The Skeena Salmon Arts Fest Society announced on Nov. 3 that they’ve received a Lieutenant Governors Arts and Music Award for Visual Arts award for contributions to the visual arts in the north west. 

In August, the society was represented at the award ceremony by their vice chair Amanda Hugon and fellow visual artist Stephanie Anderson. The awards were a one time occurrence as part of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. Hugon says that though they technically received the award earlier in the year, the ceremony itself was delayed due to COVID-19. 

According to Hugon, the society was nominated for the award by Cynthia McCreary, the art curator for the Terrace Airport art installations. 

Established in 2018, the society has since contributed a number of murals and sculptures around Terrace, as well as holding their annual Skeena Salmon Art Show. 

“We’re surrounded by so much beauty of our nature, our mother nature and stuff, that’s what we’re inspired by,” Hugon says of working with the society, which was originally started to honour the importance of the salmon to the ecosystem. 

The award came to the society in the form of $700, which was received at the ceremony in Vancouver.

Listen to the CFNR story with Amanda Hugon below: