February 2023 marks the beginning of SK Arts' 75th anniversary year. On February 3, 1948, the Saskatchewan Arts Board opened its doors, supporting artists across the province. As we celebrate this milestone, we look to honour the past, the present and the future of the province's vibrant arts community with the We Celebrate You campaign. SK Arts asked 75 established artists to nominate one strong, emerging artist, program or training opportunity that makes the future of Saskatchewan arts exciting.

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Adam Pottle by Tenille Campbell from Sweetmoon Photography - Portrait of a man's profile.

Photo credit: Tenille Campbell, Sweetmoon Photography

Adam Pottle

Adam Pottle is the award-winning author of several works, including the ground-breaking Deaf musical The Black Drum, the writing memoir Voice, and the historical novella The Bus. In the 2021-22 academic year, he served Sheridan College as a writer-in-residence, and in 2022 was a Warner Bros. Discovery Access screenwriting fellow. He earned his Ph.D. in 2016 and has taught English, creative writing, and professional communication since 2006. He lives and works in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where he can often be spotted walking his Goldendoodle, Valkyrie.

Carla Harris - Woman on stage performing (singing).

Photo: Carla Harris, Nuit Blanche 2018. Photo credit:  Aspen Huggins    

Carla Harris

Carla Harris (they/she) is a disabled, queer writer, performer and interdisciplinary artist from Treaty 4 territory, living in Regina. They have performed at the Verses Festival in Vancouver (2016), the Saskatoon Poetic Arts Festival (2018), and the Lieutenant Governor’s Annual Poetry Soirée of 2022. They released their first chapbook, Obtain No Proof with Dis/ Ability Series of Frog Hollow Press in 2020, and have had creative publications appear in ANTILANG (2021), The Leslie Strutt Chapbook with League of Canadian Poets (2022), and made the longlist CBC's Creative Nonfiction Prize in 2022. Harris teaches workshops on creative improvisation, and they are working on a play and their first book of poetry in unconfined #CripTime.

“… combine strong craft with positive messaging.” - Adam Pottle

Carla is an emerging creator whose work has been steadily gaining recognition. They combine strong craft with positive messaging that we in the disability community sorely need. Disabled, queer artists are not attracting enough attention here in Saskatchewan (or in Canada, for that matter), and Carla’s work deserves support.