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CTV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Vancouver artist Martha Sturdy among 2025 Order of Canada appointees
Vancouver artist Martha Sturdy has been leaving her mark on the often impenetrable design world for the past five decades, but her work, and the accolades associated with it, is still far from being over. The 83-year-old sculptor joined a melange of writers, doctors and musicians as one of 83 new Order of Canada appointees named earlier this month. 'It's very kind of them to think of me,' says Sturdy over the phone, as she tends to her stable of horses at her sprawling Pemberton farmhouse. Ever the self-deprecating artist, Sturdy laughs that she was chosen from the sea of other 'competent, successful women' because she is, in her words, 'old,' and with age comes some sort of requirement for recognition. The joke that she has been selected simply because of her years on this planet belies the fact that her work has significantly shaped the fashion and design landscape in Canada and in B.C. Sturdy has gained an international reputation for her pieces, particularly her wearable sculptures that have featured on the runway shows of luxury fashion houses and in the world's most prominent magazines. In 2002, the designer nabbed a Golden Jubilee Award, and in 2005, she was inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Reflecting on the madness of it all now, Sturdy says such accolades and esteemed reputation have never been her dream. As wonderful as they are to have now, the dream has only ever been to create. 'It wasn't like I was going for a goal of success or notoriety or anything, I just only do what I am,' she says. Sturdy recalls one of the very first moments she felt like she 'made it.' It was early in her career, not long after completing studies at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and her fledgling wearable sculpture designs had begun to catch the attention of the industry bigwigs at Vogue. 'We were in an interview, and I had one editor, and then I had 10 editors from different sections of Vogue all wanting my things. When I had that happen, I thought, 'Oh, this is really a confirmation of something that you couldn't even think to ask for,'' she says. 'This doesn't happen, it just doesn't happen … but it did, to me.' Sturdy's bold, vivid pieces that blurred the lines between art and fashion were statement enough, but what truly set them apart from the other jewelry pieces splashed across the pages of glossy magazines was their relative inexpensiveness. Crafted primarily from resin and metal, they were worlds away from the diamonds, emeralds and high extravagance associated with such publications as Vogue or Harper's Bazaar. 'If I made someone look at something and not register money, then I was successful, because the creativity of it was noticeable,' she says. 'It wasn't about money.' Sturdy says her definition of success is being able to have an impact on someone, regardless of what that impact might be. 'Maybe they hate it for all I know, but at least they looked, and thought,' she says. 'That, to me, is success.' It is a sentiment that stuck with Sturdy as she evolved from wearable jewelry to contemporary sculptural homeware, and one she carries with her now, as she continues to create. 'As I've gotten older and more comfortable with what I'm doing, I make things that have nothing to do with anything other than me loving it,' she says. 'Sometimes it's large and awkward and not practical and all the rest of it, but then you see you're being true to yourself. You're not just trying to make something that's salable.' The sculptor gains inspiration for her unique designs from just letting her brain 'be free,' which typically involves being immersed in nature. Often, that means walking the grounds of her Pemberton home – Sturdy splits her time between there and Vancouver – and simply stopping to mindfully take in her surrounds. 'I'm really into trees right now,' she ponders. 'I am making sculptures that are 12 feet or bigger. Am I going to sell them? Probably not. Do I have a place for them to go? No, I don't. I don't, but I love them.' The stunning scenery synonymous with the Sea-to-Sky region is, in part, the reason why Sturdy has chosen to stay in B.C. Paris, New York, London, they are all liveable options for a designer of Sturdy's stature, as a woman who could slot seamlessly into the fashion scene of any design capital, but she is dubious they would inspire her in the same way beautiful British Columbia does. 'I'm looking out at a tree that has a whole bunch of crab apples on it, and they're a beautiful red,' she says, as the call comes to a close. 'These are all things that go into my brain and then, who knows when, maybe never, maybe soon, it'll come out as something worthwhile.'
CBC
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Sculptor Martha Sturdy appointed to Order of B.C.
Acclaimed artist Martha Sturdy, who grew up in Vancouver's Kerrisdale neighbourhood in the 1950s, has had her sculptures featured in Vogue and other renowned fashion magazines. The latest highlight in her six-decade-long career was being appointed to the Order of B.C. this week. She advises aspiring artists to be true to themselves as they start their careers.
