Aganetha Dyck was born in Winnipeg and raised in a rural Manitoba community. Her sculptural installation and mixed media work is rooted in her Mennonite background, her interest in everyday objects and the notion of women’s work. She began her career working in a range of sculptural media that included wool, cigarettes and buttons.

Since 1991, she has been best known for her collaborative work with live honeybees, making honeycombs and beeswax an integral part of her artistic creations. The jury described Dyck as a “remarkable artist” whose work shows “a great sense of humour and wit”. The jury also noted her tremendous influence in the Manitoba visual art community: for 16 years, she has been involved in the Manitoba Arts Council’s artists in the schools program, and has mentored nine emerging female artists in their transition into the professional art community. The Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts is her second major award this year: she was recently named the fifth recipient of the Manitoba Arts Council’s annual Arts Award of Distinction. Aganetha Dyck lives in Winnipeg.