Arts Coalition.
2022 Youth Arts Recipient – Megan Yung
Megan is an active contributor to Richmond’s arts community. In 2018, her poster design was chosen for Richmond School District No. 38’s Mission, Vision, and Values poster. The next year, her work was selected in the 2019 Richmond Street Banner Contest and she illustrated the Richmond Public Library’s 2019 Teen Summer Reading Challenge poster. Notably, in that same year, Megan also became the youngest artist to be commissioned by the City of Richmond for her 2019 Richmond Maritime Festival poster design. More recently, she was commissioned to design face masks for City staff, and was again selected as a winner in the 2021 Richmond Street Banner Contest. In addition to all these projects, Megan is a Marketing Director at Work in Progress magazine, a youth-led art magazine that promotes the coalescence of youth art and social justice in Metro Vancouver.
Cultural Leadership
Recognizes an arts professional or organization as a leader in their arts discipline, their organization stewardship and/or their contribution to Richmond’s cultural development.
2022 Cultural Leadership Recipient – Mary Wilson, Richmond Black History Month
After years of travelling to other Metro Vancouver communities for Black History Month events, Mary took it upon herself to coordinate events in Richmond resulting in the first annual Richmond Black History Month celebration in 2016. Before then, there were limited institutional opportunities for the city’s small but vibrant Black community to showcase their stories, talents and achievements. By crafting and planning a diverse range of programming every year to educate, celebrate and make community connections, Mary has significantly contributed to the city’s cultural development. It is her deep reach within the community that makes the programming so successful. She is intentional about recognizing the diversity of Richmond residents of African descent, with roots all over the world, and she is always eager to widen the circle.