Emily Kowalik was the co-instructor of Visual Arts Brampton's 6-to-8-year-old children's art classes, who has also taught an acrylic painting course at the studio. She is a graduate of Mayfield Secondary School's Regional Arts Program (RAP).

At Mayfield, Emily was grade 12 representative and co-President of the Visual Arts Student Council. She won an Ontario Scholar Award for excellence in academics, Principal's Recognition Award (Art and Fashion), and placed first at the Skills Canada Peel Preliminary Competition for Fashion Design (later competing at the provinical level). She has co-organized an exhibit of Mayfield's RAP program, Brisdale Public School, and her students.

For seven years (1998 to 2003, 2005), she was a student in Visual Arts Brampton's youth and teen classes. For six of those years, the group offered its Youth Achievement Award; she won a gold each time. After the first five golds, she won the first and so far only Platinum Award, for consistent improvement and achievement.

Emily was a winner in the Molson Breweries Safety Calendar Contest (1999), the Parks Canada Ecological Intergrity Poster Contest (2005), and two "juror's picks" at the Snail Mail World Postcard Art Show, Brampton.

Emily Kowalik awarded with Platinum Award
Foremost student at VAB classes honoured

Saturday, January 22, 2005, VAB Expressions (now Creative Urges)

Emily Kowalik was awarded VAB's first ever Platinum Award for Youth Artistic Achievement today. A long time member, she attended the Saturday morning classes as a student in 1997-2002, and again in 2004. The Youth Achievement Awards were introduced in 1999, and from that year on, Emily won a Gold-level medallion.

The Platinum Award was originally suggested by VAB judges, to award to students that exceed the expectations for a Gold medallion. Instructor Keith Moreau recently decided to award the honour to Emily, realising just how much she exceeded all of the 400+ students from the first past seven years.

Her art, as well as some students', is on display at the Golden Pheasant Gallery until mid-February.

Emily is currently applying to attend Mayfield School of the Arts.

The closest competitors to Emily were Jason Rocha with four golds, as well as David Gorski, Nicholas Moreau, Ilichna Morasky, and Jennifer Cuthbert, each with three golds.

Golden girl turns platinum

Wednesday, January 26, 2005, The Brampton Guardian
Photo by George Beshiri

Emily Kowalik, 13, a Grade 8 student at Robert H. Lagerquist Senior Public School, is the first-ever recipient of a Platinum Award from Visual Arts Brampton. She has been with Visual Arts Brampton for five years and has won five gold medallions from the group in that time. The VAB created the Platinum Award to recognize her level of achievement. Kowalik started with the non-profit group when she was just eight years old. She achieved her first Gold Award at the age of eight and each year thereafter, with the judges unanimous in their decision each time. Future winners won't have to be consecutive gold winners to be eligible for the Platinum Award, they will just need to be five-time gold winners. Young artists, age eight and up, can attend open sessions in the studio for two hours each Saturday, in one of three timeslots. Visit www.visualartsbrampton.com or call the studio at 905-459-2683 and ask for Keith Moreau.

Visual Arts Brampton youth sessions are now in their eighth year at the studio, 1 Bartley Bull Parkway. Kowalik's work, alongside that of Animex instructor Tony Tarantini and VAB president Moreau, is on display at the VAB studio's Golden Pheasant Gallery until Feb. 5. The work of local painter Jack Reid is also on display in the group's Artway space at Shoppers World until the end of the week.

Emily Kowalik, Self Portrait, 2001 or 2002