Kainai artist Api'soomaahka to receive 2026 Lieutenant Governor's Award
The Alberta Museums Association is honouring the southern Alberta artist for over 40 years of work preserving and sharing Blackfoot culture.
The Alberta Museums Association has named Api'soomaahka (Running Coyote) – William Singer III as the 2026 recipient of the Lieutenant Governor's Award, recognizing his artistic career and his role in preserving Blackfoot culture. Api'soomaahka, a member of the Kainai Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy and a Residential School survivor, has worked as an artist and illustrator for more than 40 years.
The AMA says his public art at the University of Lethbridge reflects Blackfoot language and reconciliation themes, while his work at Lethbridge Polytechnic serves as a teaching tool grounded in traditional visual storytelling. He has also contributed to projects with the Galt Museum & Archives, the City of Lethbridge, and the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, along with workshops sharing Blackfoot ecological knowledge of prairie plants.
At the provincial level, the AMA credits his work with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and in emerging media and post-secondary settings with helping shape Alberta's evolving artistic sector, while remaining rooted in traditional Blackfoot practice.
AMA Executive Director Jennifer Forsyth said his contributions demonstrate a lifelong commitment to strengthening communities, artistic practice and Blackfoot culture. The award will be presented at the AMA's 55th Anniversary Gala and Leadership Awards Ceremony on Sept. 23, 2026, in Edmonton, as part of the association's annual conference.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.