His uncle gave him his first camera. Decades later, he has received a prestigious award
The work of a renowned New Brunswick artist has been honoured with a prestigious Governor General's Award from the Canada Council for the Arts.
Thaddeus Holownia of Jolicure, a small community near Sackville, received a 2025 award for artistic achievement, the first New Brunswick artist to win under this category for a body of work, the Canada Council confirmed.
"It's always amazing when you work hard at what you love to do, and then someone out of the far away place comes along and says, 'we're accrediting you with an incredible honour in recognition of that,'" said Holownia, who is known for his spectacular photos, particularly of the natural world.
"It's not something that I think any artist really works towards ... we're very, very lucky in this country that the arts are held in high regard."
His work has been exhibited in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Germany and he's collaborated on several books.
Holownia was born in 1949 and came to Canada five years later. He credits his interest in photography to his uncle, who gave him a 35-millimetre Tower camera in 1969.
He took the camera with him to the University of Windsor and thought it made a perfect match for his personality.
"If I did not have that camera around my neck people would ask me if I wasn't feeling well that day," he laughed.
Holownia has an interest in the process of time and is passionate about observing the world, nature and architecture, he said.
He said smartphones have made it easier for him to take visual notes and transfer digital photographs for exhibitions.
However, he still prefers the multi-step physical process involved behind operating a film camera, whenever he is out taking photographs, he said.
"The physicality of photography is a very different kind of a place to operate from."
Holownia was a professor in the department of fine arts for 41 years at Mount Allison University.
He said he learned a lot from the students he taught and called it "one of the greatest blessings," to be able to dedicate more four decades to teaching his craft.
"I think one of the richest professions that anyone can ever have is working with young people and helping them find their voice," he said.
Joanne Larocque-Poirier of the Canada Council for the Arts said the award gives artists national recognition and also helps raise their profile internationally, which can lead to new collaborations and exhibition opportunities.
Larocque-Poirier said the award's entire adjudication process is performed by esteemed peers in the field of visual and media arts.
"So it's very validating for an individual."
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