Tonya "Sam'Gwan" Paris

Welcome to a special series of Art Pays Me interviews with the winners of the 2022 Creative Nova Scotia Awards. The awards are presented annually by Arts Nova Scotia and the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council.  The goal is to celebrate excellence in artistic achievement – notably, the Portia White Prize. Winners of the Prix Grand Pré, the Established Artist, Emerging Artist, Indigenous Artist Recognition and Black Artist Recognition awards as well as the Creative Community Impact Award are also honoured. Collectively, the awards are worth $75,000. Visit artsns.ca to nominate a Nova Scotia based artist or apply for awards and grants for yourself. On this episode I chat with 2022 Creative Nova Scotia Black Artist Recognition Award recipient Tonya "Sam'Gwan" Paris. We talk about the influence of her intersecting identities on her art and how daily life and ancestral experiences add meaning.