An emerging Nanaimo artist is getting some financial assistance to help with his artistic pursuits.
On June 3 the YVR Art Foundation announced the recipients of its 2021 scholarships, and among the 10 B.C. and Yukon-based Indigenous artists is Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun of Snuneymuxw First Nation. All recipients are awarded $5,000 to attend an art school or work with an artist mentor.
“It’s just a really incredible opportunity for artists to receive some support,” White-Hill said. “I know a couple artists who have received it in the past and they’ve just spoken so highly about their experiences.”
White-Hill is also this year’s City of Nanaimo Emerging Cultural Leader Award winner and currently has work on display in the Nanaimo Arts Council’s online gallery. He said he will be using his scholarship to pursue a master of fine arts degree at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. He said he’s excited to become part of the community of artists in Vancouver.
“This is part of this new journey into art that I’m on and I want to take a serious run at it and see what I can do,” he said. “And fundamental to our teachings is to always be striving to better ourselves and to learn and so I’m just really excited to have this opportunity to be able to commit a couple years to just learning about art and developing my practice.”
White-Hill called the MFA a “research-based degree” and said his goal at Emily Carr is to perform research on the revitalization of Coast Salish art, continue to develop his studio practice and learn as much as he can about the technical side of art making.
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