GAC celebrates Gabriola’s vibrant arts community with presentation of 2024 Arty Award,and GASP Awards

Dirk Huysman (right) and the late Dr. Mary Ann Richards of D’Dance Glass are the 2024 Arty Award winners. Huysman was presented with the Arty trophy by last year’s winner, Bill Pope. Photo courtesy Blair Mann

Sounder News

The Gabriola Arts Council held its 2023 Annual General Meeting on April 17th.

This year the Board ran things a little differently.

President Anne Poschmann said first off, “it was our privilege to have Michelle Benjamin, a program advisor with the BC Arts Council and recently returned resident of the island, to give us an informative view into the provincial funding programs for arts organizations and individual artists.

“We discovered that the Gabriola Arts Council is in the eyes of BCAC and others, considered among the top 5 arts councils in the province. It’s in great part because of what we provide for the community on the island.”

Poschmannn said this news set the statge for the next part of the evening, which was to hand out the grants and celebrate the recipients of the Gabriola Artists Support Program (GASP!) and of course the much-coveted Arty Award.

This year there were 11 GASP! awards presented, for a total of almost $5,000.

Poschmann  said after almost two years since the last awards, it was a difficult process to select the recipients for this year.

Patricia Armstrong, board director and MC for the awards stated, “The quality of every single one of the 19 applications received showed how much talent and initiative to grow there is on this island.” 

This year’s recipients are Debbie Marshall, Deb Chaney, Jessica Miinguuaqtii, Joelle Anthony, Kate Wood, Kayla Lofstrom, Liam Hurley, Sandy Jasper, Sylvia Thomson, Vincent Fe and Yarrow Koontz. Congratulations to all the recipients! 

Poschmann said the nominees for the Arty Award also demonstrated the incredible dedication of so many individuals to maintaining the vibrant artistic community Gabriola has.

Last year’s Arty Award winner, Bill Pope, presented the 2024 Arty Award trophy. A tradition of the award is having the winner of the award add a token of their choice to the trophy. As a result, the trophy has expanded considerably and beautifully over the 13 years since the first award to Kathy McIntrye.

The 2024 Arty Award recipients are Dirk Huysman and the late Dr. Mary Ann Richards of D’Dance Glass.

Poschmann said, “congratulations Dirk.

“Thank you for all your contributions to the art community over the past year and prior years.

“And thank you to all the nominees as well as all the nominators this year – we so appreciate all that you do for the Arts on Gabriola!”