Dark gray background with white text reading 'OKANAGAN ARTS AWARDS' at the bottom.

2009 Okanagan Arts Award Winners

Nine individuals holding awards and certificates at an event, standing against a gray background, arranged in a 3x3 grid.
  • A man with long, curly gray hair and a beard, sitting outdoors with a pensive expression, wearing a black T-shirt.

    Jock Hildebrandt

    VISUAL ARTS

    Jock Hildebrandt is an internationally renowned sculptor know primarily for his stone and bronze sculptures in Vietnam, China, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, and the Okanagan Valley. Jock is also the founder and lead organiser of the Okanagan Thompson International Sculpture Symposium, an organisation which has brought over 100 sculptors into the Okanagan Valley to produce art in 8 communities totalling over 1.8 million dollars. He also spearheaded the first Arts Council in West Kelowna.

  • Four dancers performing a contemporary dance routine in a dimly lit studio, with three of them standing with arms raised overhead and one crouching with arms extended to the sides.

    Ballet Kelowna

    DANCE

    Since 2002, Ballet Kelowna has brought powerful and memorable dance to British Columbia and beyond. Under the leadership of Artistic Director and CEO Simone Orlando, Ballet Kelowna presents various styles of dance from Canada’s finest emerging and established choreographers.

  • A woman with glasses and purple hair playing a violin in front of a microphone, outdoors with green trees in the background.

    Susan Aylard

    MUSIC

    Susan Aylard is a professional violinist in the Shuswap and Okanagan Valley who performs classically, records, and teaches at her private studio in White Lake. Susan placed first at Senior Strings at the BC Festival of the Arts at the age of 18 and she is currently in the 1st violin section of the Okanagan Symphony.

  • A smiling woman with gray hair and black glasses wearing a maroon sweater, standing in front of a colorful abstract painting on the wall.

    Sharon Thesen

    LITERARY ARTS

    Sharon Thesen is a poet, editor, anthologist, and teacher. Currently teaching at UBC Okanagan, Sharon's bibliography consists of her books A Pair of Scissors, which won the Pat Lowther Memorial Award, and The Good Bacteria, which was a finalist for the Governor General's Award, the ReLit Award, and the Dorothy Livesay Prize.

  • Four people dressed as characters from 'The Wizard of Oz' on stage, including the Tin Man, Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow.

    Theatre Kelowna

    THEATRE

    Since 1973, Theatre Kelowna has produced high quality dramas, comedies, musicals, and pantomimes. By creating a stage for powerful performance, mistakes, and education, Theatre Kelowna has succeeded in becoming one of the most reputable arts organisations in Kelowna.

  • Woman painting an outdoor scene of a woman by the water on canvas at an art class.

    Tina Siddiqui

    ARTS EDUCTOR

    Born and raised in Pakistan, Tina Siddiqui has exhibited in group and solo shows in the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Pakistan, and Dubai. Mesmerized by the Okanagan landscape, Tina has since been compelled paint the area, which she say is "a true labour of passion".

  • A man with a black bandana operating a professional Canon video camera outdoors.

    Rick Sagayadan

    MEDIA ARTS

    Rick Sagayadan is the owner/operator of SAGAcom Productions. Since its inception in 2003, SAGAcom Productions has striven to be an innovative company to service a multitude of clientele across the Okanagan Valley.

  • A young girl holding a musical instrument, likely a violin, with people in the background.

    Francine Gravel

    LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

    Francine Gravel is a painter born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. Having presented in her premier exhibit of etchings and engravings in 1967, Francine’s career has spanned nearly half a century in which she has enjoyed an international reputation with collectors and admirers across the globe.

  • Sketch of a smiling woman with light-colored hair, wearing a sleeveless top, set against a textured background.

    Mary Jo Schnepf

    SUPPORTER OF THE ARTS