Latest acquisitions for collectionArtNB provide a better representation of Aboriginal artists

FREDERICTON (GNB) – The province’s art bank, collectionArtNB, has enriched its collection with the addition of 18 works of visual art, including seven from Aboriginal artists.

Established in 1968, collectionArtNB is a permanent collection now totalling 962 works of art, serving as a record of excellence in the province's visual arts. Every two years, a jury selects artwork by contemporary artists to be purchased. The calls for acquisitions, this year, specifically focused on the Aboriginal artistic community to increase their representation in the collection.

“CollectionArtNB should be an open window on the cultural fabric that shapes our everyday lives and be representative of all cultural aspects of our province,” said Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Bruce Fitch. “We are very fortunate to have such a wide range of talented artists in our province and after more than 50 years, collectionArtNB has became a truly remarkable collection, containing extraordinary works by many revered artists.”

The list of new Aboriginal acquisitions includes:

• Katie Augustine: Pskihqiminsok (Strawberries) (2019) / Strawberry Basket (Medium) (2019)
• Tara Francis: Grandmother Moon Turtle (2019) / Grandmother Moon Turtle Legend (2019) / Monarch (2020)
• Belinda Levi: Working Hands (2017)
• Marie Fox: Monument (2017)

“These works will be an extraordinary addition to the province’s art collection,” said Aboriginal Affairs Minister Jake Stewart. “Having a call for acquisition specifically dedicated to Aboriginal artists ensures that we reflect our cultural richness through an increase of Aboriginal pieces in the art bank. This values the traditions, cultures and identity of the First Nations and these additional pieces will promote an increased understanding and appreciation of their contribution to New Brunswick.”

Last winter, professional artists working in New Brunswick for more than one year were invited to submit artwork for acquisition. Artists from all communities, anglophone, francophone and Aboriginal, were encouraged to participate.

Among the other new acquisitions are:

•  Judy Blake: Saggar-fired vessel (2019)
•  Yalda Bozorg: Week 05 – Exuberance – Quiet (2018)
•  Marika Drolet-Ferguson: Entre, 01 (2017-2019)
•  Annie France Noël: Aux Femmes I et II (2017)
•  Emilie Grace Lavoie: In Medicamentum (2015)
•  Ann Manuel: Forecast (2017)
•  Emily Phillips: Coppermine Trail (2018)
•  Collin Smith: Literacy (2020)
•  Barbara Safran de Niverville: Caribou Lichen (2019)
•  Matt Watkins: Receptacle for Preserving Fragments (2017)

The mandate of collectionArtNB is to support and feature New Brunswick artists. Through the Acquisitions Program, the provincial government buys contemporary works by visual artists for display in its buildings and around the province. The selection of artworks is made by an independent peer jury composed of artists and art professionals.