The International Peace Festival | Festival International de la Paix Awards Committee is honoured to announce award-winning artist Susan Gosevitz as the recipient of the 2024 IPF | FIP Lifetime Achievement Award in Art to be formally presented to Ms. Gosevitz at the IPF | FIP Awards Ceremony that will be held at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto, Canada, on September 28, 2024.

Ms. Gosevitz has been a life-long artist and has a deep respect for nature and the natural world. Her paintings are serene with a spiritual quality inviting the viewer to connect with nature. A painter of nature, she creates scenes of natural moments to wake up, to calm, and to bring a sense of peace. "I see art as a collaboration with nature. Together we create the real and sublime in one, providing a return from hectic and stress, from consumption and chaos, to meditative simplicity. My art is defined by nature including land, water and wildlife. I have a deep respect for the natural world and the wildlife that lives within. Conservation awareness through artistic expression is my gift to nature."

Ms. Gosevitz is an elected member of the Ontario Society of Artists (OSA) and the Society of Canadian Artists (SCA) and she is a signature member of Artists For Conservation (AFC). She is a graduate of the Toronto School of Art and has studied at the Haliburton School of Art and Design. She received the top painting award at the Toronto School of Art and is the recipient of the 2012 Robert Bateman Award. She is also a former student of Canadian Wildlife Artist Robert Bateman and has recently reconnected with him producing four children's books that promote conservation awareness and connecting children to nature.

Ms. Gosevitz’s art has supported the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) and The Bateman Foundation. Proceeds from her children’s books, "Chucky The Lonely Inukshuk" 2009, "Larry the Loon" 2011, "Under your Nose" 2015 and, "On the Reef", continue to support CWF and The Bateman Foundation. "On the Reef" by Judith and Shandley McMurray describes plastics in our oceans as a huge problem and a hazard for marine life. Another book by the same authors, "Under Your Nose" was produced together with Robert Bateman and The Tobin Island Artists.

The artists and authors of this book are passionate about the importance of connecting our children to nature. Children who play in nature reap the rewards for healthy emotional growth and foster a respect for wildlife and the natural world. In this book, two children explore nature at their grandparent's cottage. A thunderstorm and power outage renders their electronic gadgets useless. They discover through exploration and play all that nature has to offer. The mission of this children's' book is to connect children to nature with all its wonders; an unlimited source of exploration and play.

Ms. Gosevitz has exhibited widely across North America, including the McMichael Gallery in Kleinberg. Solo exhibitions include: A Kaleidoscope of Birch, Artic Moon Gallery, Port Sandfield, Ontario; and, Interpretative Landscapes, Launch Projects, Toronto, Ontario. Original paintings can be found in public and private collections in North America. She along with her artists group, "The Tobin Island Artists", were the recipients of the 2012 Robert Bateman Award for outstanding contribution to conservation awareness through artistic expression. In 2017, she received the George Saunders Memorial Award of Excellence for her painting "The Waterfall", a 24" x 24" acrylic on canvas.

The IPF | FIP Lifetime Achievement Award in Art recognizes and honors Ms. Gosevitz’s work and the uniqueness of natural conservation, protection and promotion as a critical contributor to peace. Her art sparks creativity, provides a sensory experience, connects children with nature, teaches them about the environment, develops fine motor skills, and improves our health by reducing feelings of stress, anxiety, and anger. The International Peace Festival | Festival International de la Paix acknowledges Ms. Gosevitz’s transformative body of work and welcomes her to its list of lifetime art honorees for promoting emotional well-being and encouraging eco-friendly practices.