Okanagan Arts Awards Sculpture Design
Arts Council of the Central Okanagan
Press Release:
Okanagan Arts Awards Sculpture Design
The selection has been made! The 2015 sculpture that will be given to each of the category
recipients for the upcoming Okanagan Arts Awards will be created by Dennis Cound from
Kamloops, BC.
The sculptures will each be hand carved from Gypsum or Alabaster stone. The logo for the
Arts Council of the Central Okanagan will be carved onto two sides of a block of the stone,
resulting in a relief surface featuring this logo. Artist Dennis Cound has altered the logo
very slightly for each one of the 14 sculptures he is working on, making each sculpture
distinct.
Dennis Cound has been carving for many years in his home based studio in Kamloops. He
has several special approaches, including the creation of intricate images onto deer, elk and
caribou antlers.
Dennis was born in Montreal, but moved to BC when he was a youngster, and was greatly
impressed by nature and the native art that was to be seen in the west. Following the
artistic foundation of his father and uncle, Dennis began sketching and painting, but soon
chose stone and antler carving as his medium. Wildlife continues to be a favourite subject
for his artworks, but Dennis will also create “moments in time”, a combination of pictures
of everyday life and the beauty they posses.
As Dennis explained, “I like to think of myself as a messenger. A liaison between you and
the stone or antler. I have the honour and obligation to free each piece and share it with
the world.”
Each year, a new Call for Artists results in new design submissions for the award sculpture.
This truly nurtures the creativity of our artists, who are challenged to create a new image
each year.
The 2015 Okanagan Arts Award Design emulates the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan’s
Logo created in 1967 by Nelson’s Kootenay School of Art director Zeljko Kujundzic
Nomination deadline: January 31.
Okanagan Arts Awards Showcase March 28th.
Inquiries, contact Elke Lange at 250-861-4123 or
Sharon McCoubrey at 250-766-4406 or [email protected]