Tofino mayor and artist named 2021 Distinguished Alum

Tofino mayor and Camosun alum Daniel Law graduated from the Visual Arts program in 1994 and the Nursing program in 1996.

Camosun is proud to announce Daniel Law, Mayor of Tofino and professional multimedia artist, has been selected to receive the college’s Distinguished Alumni Award for 2021.

Each year Camosun’s Distinguished Alumni Award is presented to a remarkable alum who has graduated more than 10 years ago and has demonstrated outstanding service and achievement in their field and community.

Daniel Law graduated from Camosun with double credentials. He first enrolled in Camosun’s two-year Visual Arts diploma program, graduating in 1994. He then went on to complete his Nursing diploma in 2001. 

“On behalf of Camosun, we are very excited to congratulate Daniel Law on his many exceptional accomplishments in the fields of health care, the multimedia arts and now as a dedicated leader in his community,” says Camosun President Sherri Bell.

“Camosun has played such an integral part in who I am today. It’s a wonderful college and has enriched countless lives."

-Daniel Law

After graduating from Camosun, Law practiced nursing at the hospital in Tofino, B.C., where he has raised his five children with his spouse Mollie, whom he met in the Visual Arts program. Law went on to graduate from Regent College in 2013 with Masters of Arts in Theological Studies with a special emphasis on Theology and the Arts.

Today, Law is an accomplished artist and educator, and has spent close to three decades working with First Nation’s communities on Vancouver Island. He writes, directs and collaborates on multimedia theatre productions written in English, French and Nuu-chah-nulth.

In 2019 Law was elected to the Tofino town council. In March 2021 he was elected as Mayor, leading the community through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Dan is a successful interdisciplinary artist who works in sculpture, installation, printmaking, multimedia productions, design and theatre,” says John Boehme, Camosun instructor and one of Law’s former Visual Arts classmates and award nominators. “He has also been teaching contemporary arts as well as traditional crafts for over 20 years, and has been a full-time practicing artist since 2015.”

“I enrolled at Camosun initially because friends and family very close to me attended and loved their experience,” says Law. “For me, it was higher education on an intimate, accessible scale. Class sizes were small, and the instructors were friendly, approachable and enthusiastic.”

“The Visual Arts program opened a world of creativity to me; it was an artist’s playground,” explains Law. “I married my classmate and fellow artist Mollie Parsons, and together we ran decades of community focused arts programs and projects. Camosun provided a great foundation for my practice. Through my Nursing career I was fortunate enough to work in many diverse situations, from emergency room trauma to First Nations community health. Nursing also allowed me to work my way through a Master of Arts degree, and provided a bridge into business, art and politics.”

“When I first learned I’d been selected for the Distinguished Alumni award, I was completely surprised, and a little overwhelmed,” adds Law. “Camosun has played such an integral part in who I am today. It’s a wonderful college and has enriched countless lives. Fifty years is a remarkable milestone.”

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