Aboriginal artist Rebecca Belmore was among the recipients of the 2013 Governor General Awards, recently announced in Montreal. The Winnipeg-based artist works across a range of mediums including sculpture, performance and video and is widely considered one of Canada’s greatest contemporary artists. She was also the first Aboriginal woman to represent Canada at the Venice Biennale.
Belmore’s work commonly explores themes of identity and colonialism and is often inspired by the opportunity for social commentary provided to emerging artists today.
‘I was quite taken with the Idle No More movement and previous to that, the Occupy movement,’ she told Canada.com after the awards announcement. ‘I’m kind of excited about the potential for younger artists to engage in political kind of action and making artwork that is politically kind of motivated.’
Belmore added that she was surprised to have won the award, being as she is a ‘mid-career’ artist, but was thrilled at the opportunities it presents.
‘What I’m looking forward to is the dollars that come with [the award] and putting that to good use. Artists struggle with making a living in this country,’ she told Art Info.
Other recipients this year included Ontario-born composer and sound artist Gordon Monahan, Automatiste painter and sculptor Marcel Barbeau, art critic and curator Chantal Pontbriand and Atlantic filmmaker and producer William D. MacGillivray. 2013 laureates also included installation artist and educator Colette Whiten and ceramic artist Greg Payce.
‘Canada has long been renowned for excellence in the visual and media arts and the recipients of these awards are among our finest contemporary artists and artistic contributor,’ Governor General David Johnston said. ‘I am pleased to honour each of the laureates with these awards, and encourage audiences everywhere to view and appreciate their vision and creativity.’
Canada Council director Robert Sirman added that this year’s recipients are ‘expanding the boundaries of their art forms and addressing the big questions of our time’ while also creating ‘new shapes, sounds and perspectives that change the way we perceive the world around us.’
The National Gallery of Canada will be hosting an exhibition of the 2013 laureate’s work from 22 March to 23 June.
The awards will be presented to the recipients at a ceremony in Ottawa on 20 March. All recipients will receive a medallion and a cash prize of $25,000.
