(Fort McMurray, AB – February 1, 2021) – The Wood Buffalo 2022 Arctic Winter Games Host Society is inviting artists, designers and creative individuals living in the Wood Buffalo region to participate in a design competition to create a cultural medallion and culture pin.
The pin design should be inspired by the diversity of cultures of the region, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, while the concept design for the cultural medallion will reflect Wood Buffalo’s rich Indigenous heritage and the colour concept of the Medicine Wheel.
“As the Games take place on Treaty 8 Territory, ancestral and traditional land of the Cree, Dene and Métis peoples, it is important to the Host Society to honour and showcase our Indigenous heritage and the culture we proudly have in our region,” said Nicole Bourque-Bouchier, Co-chair of the Wood Buffalo 2022 Arctic Winter Games Host Society Board of Director. “Culture is an important aspect of the Arctic Winter Games and we want to celebrate that while also collaborating with our talented local artists.”
In addition to the sporting events, the Games will include a unique Cultural Village at the Snye Point Park and cultural performances from visiting contingents. The cultural medallion featuring the winning design will be awarded to these performers.
“Pin trading is also a long-standing tradition at the Arctic Winter Games, and we look forward to handing out a piece representative of our heritage that is created by a local artist,” Bourque-Bouchier added.
The design competition is open to individuals over 18-years-old who are living in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. The selection panel will choose one Indigenous artist for the medallion design and one artist for the culture pin. All winners will receive an honorarium and the selected designs will be reproduced by a professional fabricator.
The deadline to send in a submission is March 4, 2021. The entry form can be found at awg2022.org.
The Arctic Winter Games is an international biennial celebration of circumpolar sports and culture taking place from March 6-12, 2022. The Games will highlight the region and its culture through the spirit of sport to an international audience and visitors from around the world. The week-long event will see athletes from our own backyard along with international Circumpolar north regions during their time to shine.
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Media Inquiries: communications@awg2022.org