It’s that time of year again.
The Shuswap District Arts Council invites applications from the musical community to the annual Blair Borden Memorial Award.
Borden was a founding member of the arts council in 1970 and dedicated this award to adult musicians of all abilities wanting to further their education.
A $500 scholarship is awarded by the arts council, and another $500 is awarded by the Shuswap Music Festival Society each year.
Following the death of artist Marie Manson in 1980, a group of five close friends – Lois Higgins, Cilla Budda, Robin Suddaby, Doug Hughes and Erika Allwood wanted to do something special to honour and celebrate her life. So, in 1980, with $5,000 in Seed money from Manson’s family, the five created a fund to assist artists in their work.
Since then, more than 60 local artists have benefited from the award.
As they do every year, the trustees of the Marie Manson Memorial Arts Award again invite applications from artists of all genres.
This award is intended for mid-career artists in all disciplines who reside in the Shuswap area. Funds may be used to support a specific project, travel or professional development opportunity.
This year, the Marie Manson award has increased to $2,000 and will be awarded to one or two artists.
The deadline to submit applications for both awards is Thursday, April 30 and winner(s) will be announced in June.
Application guidelines are available at the arts centre. They can also be downloaded on the Internet at www.salmonarmartscentre.ca/apply. Return them to the Salmon Arm Arts Centre at 70 Hudson Ave. NE or mail them to Box 1181, Salmon Arm, B.C. V1E 4P3.