culture

Faye HeavyShield among the 2026 Governor General's Awards in visual and media arts

The Kainai Nation sculptor is the only Alberta recipient in a class of eight honoured by the Canada Council.

The Canadian

Culture

September 28, 2026

4 min read

A sculptural paper installation in a quiet gallery

Kainai Nation artist Faye HeavyShield has received a 2026 Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts, one of eight given this year and the only one awarded to an Alberta artist in the artistic achievement category.

HeavyShield's practice spans nearly half a century of sculpture, installation, drawing, and audio work shown in galleries across the country since the 1980s, drawing directly on her experience as a Blackfoot woman.

The awards were created in 1999 by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Governor General of Canada. Each recipient receives a bronze medallion and $25,000, and this year's class includes artists working in textiles, film, photography, and art history.

An exhibition featuring work by all eight recipients is scheduled to open in New Brunswick this autumn, giving the full class a single public showing rather than eight separate announcements.

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