Gio Swaby and Steven Schmid, two former Popopstudios Junior Residency Prize winners, have just completed their first semester at Emily Carr University in Vancouver, Canada.

Offered in conjunction with the D’ Aguilar Art Foundation, the Popop Junior Residency Prize allows students the opportunity to explore new artistic paths, to learn and experiment while developing their skills.

During her Popop art residency Gio worked on a number of projects. She has a strong interest in video installations, painting and sewing. A mixed media artist, Swaby’s work centers on human relationships.

Of the Popop residency she said, “Having a studio space to work from is amazing… It’s a new part of the process.”

Steven said he learned “how to be confident in my materials and decision-making.”

“As young artists I think we try everything and work on and abandon different projects instead of really immersing ourselves in one thing completely to problem-solve it.”

“So that realization helped me commit to my practice and not let anything go and completely explore it,” he said.

Popopstudios is proud to have had these two enterprising young artists as part of the Junior Residency program and is excited about their continuing progress and success.

(Photos and video courtesy of Giovanna Swaby and Steven Schmid. The video is a collaborative effort between Gio and Steven for their editing class this past semester.)

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