Since 1991, Sheila Hugh Mackay Foundation has celebrated excellence in the visual arts of New Brunswick through its signature award, the Strathbutler. This $25,000 award is given to a New Brunswick artist who has achieved excellence in visual arts while having made a substantial contribution to his or her respective field over a significant period of time. The 2019 recipient will be announced on Friday, August 23rd
The Board of Directors gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the members of the professional jury in the adjudication of the 2019 Strathbutler Award.
Anne Manuel, the most recent recipient of the Canadian Craft Federation’s Robert Jekyll Award for Leadership in Fine Craft, has been deeply immersed in the Atlantic Craft scene since 1983. She served as executive director of the Craft Council of Newfoundland for over 30 years and overseen the development of the Quidi-Vidi Village Plantation ,the Anna Templeton Centre for Craft Art and Design and the guide to Professional Craft and Visual Art Studios in Newfoundland and Labrador. A nationally recognised writer and arts advocate, Manuel’s service on a wide range of Boards, Commissions and Secretariats reflects her deep understanding of the contributions made by artists to quality of life.
Jennifer Macklem is an Associate Professor in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Ottawa. She holds a Master’s degree in Visual Arts, sculpture /painting from the Université du Québec á Montréal and has degrees from the Parsons School of Design in Paris and the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts in Paris. She exhibits internationally and her collaborative sculpture has been commissioned in Toronto, Montreal, Moncton, Calgary, Kelowna, Whistler and Surrey. In her service to the community, she works with new arrivals in Canada, contributes to environmental activism and serves on many art juries. Macklem’s art practice also involves participation in international residencies and artist talks and lectures on a wide range of subject matter.
Richard Martin is an internationally acclaimed photographer, educator and mentor. After completing his degree in architecture from Algonquin College, Martin has devoted his career to writing, teaching and photography. He exhibits and publishes internationally. A long-time contributor to Photo Life magazine, Richard Martin pursues photography as a medium of visual expression and shares his knowledge and enthusiasm through workshops, tours and seminars around the world. A beloved mentor, Martin’s workshops have been characterized as masterclasses in the art of creation.