Calling for ICW Artist Proposals!
The University of Alberta Students' Union (UASU) is looking for an Indigenous artist to create art for our annual Indigenous Celebration Week (ICW). This artwork will be used for up to the next five years for ICW on branding materials for the event.
For the proposal, we need a rough idea of your design concept and your portfolio. We can accept both digital and traditional mediums. The final product will be digitized.
Preference will be given to local First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists.
The compensation if selected will be $1000 CAD.
Apply at uasu.ca/artistcall. Applications close June 30.
Indigenous Celebration Week
Indigenous Celebration Week is a celebration of Indigenous culture, teachings and languages that aims to share knowledge and create positive energy for the Indigenous community on campus and its allies. The Week features events which are led by Indigenous elders and other community members as a way to honor traditional elements within a contemporary setting.
How is ICW planned? Who's making the decisions?
ICW has an Advisory Committee that consists of FNMI representatives from Supporting Indigenous Languages Revitalization, First Peoples' House, Indigenous Students' Union and Faculty of Native Studies. All high-level decisions regarding programming, speakers, and visuals are made by the committee. The UASU has a coordination committee (consisting of staff and the VP Student Life) that handle the logistical and operational aspects of the event-planning, including the implementation of the Advisory Committee's recommendations.
What is the story behind the graphic for ICW?
The main ICW graphic is an illustration by an Indigenous artist: Halie Finney.
"I wanted to do a pack of coyotes running together in tall grass at night, I was thinking like a current of coyotes. Coyotes are an animal that are pretty widespread, they exist in urban spaces and rural, northern and southern, etc, I think everyone has a relationship with coyotes. The red ribbon emphasizes their unified motion and symbolizes the future/moving forward. The other coyotes are carrying sage which, I think, many Indigenous cultures use for healing." - Halie Finney
