Spirit of a Nation

Christy Groves poses with the sculpture she's called Spirit of a Nation.

Coca-Cola’s iconic contoured bottle is the basis for a sculpture by Christy Groves which pays tribute to her native heritage.

The first-year Dalhousie student was one of 15 First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists commissioned by Coca-Cola to create the artwork after seeing her proposed design. The one-of-a-kind, six-foot-tall fiberglass bottles are on display in Vancouver during the 2010 Olympic winter games. They’re being auctioned off with proceeds to go to the Aboriginal Youth Legacy Fund in the areas of culture, education and sustainability.

“It’s exciting to think of my artwork on display at the Olympics,” says Ms. Groves, an artist of Métis descent from Forteau, Labrador. Against a brightly colored backdrop, she's painted images of an Inukshuk, snowflakes, musical notes and flowers.

An entrepreneur by the age of 11, the now 18-year-old science student says her artistry is what made it possible for her to study at Dalhousie. She enjoys drawing portraits and painting the flowers and berries of Labrador. Under the name Labrador’s Own, she sells her work at hotels and stores close to home.

And it’s not her first brush with the Olympics. In 2004, she entered a poster contest sponsored by VISA and ended up winning. The honour came with an all-expense paid trip for her and her father to the Athens Olympics.

“I was hoping I would get a trip to Vancouver too,” she says with a shrug. “But it’s nice to know the proceeds (from the artwork) will go to support aboriginal youth.”