Vicky Lentz
Vicky Lentz is a distinguished and award-winning artist, mentor, instructor, and arts advocate who was recognized as the 2022 Prix Éloizes, Artist of the Year in the Visual Arts. Born in Ontario, Lentz has had an illustrious career in the arts that spans over 25 years.
Her extensive contributions to the arts community have earned her numerous accolades and recognition. She has served on several prominent committees and boards, both provincially and nationally, as a voice for the arts. In 2022, she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Medal for her outstanding achievements.
Lentz’s work has been exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions in Canada and internationally and been selected for prestigious exhibitions such as the Marion McCain Exhibition of Contemporary Atlantic Art in 2019. Her work was also purchased for the NB Art Bank in 2018.
At the core of her rich and diverse, multi-media practice lies an exploration of the intricate relationship between humans and the environment. Lentz has received numerous research and creation grants from Artsnb and the Canada Council. In 2019, she was honored with the Margaret Nae Mentorship Award by the Sheila Hugh MacKay Foundation.
Having both studied and taught the arts at the university and college level, Vicky Lentz actively seeks opportunities for advanced study with esteemed artists across North America. She has completed several artist residencies and taken up crucial curatorial and mentorship roles for New Brunswick artists with CraftNB, ArtsLink, and the AAAPNB.
Vicky Lentz currently lives and maintains a full-time studio practice in Edmundston, NB, where she continues to inspire and support the arts community through her exceptional talent and unwavering dedication.
Transitioning from a career in law enforcement, my artistic journey initially began with the fine craft of stained glass. Striving to strike a balance between life and work, especially in the context of being present for my young children, I established a home studio. However, a serendipitous trip to Ontario in 1998, had me enrolled in my first-ever painting class, exploring plein air oil painting. Almost instantly, I felt the pull towards painting and embarked on a journey that illuminated my creative mind like never before.
This transformative experience prompted a significant life change. In 1991, my family and I sold our urban home, and downsized to a small, 4 seasons camp nestled in a remote forest, bid farewell to my stained glass business, and fully committed to a career in painting. Over the years, I've worked in a myriad of studios, ranging from a living room and bedroom to unconventional spaces like a bathroom and a rented storefront. My ever-patient husband, Gilles, can attest to the diverse array of approximately 15 studio setups I've inhabited, including a dedicated studio barn and an open studio in a cultural center I now work from.
My largely self-taught beginnings, outside of an institutional arts education, allowed me the freedom to explore various mediums and forms of artistic expression. From watercolor, oil, and acrylic painting to sculpting with clay and metal, and even delving into installation art, I embraced the medium that best suited each creative endeavor. This eclectic, mixed-media approach remains a hallmark of my practice, allowing me to adapt to the needs of each artistic concept I research and develop.
With 25 years as a professional visual artist, my enthusiasm for experimentation and exploration continues unabated. Working in series affords me the flexibility to traverse diverse mediums and forms, driven by the limitless potential and perpetual search for artistic expression. Maintaining a beginner's mindset has been both the greatest challenge and the most rewarding aspect of my artistic journey.
Perhaps influenced by age, the global landscape, the aftermath of the pandemic, or a blend of these factors, I've found solace and inspiration in extended periods of solitude and silence. Nestled in the serene woods of northwestern New Brunswick, my simple home life seamlessly integrates with my artistic practice, eliminating any distinction between the two realms.
Living in close communion with nature, I've cultivated a heightened sensitivity to the cyclical rhythms and seasons of the natural world. Themes of interconnectedness and the cyclical nature of life pervade my work, exploring how our humanity is intricately linked with all forms of life. As my artistic career matures, I sense a settling in, a profound connection to my surroundings, and a fulfillment that comes from aligning my life with the rhythm of nature.
I look forward to the years ahead and my continued work and path as a creative. Being an artist is a rich and rewarding career that allows me to share my experience of living in this place and time on our beautiful planet.
You can follow Vicky Lentz's artistic practice and explore her artworks here:
