Winning design selected for the National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan has roots in the Canadian Forces Artists Program
July 24, 2023 – Defence Stories
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Winning design selected for the National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan has roots in the Canadian Forces Artists Program
Earlier this summer, the Government of Canada announced the winning design for the National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan. The design and conceptual approach was developed by Team Stimson, including Adrian Stimson, who went to Afghanistan in 2010 as a member of the Canadian Forces Artists Program. In a video describing the design intent for the national monument, Stimson says, “My own experience in Afghanistan informs my art and I consider this to be a meaningful evolution of that.”
Stimson is a member of the Siksika (Blackfoot) First Nation in southern Alberta, a multidisciplinary artist, and a Canadian Armed Forces Veteran. Through the art he created during his time with the Canadian Forces Artists Program, Stimson has captured important perspectives on Canada’s mission in Afghanistan and the complexities of war. He created two exhibits from his experiences there: Holding our Breath and Terms of Engagement, both of which toured across Canada.
The Canadian Forces Artists Program supports independent, creative works in various media that record Canadian service members at home and around the world. Civilian artists are deployed with military units and encouraged to capture a wide variety of military activities wherever operational conditions allow. As much as possible, artists are given an integrated experience before returning to Canada to create and exhibit their pieces. Stimson’s advice for future artists, or anyone wanting to apply to the program, is as follows: “Be open to new experiences.”
The government’s recent decision to select Team Stimson’s design for the national monument reflects the feedback of Veterans, their families, and others who served on Canada’s mission in Afghanistan. The design draws on elements of healing from the Medicine Wheel and takes the form of a circular, sacred space of safety – a “home base” of reflection, memory and contemplation. An interior portal parallels the safe space found within a forward operating base. This is where the fallen are remembered.
More than 40,000 Canadians in uniform, and hundreds of civilians and government officials, served in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014 – making it the longest combat deployment in Canadian history. Many Canadians died as a result of their service. The National Monument to Canada's Mission in Afghanistan will recognize the commitment and sacrifice of those who served, as well as the support provided to them at home by their families, peers and communities.
Apply to the Canadian Forces Artists Program! Applications for the 2024-2025 program cycle are now open. The application process closes at 11:59 pm EST on November 30, 2023. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and meet the definition of a professional artist.
Please note, the Canadian Forces Artists Program is only accepting visual artists for the 2024-2025 cycle.