Judy Blake named 28th Recipient of Prestigious New Brunswick Award
Judy Blake
Since 1991, the Sheila Hugh Mackay Foundation has presented the Strathbutler Award to honor New Brunswick artists who have achieved personal excellence in any discipline of visual arts, while having had a distinctive impact on the cultural life of our province. Based on the unanimous recommendation of a professional, independent jury, Judy Blake is the 2025 recipient of the Strathbutler Award. The formal presentation will take place at Government House on September 25th.
The jury was impressed by the excellence of her sustained ceramics practice. Her work, over five decades, reflects profound connections to the natural world, personal growth, and the province’s longstanding craft traditions that connect communities and individuals.
As nominator Peter Powning states, it is Blake’s “combination of consistently outstanding work as well as her longtime commitment to the arts community and the culture of New Brunswick that makes her such a compelling nominee. She has shown her work internationally as well as locally and across Canada. She has been a fine example to young artists of what can be accomplished. Judy Blake serves as an inspiration to many, and she has generously shared her knowledge with anyone who is interested.”
In his letter of support John Leroux, curator Seed Vessels, Blake’s recent solo exhibition at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery puts it this way: “I have never ceased to be amazed at Judy’s refusal to rest on her laurels. She is reaching a pinnacle of ceramic art that has not been touched in decades in New Brunswick. Judy has chosen to remain in New Brunswick, crafting the most sublime work that is grounded in a fusion of natural forms and exquisite surface finishes. Her ceramic art has never abandoned a deep sense of genuine curiosity and inventiveness, and an ability to convey bold philosophical ideas tied to the longstanding history of ceramics.”
Judy Blake’s lifelong dedication epitomizes the spirit of the Strathbutler Award. Her career is punctuated with sustained community contribution, teaching, learning, and mentoring. Her material mastery, supported by her aesthetic and conceptual rigour over a decades-long period leaves us with anticipation for what comes next.
The Board of Directors is indebted to the work of the 2025 independent jury, Alexandra Badzak, Gerald Beaulieu, Suzanne Hill, Jennifer MacKlem, and Sarah Quinton. Their work is key to the prestige of this award – the Pantheon of New Brunswick creative talent. Sheila Hugh Mackay Foundation celebrates Ms. Blake’s profound contributions to the cultural identity of New Brunswick through this award.