A young Victoria-based artist has taken home a prestigious prize at the third biennial Salt Spring National Art Prize (SSNAP).
Audie Murray is a Camosun College graduate who took home the Juror’s Choice Award, which makes her one of 52 artists across Canada to have their work eligible to win one of 10 prizes. Her work will also now be displayed at the Victoria Arts Council along with other SSNAP winners beginning Jan. 10, 2020.
SSNAP is one of the largest visual arts competitions in Canada, and offers $39,000 in total awards as well as a residency on Salt Spring Island. More than 2,000 submissions came in from across Canada, and Murray’s win gives her a national title and $3,000.
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Murray works with various materials, including bead work, textiles, repurposed objects, drawing and photography. With her work, she hopes to explore connections, bodies, gifting and collaboration with ancestors.
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| Victoria-based Audie Murray took home the Juror’s Choice Prize at the Salt Spring National Art Prize (SSNAP) with a photo of her work, “for hambone, metis billy stick”. (File contributed/ SSNAP) |
Her winning piece is titled for hambone, metis billy stick and is a glicee print of two pieces of her work: a billy stick carved out of wood replicating one made by her grandfather and an ornately-decorated sheath for it.
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“The original billy stick was made from a place of humour and love. The act of recreating the billy stick is a collaboration; the design and making of the sheath is a gift,” the piece description reads.
For Murray, who is Metis, the win is an opportunity for discussion.
“It’s a great way to open conversations and as an Indigenous artist represent my personal background and indigenous culture,” Murray said. “I was really happy and shocked to win a prize, I had no expectations that I would win anything, but when my name was called I was very excited.”
For more information visit saltspringartprize.ca
