Community Awards go to Eastside Culture Crawl's Esther Rausenberg, artist-filmmaker Simon Daniel James, and other arts advocates
BC Achievement Foundation acknowledges Haida artists, Health Arts Society founder, and more
Esther Rausenberg
Simon Daniel James
A LONG-TIME EAST SIDE artist and arts activist is among the new recipients of the BC Achievement Foundation’s 20th annual Community Award. The prizes, announced with premier David Eby, recognize those who “build better, stronger and more resilient communities.”
Strathcona’s Esther Rausenberg established what is now known as Georgia Art Studios with her partner Richard Tetrault more than 40 years ago. Together they helped cofound the Eastside Culture Crawl, the wildly popular open studios festival. In 2013, Rausenberg took on the role of artistic and executive director for the organization, evolving it into what is now the multifaceted Eastside Arts Society. Most recently, Rausenberg spearheaded the Eastside Arts District, the establishment of a recognized district devoted to the preservation of arts and culture spaces, and has advocated against the loss of artist studio spaces.
Amid the other arts-based winners is Simon Daniel James, also known as Winadzi, an internationally renowned artist who works across many mediums. A member of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation, James began carving cedar at the age of 15 and trained under the guidance of his father, going on to work on numerous community engagement and public art projects across Canada, the USA, and Japan. “His impact on local communities and students is immeasurable as he uses his creativity and compassion to inspire and nurture young learners,” BC Achievement said. James attended Vancouver Film School and has worked with National Geographic’s All Roads Film Festival since 2004. His Raven Tales remains a ground-breaking, animated Indigenous storytelling series.
Delta’s David Lemon, meanwhile, was recognized for founding the nonprofit Health Arts Society of BC. Through its Concerts in Care program, it has become one of the largest performing arts organizations in the province, reaching more than 600,000 people in care facilities, mostly frail elders. The program has attracted significant involvement from some of Canada’s best-known concert artists and arts organizations. There are now seven sister societies covering 10 provinces, gathered together under a national association that’s chaired by Lemon.
Ashcroft’s Meeka Morgan received the nod for thousands of hours volunteering as the founding artistic director of Tl’kemtsin 2 Rivers Remix (2RMX), BC’s first Indigenous-led festival of contemporary Indigenous music and culture. 2RMX has become one of the largest all-Indigenous contemporary music festivals in Canada. After a 2021 fire destroyed much of the festival site, along with homes and equipment, Morgan persevered and delivered the 2RMX Movable Feast, an Indigenized re-imagining of cultural presentation that enables small Indigenous communities to actively participate in creating their own local cultural events with the support of 2RMX. The Movable Feast collaborated in 2022 with eight different small Indigenous communities to showcase local artists alongside national award-winning Indigenous artists.
And Haida cultural ambassadors Kihlyahda Christian White and Candace Weir-White, of Masset, were jointly honoured for elevating their people and community as cultural leaders, language carriers, mentors, and community ambassadors. White is a Haida master carver, educator, mentor and elder; Weir-White is a Haida song and dance leader and organizer, and an apprentice and learner of the language with elders.
Other winners over a variety of fields include Connie Cocchia, West Vancouver; Dr. Amy Gilchrist, Victoria; Jack Gin, Burnaby; James Harry Sr., Burnaby; Kat Hartwig, Brisco; Gerry Nellestijn, Salmo; Kim North, Lillooet; Don Philip Peters, North Vancouver; Stephanie Quon, Vancouver; Sahara Shaik, Vancouver; Jessie Sutherland, Richmond; Upkar Singh Tatlay, Surrey; Gary Thandi, Surrey; Kiranjot Kaur Toor, Surrey; and Spencer van Vloten, Vancouver.
You can find more information on the whole group of award recipients here.
Related Articles
