EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY OF ART AND DESIGN
Emily Carr University Graduate, Cheyenne Rain LeGrande Wins BC Prize in the BMO 1st Art! Competition

Interdisciplinary Nehiyaw Isko artist Cheynne Rain LeGrande (BFA, 19) was in her Vancouver apartment when she received the news that she had won the BMO 1st Art! award for BC.

"I was so excited. I was literally jumping," she shares. "To get this type of recognition was an honour and I was and am thankful. Kinanâskomitin."

The 17th annual competition for emerging artists celebrates visual arts excellence among undergraduate art students across Canada. Deans and instructors of undergraduate student art programs from coast to coast are invited to nominate graduating students from their studio specialities to submit a recent work. A cash prize of $15,000 is awarded to one national winner and $7,500 to 12 regional winners from each province and territory.

After receiving over 200 submissions, 13 winners were chosen by an esteemed panel of Canadian artists, curators and educators. This year, the selection jury included Marie-Eve Beaupreé, Curator at Museé d'art contemporain de Montréal; cheyanne turions, Curator at SFU Galleries; Sarah Robayo Sheridan, Curator at Art Museum at the University of Toronto; and artist and Associate Professor at Mount Allison University, Adriana Kuiper.

Cheyenne's winning piece, Nehiyaw Isko , is a video installation documenting four performances created in the environments of an institution, snow, fire, and water. Moving to the sound of her mother Cikwes (Connie LeGrande) singing, Cheyenne applies red paint to her body.

"I have always used Nikawiy beautiful songs in my video work, so it came naturally to want to work with her in my performance work," Cheyenne explains of her collaboration with Cikwes.

"I am so thankful for the opportunity to get to work with my mother. This work is very special to me for that specific reason."

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