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Yolande Martinello - Finalist, YWCA Women of Distinction Awards

March 14, 2017

​Recognized nationally, the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards honours individuals and organizations whose outstanding activities and achievements contribute to the well-being and future of our community. Yolande Martinello, Director of Artists for Kids and North Vancouver School District Principal of Fine Arts, is a finalist in the Arts, Culture & Design category.

Yolande_Martinello.jpgA long-time educator and activist for the arts, Yolande elevates the access that the North Shore community and its young people have to contemporary Canadian art. By bringing together working artists and master art teachers with students, she creates an environment where the stories of one generation of artists can be shared with the next. She has developed innovative programs that bring Indigenous artists together with students, has worked with marginalized students to support their reintegration into mainstream classrooms through art education programs and developed a parent and tots program that brings creativity into their home lives. Yolande has been recognized as Art Teacher of the Year and is currently developing an exhibition at The Smith Gallery supporting Truth and Reconciliation.

Winners of the 34th annual YWCA Women of Distinction Awards will be announced at a gala in Vancouver on May 29, 2017. Fore information about the awards, visit: https://ywcavan.org/programs/women-distinction-awards​​