Guelph Arts Council is pleased to announce that the 2017 Jane Graham Memorial Award goes to Guelph natural science illustrator Emily Damstra.
Emily is a full-time freelance illustrator who exhibits regularly and produces natural science illustrations for publications, interpretive signs, and websites, as well as coin designs for the Royal Canadian Mint. With her affinity for details, delight in colour, desire for scientific accuracy, and propensity for research about her subjects, she views her art as a way of learning, both for herself and for viewers of her artwork.
Emily submitted her application as a request for assistance to attend the 2018 Conference of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators in Washington, D.C., in July 2018. This international conference will offer workshops, demonstrations, presentations, a juried exhibition and portfolio-sharing opportunities that will allow her to enhance her skills in specific techniques and, just as importantly, to network and gain inspiration and insights from others in her field.
The jury for this year’s award was impressed with Emily’s well-written and persuasive application, and applauded her for her practicality and clarity on setting professional goals to take her work to the next level.
Established in memory of local artist Jane Graham following her untimely death in March 2005, the Guelph Arts Council Jane Graham Memorial Fund is managed by the Guelph Community Foundation. As a result, Guelph Arts Council is annually able to assist visual artists residing and actively practising in Guelph or Wellington County, helping them to pursue professional development opportunities that will contribute to individual personal artistic growth.
For more information about the Jane Graham Memorial Award program and Guelph Arts Council, please visit guelpharts.ca, phone 519-836-3280, email [email protected], or drop by our new home at 10C Shared Space, 42 Carden Street, Guelph. For more information about Emily Damstra, please visit her website at http://emilydamstra.com/.
Find the original press release here.
