FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Beacon Design Collective Wins GOLD in VEGA Awards for "Being Métis Makes Me Happy!"

We are ecstatic to announce that we’ve secured a GOLD VEGA AWARD for our team’s work on the book “Being Métis Makes Me Happy!” This accolade was achieved in the Digital Illustration – Editorial category.

A Celebration of Métis Culture

Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to the Otipemisiwak Métis Government (Métis Nation of Alberta) Children and Family Services for entrusting us with this impactful project. Designed to nurture cultural awareness and pride among young Métis children and their families, this book is a testament to the power of cultural representation through art and storytelling.

Behind the Scenes: Crafting a Cultural Narrative

Our team poured their creativity and respect for Métis heritage into every aspect of this project. The illustrations and design are deeply rooted in Métis culture, history, and artistic traditions. We included key symbols like the woven sash to authentically represent Métis identity. Here’s a look at the talent behind this project:

Illustrator: Carlie Russelle
Senior Designer: Anile Prakash
Lead Designer: Jazmin Rodriguez
Art Director: Dani Vachon

The Vision and Execution

The book “Being Métis Makes Me Happy!” aims to foster a connection to Métis culture from an early age. The Children and Family Services (CFS) department of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government wrote the story to advocate for the needs of Métis families and children, emphasizing cultural identity and connection. Our role was to bring this narrative to life through our expertise in strategy, illustration, and design. We determined the visual content to complement the text, adding depth and making it engaging for children and families alike. Our team employed playful, accessible fonts and designed immersive two-page spreads to keep the storytelling dynamic and engaging.

The cover, two open pages and the back of the book "Being Métis Makes Me Happy!". The illustrations feature a young Métis girl and her family. The artwork is done in a colorful, cut-out paper style.

Open pages of the book "Being Métis Makes Me Happy!" showing an illustration of a Métis family beside a river. There are fish jumping out of the water, a moose and a beaver are on the opposite bank of the river. The artwork is done in a colorful, cut-out paper style.

Open pages of the book "Being Métis Makes Me Happy!" showing an illustration of a smiling Métis girl with arms raised, standing next to a happy dog. The background features a bright sun, a rainbow, trees, and flowers, with the text "I'm Métis and it's the best!" on one page and "Maybe they will make you happy, too?" on the other. The artwork is done in a colorful, cut-out paper style.

An illustration from the book "Being Métis Makes Me Happy!" depicting a nighttime camping scene. A Métis girl peeks out of a tent next to a campfire. In a tree, two owls are perched with the words "hoot hoot..." above them, while crickets and fireflies surround the scene with the words "chirp chirp...". A squirrel looks out from a tree hollow, and a cricket plays a tiny violin. The background features a starry sky, a crescent moon, and pine trees. The artwork is in a colorful, cut-out paper style.

An illustration from the book "Being Métis Makes Me Happy!" showing a daytime scene featuring a young Métis girl riding in a canoe on a lake. There are fish jumping out of the water and visible beneath it's surface. The artwork is in a colorful, cut-out paper style.

Open pages of the book "Being Métis Makes Me Happy!" showing an illustration of a Metis family picking berries and preparing food over a fire. The background features a blue sky and the text "But I'd love it if you were here, too! We could be friends and be happy together." The artwork is done in a colorful, cut-out paper style.

A Cultural Touch in Every Detail

To align with Métis cultural traditions, we chose a cut-out paper style for the illustrations. This approach gave the artwork an organic feel, resonating with the handmade crafts such as beadwork and hand weaving, intrinsic to Métis culture. By digitizing and manipulating textures, we ensured that the illustrations not only conveyed cultural elements but also had the versatility for various formats and uses.

Book Specifications

Page Size: 6″ x 6″
Illustrations: Digital
Pages: 28
Series: First of a collection of books

Looking Forward

We are proud of this achievement and remain committed to celebrating Métis culture and identity through our work. Winning the GOLD VEGA AWARD is not just an accolade for our team, but a recognition of the rich cultural tapestry that we strive to represent authentically in every project we undertake. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Otipemisiwak Métis Government and celebrating the vibrancy of Métis culture through future projects.