A lucky visual artist who has just finished up at Lacombe Composite High School was the winner of the Centennial Scholarship for Secondary Students. Autumn Stolte is a newly graduated visual artist who loves to oil paint and play with sculptural texture.

The Red Deer Arts Council considers candidates from across Central Alberta and Stolte is the winner of $500 for her notable work that has been a source of pride for the City of Lacombe. 

“The Centennial Scholarship was created in 1967. It’s delivered to the candidate with the highest scoring mark in the media that they work with,” said Suzanne Hermary, Arts Coordinator for the Red Deer Arts Council. 

The City of Lacombe has purchased a piece of Stolte’s work that resembled both a top hat and a corset made from brown craft paper. She completed the project in her high school art class. 

Autumn Stolte's sculptural piece experimenting with the various textures of brown craft paper.

“My teacher wanted us to experiment with texture, but we couldn’t use colour. We had this brown craft paper that we had to try and make into a functioning garment of some sort... I was trying to figure out how to slap as many textures onto it as possible. I think my favourite texture on the whole thing is when I took the paper and shredded it on a cheese grater to make it velvety,” explained Stolte. 

Although Hermary had no say in who won a scholarship, she remembered seeing the sculpture during the 2019 Encore Art Sale and was excited to see the piece reappear amongst the submitted pieces of work. 

“I was like ‘oh, I remember that. It was so cool’. Her work is what really stands out. I mean she’s got a beautifully creative mind and is wise beyond her years in the sense of visual arts,” said Hermary. 

Along with everyone else around the world, Stolte’s plans have been a bit up in the air because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I am so lucky to have received the award first off because I was supposed to have a plan in place already when I applied and I didn’t. Now, COVID has kind of postponed those plans from even happening. I am trying to look into colleges and where I would like to go. They (the Red Deer Arts Council) have been really generous. They’re allowing me to figure my stuff out. I have until next year to let them know what my plan is,” said Stolte. 

As she waits for a clearer future, Stolte has been working more on her oil painting and has done work for her friends. She is currently looking into programming at the Red Deer College and the Alberta University of the Arts. 

With so many candidates to choose from, Stolte was not the only scholarship winner from Lacombe. Click here to read about Sarah Curtis, a singer who hopes to get her masters in the operatic arts.