Ronnie Burkett, Measha Brueggergosman-Lee among laureates for Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement

SCTV’s Andrea Martin, rapper Wes “Maestro” Williams, and choreographer Mélanie Demers also recognized

Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, Wesley (Wes) “Maestro” Williams, Diane Juster, Andrea Martin, Ronnie Burkett, Jenny Belzberg, and Mélanie Demers.

SEVERAL PERFORMERS with long associations appearing on Vancouver stages have been named as laureates of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.

Ronnie Burkett, the Order of Canada-winning puppeteer, playwright, designer, and performer whose shows like The Daisy Theatre and Little Willy have been a hit at the Cultch, was named. He was praised for “provocative, topical, compassionate and entertaining” work that has “revitalized puppet theatre, consistently attracting adult audiences who are enthralled by the colourful characters”.

Soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, who has appeared here with Vancouver Recital Society and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, as well as singing at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, was praised for her “exceptional musicianship and powerful voice”.

SCTV (Second City Television) comedy legend and Broadway star Andrea Martin; “godfather of Canadian hip hop” Wesley (Wes) “Maestro” Williams; and singer, composer, and pianist Diane Juster were also named laureates.

Meanwhile, choreographer and multidisciplinary artist Mélanie Demers, whose La Goddam Voie Lactée made an impact at the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival and the Dance Centre two years ago, is receiving the National Arts Centre Award, recognizing the work of an “extraordinary nature by an individual artist or company in the past performance year”. Her Montréal contemporary-dance company is called MAYDAY.

The Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts went to Jenny Belzberg, a community activist and philanthropist who has been a crucial force for the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Elsewhere, the G-Gs announced that for the 2024 Mentorship Program, in which past GGPAA recipients guide a chosen mid-career Canadian artist, will feature Inuk singer–songwriter Susan Aglukark mentoring musician Angela Amarualik.

Awards will be celebrated at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, in a gala June 8.

Featured

Janet Smith

Janet Smith is an award-winning arts journalist who has spent more than two decades immersed in Vancouver’s dance, screen, design, theatre, music, opera, and gallery scenes. She sits on the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle.

Articles

Hunting Matthew Nichols and Kryptic among B.C. contingent as Whistler Film Festival unveils Canadian entries

They’ll be competing in juried Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature at event December 4 to 8

B.C. election 2024: Local arts groups seek greater support from the next provincial government

Advocates say a unified strategy is needed for the arts, culture, and heritage sector

Vancouver celebrates centenary of the birth of renowned late architect Arthur Erickson with a year of programming

The Erickson family and the Arthur Erickson Foundation announce AE100, 12 months of films, exhibits, lectures, and more, launching July 7

UBC Theatre and Film announces 2024-25 season

Three of the city’s most respected directors to helm The Very Book Indeed, The Arsonists, and The Last of the Pelican Daughters

Vancouver mourns the death of dan bau virtuoso Bic Hoang, a "standout musician with a standout instrument and a big smile"

The local artist was the first woman to play the koni, a traditional Vietnamese instrument typically reserved for men

The Dance Centre announces Company 605 co-artistic directors and Margaret Grenier as 2024 winners of Lola Award and Isadora Award

Lisa Mariko Gelley and Josh Martin receive $10,000 biennial prize, while Dancers of Damelahamid artistic director wins $5,000 annual award

Gateway Theatre unveils 40th-anniversary season, spanning a Halloween murder mystery, family-friendly puppetry, and more

Four mainstage theatre shows hit 2024-25 roster, along with celebrations for Richmond Pride Week, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Lunar New Year

Firehall Arts Centre loses bid for $7 million accessibility upgrades in City's Mid-term Capital Plan

In a move opposition councillors called “embarrassing”, Vancouver City Council majority voted to put off exploring future upgrades to the aging facility by two years

Firehall Arts Centre pushes City for $7 million accessibility upgrade

Right now, wheelchair users face stairs and other barriers to attending and working on shows at the historic theatre

Vancouver New Music launches On Curation Mentorship Project, featuring four emerging Canadian curators

Mentors include Raven Chacon, who recently became the first Native American to win the Pulitzer Prize in Music, and Western Front curator-at-large Aki Onda

Major new sculpture by Indigenous artist James Harry installed in Squamish

Welcome Gate is made of fibreglass, stainless steel, copper guilding, and LED lighting

Chutzpah! Festival set to run a scaled-down event this year to cope with financial pressures

Festival changes to an approximately weeklong event, as organizers cut back by two-thirds in the wake of public grant losses

Studio 58 announces 2024-25 season, its 59th year of indie and mainstage theatre

Four mainstage shows and one indie production featuring Vancouver’s up-and-coming talent fill the calendar

Kay Meek Arts Centre unveils 20th season spanning Ukrainian-folk quartet Yagódy, Juliet: A Revenge Comedy, and more

A first round of shows has been announced in the Amplify, Resonate, Play, and Cabaret series, ranging from classical music to Vancouver theatre favourites

Vancouver sees renewed push for three-theatre cultural precinct complex amid venue crunch

Vancouver Symphony Society secures city grant, as dance and music presenters voice needs and say securing local venues is harder than ever

UBC Museum of Anthropology reopens after completion of challenging $30.5-million seismic upgrades

Years in the making, project led by Nick Milkovich Architects Inc. includes full rebuild of the glass-panelled Great Hall, plus the new permanent Pacific Northwest Galleries

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra music director Otto Tausk extends contract into 2029-30 season

The maestro is also artistic advisor of the VSO School of Music

B.C. poet George McWhirter wins international $130,000 Griffin Poetry Prize with Mexican poet Homero Aridjis

Translator of Spanish-language poetry collection Self-Portrait in the Zone of Silence shares award with original author

Cartoonist Miriam Libicki receives formal apology from Vancouver Comic Arts Festival after protests led to ban

The Vancouver artist, who was banned after protesters disrupted the festival, is now using her art to raise funds for Palestinian and Israeli women peace activists

Progress for 221A's Cultural Land Trust proposal as Vancouver City Council backs motion

City backs removing barriers to artist studios, while new working group will devote further research into providing arts sector with vital real-estate support

Emily Carr University of Art + Design names Dr. Trish Kelly as president and vice-chancellor

Kelly will helm the school into its 100-year-anniversary celebrations in 2025

SFU cites fundraising challenges for its decision to end its SFU Woodward's Cultural Programs

Vice-president says internal funding dried up, while 149 Arts Society director says it was hamstrung in its efforts to raise funds

Pacific Theatre announces 2024-25 season featuring The Hobbit, an Ins Choi solo show, and more

Five mainstage performances include Kim Selody’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved book and a production of Will Eno’s Middletown

SFU announces end of SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs

University VP says “financial realities” mean the end of programming, commissioning, and presenting of new performances with dozens of Vancouver arts-group partners

Kronos Quartet, Silkroad Ensemble, and more as the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts announces 2024-25 season highlights

A first peek at the shows in three series, including the all-new Chan Centre Director’s Cut programmed by director Pat Carrabré

Indian Summer Festival announces more programming, including Arushi Jain’s music and chef Tushar Tondvalkar’s food

Also on the July 2024 roster, themed PARADOX: griot and hoodoo storyteller Arthur “Rickydoc” Flowers

Stop Asian Hate launches 2024 campaign on May 28 with voices of solidarity and hope

New entries to the StopAsianHate.ca website highlight the work of Asian-Canadian performing-arts professionals

Indian Summer Festival announces first annual BC Gin Festival at the Roundhouse Exhibition Hall

The fundraising event features unlimited tastings of nearly 50 gins from B.C.’s top distilleries and international imports

Vancouver Jewish arts festivals scrambling to raise funds after cuts to historical grants

The Chutzpah! Festival and the Jewish Book Festival fall outside of new “designated priority groups” for federal and provincial funding, and are struggling to stay afloat