Judy Blake

We are delighted to select Judy Blake for the 2025 Strathbutler Award. The jury was struck by the excellence of a sustained ceramics practice that reflects profound connections to the natural world, personal growth, and the province’s longstanding craft traditions that connect communities and individuals.

Judy Blake moved to New Brunswick with her family as a teenager in the 1960s and has grown her studio practice since the late 70s when she graduated from the New Brunswick Craft School. For over five decades, Blake has steadily worked through explorations of the vessel and other sculptural forms that include distinctive surface treatments – a result of her mastery of notably unpredictable, yet precision-based techniques such as raku, saggar- and sawdust-firing.

Her distinctive, elegant and intimate ceramics can be found in regional, national, and international private and public collections, group and solo exhibitions. Her resume is rich with mention of the workshops she has attended, travels undertaken, and classes she has enrolled in – demonstrating a commitment to the expansion of her broad knowledge and experience that has always fostered her practice.

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, she 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 of 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.”

Referring to her Seed Vessel series (2019-2023), the artist offers this: “To me, these seed vessels represent more than just the physical embodiment of new beginnings. They symbolize the potential for growth and change, both within ourselves and in the world around us. Through my work, I aim to evoke a sense of optimism and inspire people to see the beauty in the world, even in the midst of these times of uncertainty.”

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.

Alexandra Badzak, Gerald Beaulieu, Suzanne Hill, Jennifer MacKlem, Sarah Quinton