NORTH BATTLEFORD — Youth art was celebrated in the Battlefords once again with the third annual Hazee Awards taking place.
The official name is the Hazel Asmussen Youth Art Competition, named after an artist and nurse in the Battlefords who passed away in 2009. The awards were spearheaded in her memory by her friends, Rob and Nora Rongve, as a way to support and inspire youth art.
The first Hazee Awards competition was in 2019 and the second in the fall of 2021.
The number of submissions has continued to grow, with this year seeing some repeat entries and winners. In the first year they had 21 entries, and it grew to 31 in 2021 and 41 for this year’s competition. The competition was open to youth artists within a 100-kilometre radius of North Battleford.
The awards recipients include four winners and seven honourable mentions in the senior awards category and three winners and two honourable mentions in the junior category. Prize money was awarded to all of those winners and honourable mentions.
In the senior category, the top prize of $500 went to Akeira Anseth for her work Lii Bufloo. Akeira is a Grade 8 student at Cut Knife Community School
The second prize Artistic Achievement award of $300 went to Jihoon Koo for The Empty Cafe. Jihoon is a Grade 12 student at North Battleford Comprehensive High School.
Two third prize Creative Excellence Awards with cash prizes of $100 went to Sarah Koo and Layla Barker. Sarah’s work is titled Art is My Joy and Layla’s is titled Release. Both are students at John Paul II Collegiate.
Honourable mentions went to Hannah Choi, Leianna Kiseyinwakup, Presley Weber, Brianna Elizabeth Gratton, Karl Jillian Villanueva, Drake Phommavong, and Mikayla Wisner. Each received prize money of $50.
In the junior awards category for Grade 4 and younger, Rose Hoffman received the $100 first prize for Nature’s Swing. She is a Grade 1 student at École Monseigneur Blaise Morand.
Second place Lauren Weber and third place Flynn Kramer each received $50 in prize money. Both attend Battleford Community School. Honourable mentions went to Cohen Lafreniere and Jolie Malo, who also received $50 each.
The Hazees exhibition is on display at the Chapel Gallery in North Battleford running until May 8.
