Métis artist successful in first company-sponsored competition

A Métis professor from Alberta placed second and was awarded $10,000 in a company-sponsored arts competition.

David Garneau was the runner-up in the Cenovus Energy competition, which attracted 37 entrants.

The company staged the competition in order to help raise the profile of various Alberta and Saskatchewan artists. Officials from Cenovus Energy were also keen to display the winning entries at their Calgary office.

Garneau, who is 51, was born in Edmonton but moved to Calgary at age 17. He has been teaching at the University of Regina since 1999, where he is now an associate professor in the school’s visual arts department.

Garneau was pleased with his finish in the event.

“It was wonderful,” he said. “I was quite surprised. I didn’t have any sense of the competition.”

Garneau said this was the first time he had entered a company-sponsored event such as this. And there is a good reason why it was his initial entry.

“It’s the only one I’ve ever heard of,” he said. “Often in-house people just select the artwork (that will be displayed in a business). You never know what they are going to go with.”

Garneau’s entry was titled Torso (rib cage) and featured a tipi top overlaid with painted dots. A rib cage is also prevalent on the tipi itself.

A focus of the painting is the top part of the tipi where the poles are. It opens up skyward.

“I find that a powerful symbol,” Garneau said.

As for the rib cage, it has the appearance that it is in flight as butterfly wings are attached to it.

“The butterfly wings are suggestive of transformation,” Garneau said.

And the dots that are located throughout the painting are symbolic of Metis beading.

Besides his financial prize, Garneau is thrilled his piece was selected as one of the contest winners.

“It’s important to have visibly Aboriginal art in institutions,” he said.

Cenovus Energy is a Canadian oil company. Its operations include oil sands projects in northern Alberta. The company uses specialized methods to drill and pump oil to the surface and with established gas and oil production in both Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Calgary’s Colin Smith placed first in the competition and was awarded $12,000. Brad Harms, also of Calgary, placed third and received $8,000.

Brian Ferguson, who is Cenovus Energy’s president and chief executive officer, was impressed with the submissions received for the contest.

“We’re pleased to support these artists and help them continue in their work,” Ferguson said in a news release about the contest winners. “We believe that having art in the workplace creates an inspiring environment.”

Five individuals comprised the awards selections committee, including Lynda Haverstock, the former Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan and an avid arts supporter. Haverstock is now the president and CEO of Tourism Regina.

Others on the selection committee were Catherine Crowston, who is the executive director of the Alberta Art Gallery; artist Chris Cran; philanthropist Ann McCaig; and Brett Wilson, an art collector and entrepreneur.