By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
Lynnea Holmstrom, an Indigenous youth artist from the Osoyoos Indian Band, is one of four winners of an art competition awarded for her stunning visual representation of the “four elements and Indigenous connection to nature and animals”.
Lynnea Holmstrom was one of four exceptional winners of FORED BC’s annual art, photo & video contest that celebrates the rich cultural and heritage traditions of Canada’s Indigenous people with $150 cash prizes to Indigenous youth winners aged 5-18.
The 2024 Traditional Knowledge & Medicine art competition is part of FORED’s Aboriginal Heritage, Education & Dialogue (AHEAD) program.
The Grade 7 student from Oliver’s Senpaq’cin School told the Times Chronicle that this is the very first competition that she’s entered her art into. “It’s very exciting because I thought I wouldn’t win,” she says.
When asked how she was planning to spend her $150 prize money she replied simply, “Maybe put it in my bank account.”
As for her inspiration for this artwork she says, “I love the land and my history and I really wanted to showcase the plants you see around this area.” She adds that she had an idea and a rough plan and it just “came together” as she painted.
The colours are to showcase the northern lights and the blue wings represent protecting the water and her connection to her Indigenous name and ancestors, she says in her artist’s statement.
Lynnea explains her painting reflects Indigenous themes because that was the focus of the competition, but that she enjoys all different styles.
“She does a variety of things, she loves cartoon drawing and painting, she really doesn’t restrict herself to one style,” says her mom Alanea Holmstrom. “It was the contest that really caused her to look inward and look at her background because the contest was based on traditional medicine.
“So that’s what she decided to look at the local area and see what inspired her because she’s obviously very connected to nature and she’s always been connected to water,” Alanea adds.
The colours are to showcase the northern lights and the blue wings represent protecting the water and her connection to her Indigenous name and ancestors, she says in her artist’s statement.
“I fell in love with art when I was younger,” she says adding she has art class at school and also works closely with an art teacher. When asked if others in her family are artistic she replies, “no, it’s just me”.
As for her future, art looks to be very much in the centre of it all. “I would like to travel and do art,” she says when asked what she sees for her future. Lynnea will get her first small taste of that dream when she makes a journey to Vancouver in July to attend a two-week art program for teens at Emily Carr University’s Junior Arts Institute (JAI).
Alanea explained that she contacted the JAI after hearing about the program. “As soon as I said that she had won the contest and sent them a photo of her work it was like, ‘Okay, she’s in!’”
Luckily the Holmstroms have a family member (who just completed law school) who lives not far from Emily Carr University and Lynnea will stay with her for the two weeks. Excited about the trip she says she hopes to improve on the skills that she already has and pick up new ones from being around other artists and instructors.
When the Times Chronicle suggests she just might be famous one day, Lynnea laughs and says, “I was just telling my Mom I’m going to be a famous person one day.”
Her mom agrees it’s exciting but laughs that practically from Lynnea’s first words she’s basically said: “You don’t understand me, mom, I’m an artist.”
“She’s always creating, and like huge disasters around the house but she comes up with these really beautiful pieces. We’ve created her own art station in the house so we try to keep her to one area. She’s always creating something,” she chuckles.
