Hi @natureofbeing! I am so glad that you got to see this and that you felt moved and inspired by Mary and her life. We started watching the story (as it was unfolding) in the middle of January. The latest piece was the interview with Mary. It’s just a good story and I hope that Mary gets to see her house fixed up as a gallery, someday. ;)
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Yes a gallery or foundation-museum would be great ways to honor her life!
Hi @natureofbeing!
Well, I couldn’t let it rest.
I researched what I would need to do to nominate Mary for an Order of Canada Award.
I started the process, wrote a few letters, contacted an art gallery or two; I even wrote to Les Graff (another very accomplished Canadian artist who is 83) to personally ask him if he’d agree to be one of my 3 references who can validate that Mary and her accomplishments are real. Then, I set about explaining to my government why I felt that Mary should be recognized and received this honour. Big task to put all the art shows she’s participated in together in a timeline and then all the publicity she has received.
Once I get my nomination submission, entered into the public record, the Canadian government will take a full year to research her, contact the references and make a decision. These awards are presented twice a year, so the earliest Mary could receive her award will be January 2020 and if we don’t make the first presentation, then it would be July 2020.
At the very least, she’ll at least know that she was nominated for the highest honour that a Canadian can receive in my country for her 50 year contribution to Canadian art and culture. Mary was still making pottery into her nineties. Good thing that I’ve taught myself how to blog because all the skills that I have been honing for the last 2 years have come together for this random act of kindness. Very cool! Lol!
@rebeccaryan, this is AWESOME!!!! GOOD ON YOU for this passionate gesture of support for Mary!! Very cool.