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2021 Distinguished Artist Faye HeavyShield

Honouring her Kainaiwa (Blood) Nation, the striking landscape they dwell within and the Blackfoot language which she speaks, Faye HeavyShield’s legacy of three-dimensional art and sculpture make her a senior figure in the artistic and cultural renaissance of Indigenous nations in the country.

2021 Distinguished Artist Cheryl Foggo

Creating a more inclusive and diverse view of Alberta’s history through plays, books and an award-winning feature-length documentary film, John Ware Reclaimed, Cheryl Foggo uncovers the compelling but overlooked stories of Alberta’s Black settlers and cowboys.

2021 Distinguished Artist Vicki Adams Willis

Vicki Adams Willis has changed the face of jazz dance in Alberta and Canada. A co-founder nearly forty years ago of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (DJD), she is foremost a teacher and choreographer of more than 35 original productions.

EMERGING
ARTIST

The Distinguished Artist Award recognizes Alberta artists from all arts disciplines for outstanding artistic achievement, artistic excellence, and significant contribution to the arts in Alberta. Congratulations to 2021 Distinguished Artists: Faye HeavyShield, Cheryl Foggo and Vicki Adams Willis.

About the
Lieutenant
Governor of
Alberta
Arts Awards

The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards Foundation was established in 2003 and its first awards program for Distinguished Artists was launched in 2005. The Emerging Artist Awards program began in 2008.

Since then, 63 Emerging and 20 Distinguished Artists have been recognized with this prestigious award. Recipients span the rich offering of visual, performing, film, design and literary professional arts in the province. These outstanding artists continue to contribute to Alberta’s rich cultural fabric in communities across the province – and across Canada.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF ALBERTA

Salma Lakhani is a community leader and volunteer who is guided by her deep commitment to the values of pluralism and inclusion and her dedication to championing those who face barriers in life. Born and raised in Kampala, Uganda, she came to Canada in 1977 as a stateless person after all Ugandans of Asian origin were expelled from that country. She is a proud Ismaili Muslim who has offered longstanding service to a range of organizations, including NorQuest College, the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, Kids Kottage, Sorrentino’s Compassion House, the Alberta Cancer Board and the Zebra Foundation.

She began her duties as the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta on August 26, 2020. She serves as Patron of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards.