College instructor builds on budding art career with Northwestel directory cover win
April 8, 2020
Yellowknife, NT — An Aurora College instructor is celebrating her win in this year’s Northwestel Directory Cover Art competition to build on her growing art career. Robyn Scott’s painting, Ekwò, has been selected as the cover image of Northwestel’s 2020/21 phone directory for the Northwest Territories (NT).
Scott says she created Ekwò, which is the Tłı̨chǫ word for caribou, after being asked what story she wanted to tell with her artwork.
“I want to tell the story of the North. I want to talk about our relationship with the land…and with nature,” Scott reveals. “When I was asked what images come to mind, I immediately thought of a caribou. I completed (the painting) last July and I knew it was something special. The title was particularly important to me, as well. I wanted to make sure I used the Tłı̨chǫ name.”
Northwestel has been showcasing the talents of northern artists on its regional phone directory covers for more than 30 years. Winners are selected by Northwestel, in consultation with the local arts community, and each winning entry is awarded $3,000.
A first-time entrant in the annual competition, Scott only recently began sharing her artwork publicly. After studying at Sunbury Shores Art School in New Brunswick last summer, she decided to take a more active approach to honing her craft and promoting herself as an artist.
“This is my year – I’ve been building up to this,” Scott explains. “I’ve always been a kind of ‘art hobbyist’. Then, I started sharing my paintings on Facebook and I had a really positive response. There was a moment…when I sold my first painting that fired me up. I thought ‘that was fun, I’d like to do that again’.”
Northwestel’s President, Curtis Shaw, says he is pleased to continue using the company’s directory covers to promote northern artists and their work.
“Northwestel is continuing its longstanding support of the northern arts community by once again showcasing northern-produced artwork on phone directory covers,” says Shaw. “We are proudly sharing the work of northern artists, by bringing their creativity and talent directly into the homes and businesses of their fellow northerners.”
Scott says she was teaching a class when she heard that her painting was selected for the NT cover. She remembers dropping her phone when she received the news.
“I couldn’t believe that they chose mine - out of all of the incredibly talented artists in our community. I was shocked and overjoyed. This win for me really lifted up my confidence. It was validating for me, as an artist…and I want to start putting myself out there more.”
Information about picking up Northwestel directories
Directory availability in each community may vary due to the COVID-19 situation. Customers are advised to check with the directory pickup location in their community for availability and practice social distancing when picking up their directory.
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Contact:
Northwestel Media Relations
(867) 455-4209
media@nwtel.ca
