Apr 27 2007
Sonia Cornwall Scholarship Announced!
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: Julie Fowler
Toll Free: 1-800-442-ARTS (2787)
Tel: 250-994-3466 Fax: 250-994-3433
Email: media@imarts.com
ISLAND MOUNTAIN ARTS ANNOUNCES THE SONIA CORNWALL SCHOLARSHIP
FOR AN EMERGING CARIBOO ARTIST
WELLS, BC, April 18, 2007… Island Mountain Arts is pleased to announce a new scholarship in memory of renowned Cariboo artist and Cowboy Hall of Fame inductee, Sonia Cornwall (1919 – 2006). The Sonia Cornwall Scholarship will provide the full eight-day tuition (value $800) to an emerging visual artist living in the Cariboo to attend the Toni Onley Artists’ Project for Professional and Emerging Artists (Formerly named the Wells Artists’ Project) from July 21 – 29, 2007 in Wells, BC.
Born in 1919 in Kamloops, BC, Sonia Cornwall spent most of her days raising cattle with her family at the Onward Ranch just outside of Williams Lake. Her art, which reflects her life, depicts scenes of nature like the cattle grazing in vast and beautiful Cariboo landscape. Sonia followed in the footsteps of her mother who was also a painter and who studied amongst the likes of Group of Seven painter, A.Y. Jackson, who would often visit the Onward Ranch for painting excursions.
It was in this mix of nature and the hard working ranching life, along with the visiting painters and an artistic mother that Sonia developed her passion for painting and living in the rugged Cariboo hills. It is this pioneering spirit and love of the arts that Island Mountain Arts would like to honour Sonia Cornwall for, and in her memory provide an opportunity for an emerging Cariboo artist to be mentored in the visual arts at the Toni Onley Artists’ Project.
Newly renamed to the Toni Onley Artists’ Project to honour the spirit of internationally regarded BC painter, Toni Onley who passed away in 2004, this eight-day studio based artist mentorship program aims to provide a forum for emerging and professional visual artists to explore and develop their ideas in relation to visual arts practice. In 2007 the Toni Onley Artists’ Project will feature Canadian senior visual artists’ Chris Cran, RCA and Michelle Forsyth. Both of this summer’s mentors, in addition to their own successful careers as practicing artists, also teach visual arts; Chris Cran at the Alberta College of Art and Design and Michelle Forsyth at Washington State University.
To apply for the scholarship all Cariboo visual artists are welcome to submit a letter stating what they hope to gain from the experience, an artist statement and 6 – 10 digital images of their recent work. For details about the Sonia Cornwall Scholarship, as well as other scholarship opportunities please visit the Island Mountain Arts webpage at www.imarts.com. The deadline to apply is May 15. For more information you can also contact Artistic Director, Julie Fowler at media@imarts.com or call 1-800-442-2787.
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