Four StFX students, Mikaela Williams, Noal Labelle, Emily Raftus-Quilty and Mitchiko Daquiz, have been recognized for their talent and promise in the fine arts, each receiving the 2025 StFX Angus F. Macgillivray Art Bursary.
The $1,000 annual bursaries, named in honour of the late Angus F. Macgillivray, an exceptional artist, teacher and StFX fine arts department faculty member, recognize outstanding studio production and encourage artists showing promise in the visual arts. A three-member jury determines the bursaries after reviewing student portfolios. All the arrangements for the bursaries this year were managed by Jessica Mensch, who teaches digital photography and painting in the Art Department. The jurors were Rosemary Curry, Heather Gabriel Smith, and Gillian McCulloch.
“Receiving this bursary is incredibly meaningful to me. As I close the undergraduate chapter of my life, it validates the hard work, creativity, and dedication I have poured into my art over the past four years,” says Mikaela Williams of Kingston, ON who is in her fourth year of an BBA degree with an advanced major in marketing, with co-op education.
She has taken a number of courses in drawing, colour, painting and stained glass.
“Throughout my degree, art has been a creative outlet for me to tell stories and advocate for causes I care about. Being recognized with the Macgillivray Art Bursary reinforces my confidence as an artist and motivates me to continue growing and sharing my work. It is an incredibly rewarding way to mark the end of this chapter at StFX,” she says.
Noal Labelle, a third year human kinetics student from Timmins, ON who is minoring in studio arts, says receiving this bursary was the highlight in an otherwise notoriously stressful time in the semester.
“It really brightened up my spirits! It felt very validating to my passion for art and the journey this career choice will take me. Beyond the funding and experience I got from receiving this bursary, the support is what means most to me and will take me far!”
Mr. Labelle has taken numerous art courses, including Art 101, Intro to Colour, Scientific Sketchpad, Body in Art, Anatomy for the Artist, Animation, Materials and Methods and Art in Society.
Mitchiko Daquiz, who is in her fourth year at StFX pursuing a bachelor's degree in mathematics with a concentration in actuarial science and a minor in economics, says receiving this bursary means a lot.
“Beyond the financial support, I genuinely love creating art and sharing my finished pieces. This is the first time one of my works has been exhibited, and it makes me feel seen and appreciated for my efforts. Sharing that feeling alongside other artists—especially my friends who also had their pieces exhibited—makes the experience even more meaningful and memorable,” says Ms. Daquiz, who was born in the Philippines but moved to Bermuda at 16.
At StFX, she has taken four art courses, Introduction to Drawing I and II, Introduction to Painting I, and Anatomy for the Artist: Drawing.
Emily Raftus-Quilty, a first year student from Halifax, NS in the Applied Forensic Psychology program, was likewise excited to hear she had won the art bursary.
“It means a lot to have my art recognized and to have it assist in funding my education,” says Ms. Raftus-Quilty who has so far taken Intro to Drawing 2, Intro to Colour, Materials & Methods, and Intro to Design.
Mr. Macgillivray was a sculptor in the medium of wood. Many of his artworks were designed for the StFX community. He is most well-known for his “Stations of The Cross” which hang in the university chapel: a metaphorical interpretation of the Passion of Christ.
