About the Artist
Lasha Racquel has lived in the Simcoe County for a large portion of her life, has worked in the sciences as a fish and wildlife biologist and is an entrepreneur-owner of two ecologically-minded businesses to serve the region: Vasey Valley Ecological Solutions and Fervent Finds. Lasha is a mother, ecologist, artist and traditional knowledge facilitator with experience across Ontario and Canada who has fished, worked, and played the lake Simcoe region for over 30 years. Lasha is proud of her Canadian heritage which includes European and Metis roots. As a woman in the sciences, an artist, and as a business owner she has a personal interest in involving others, especially youth and women, in outdoor appreciation for its importance culturally and for the natural environment. One of Lasha’s focus is identification and understanding of the natural world around us, and she often helps teach or inspire others the value in identification which in turn helps understanding the needs of our local environment and communities.
The Fish Hut
Concept Statement
The concept for Lasha’s ice hut art is aptly called “The Fish Hut”. It is an artistic impression of many of the main game fish species that can be found in the Lake Simcoe ecosystem. Each fish has been painted on the fish hut to scale in the actual record size for each species caught by angling in Ontario. It’s hoped that the art will not only be an interactive depiction for those who will observe and use the ice hut in the future, but to also help inform and inspire others about the natural environment around us.