BC Achievement Foundation announces recipients of this year's Polygon Award in First Nations Art

Xwalacktun (Rick Harry) receives Award of Distinction for Lifetime Achievement

By emily lyth

Clockwise from top left: Shawna Kiesman, Xwalacktun (Rick Harry), Klatle-bhi Charles Sam, and Brent Sparrow.

BC ACHIEVEMENT FOUNDATION announced the recipients of the 17th annual Polygon Award in First Nations Art this morning: Brent Sparrow, Klatle-bhi Charles Sam, Shawna Kiesman, and Xwalacktun (Rick Harry), who also receives the Award of Distinction for Lifetime Achievement.

The Polygon Award in First Nations Art recognizes artists with portfolios built from committed, community-rooted practice that honours First Nations art traditions. The Award of Distinction for Lifetime Achievement, given out in tandem with the Polygon Award, goes to an established artist who has demonstrated long-term accomplishments and exceptional contributions to B.C.’s art scene.

“The recognition is a testament to your artistic brilliance in traditional and contemporary art,” says Walter Pela, chair of the BC Achievement Foundation, in a release. “The commitment to your craft, impressive body of work, and the recognition you receive within your communities showcases the profound impact of your creativity and dedication to preserving and advancing First Nations art.”

A master carver of Kwakwaka’wakw and Squamish ancestry, Xwalacktun’s practice spans metalwork, jewelry, glasswork, drawing, and printmaking, with a focus on public art and sculpture. This summer, he crafted a house post live for visitors at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler with apprentice Brandon Hall.

From carving double doors for the West Vancouver school-board office and B.C. Hydro, to touring Scotland in demonstration of traditional totem pole carving skills, to working on Simon Fraser University’s major 2009 digital project honouring Sto:lo culture called A Journey into Time Immemorial, Xwalacktun’s achievements are numerous. This new award joins his list of impressive distinctions, which include a 2012 Order of British Columbia appointment, 2016 First Nations Art Award, and 2022 Honourary Doctorate from Emily Carr University.

Klatle-bhi Charles Sam’s Moon Mask.

Sam is also a master carver from the Kwakwaka’wakw and Squamish Nations. His works, which include red cedar masks, panels, and totem poles, are on display in New York City’s Museum of Arts and Design, and Seattle’s Burke Memorial Museum of Natural History.

Victoria-based artist Kiesman is of Nisga’a, Ts’msyen, and Haida descent. Exploring her Indigenous heritage through textiles, drawing, painting, and digital art has led her creations to become part of permanent collections at the Nisga’a Museum and Coast Mountain College. She is also being recognized with BC Achievement Foundation’s Crabtree McLennan Emerging Artist designation in First Nations Art this year, for her accomplishments as an early-career artist.

Sparrow, who’s of Musqueam roots, has a portfolio that spans large-scale bronze, glass, and cedar public art. In collaboration with his mother Susan A. Point, Sparrow has established art installations in the likes of the Seattle Art Museum and Seattle Children's Hospital, as well as for the cities of Vancouver and Richmond.

All four recipients will be honoured at a ticketed awards ceremony on November 15 at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre. Afterward, a free exhibition for both the Polygon Award in First Nations Art and Applied Art + Design Award will be open to the public from November 16 to 22.  

---

Related Articles