The Canadian Crafts Federation (CCF/FCMA) is honoured to announce the 2025 Robert Jekyll Award for Leadership in Craft shortlist. This prestigious award celebrates individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the Canadian craft community through leadership, advocacy, and volunteerism.
This year’s nominees—Brigitte Clavette, Charley Farrero, and Melanie Egan—have each demonstrated remarkable dedication to strengthening and advancing the craft sector in Canada. As Citizens of Craft, they have made lasting impacts within their communities and across the broader craft landscape.
Read more about each nominee below.
Brigitte Clavette
Head of Jewellery/Metal Arts and instructor at the New Brunswick College of Craft & Design from 1985 to 2017, Brigitte Clavette currently teaches part-time and devotes herself to her artistic practice. She is the 2022 winner of the Saidye Bronfman Award for excellence in fine crafts (one of the Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts) and a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts. She has received the Excellence Award and The Strathbutler Award from the province of New Brunswick. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, ON), Canadian Museum of History (Gatineau, QC), Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto, ON), Victoria & Albert Museum (London, UK), Beaverbrook Art Gallery (Fredericton, NB), New Brunswick Museum (Saint John, NB) as well as the Art Gallery of Guelph (ON) contemporary silversmithing collection.
Over the years, Brigitte has given workshops and taught at the New Brunswick Community College (Dieppe, NB), Nunavut Arctic College (Iqaluit, NU), Haliburton School of the Arts (ON), Nova Scotia College of Art and Design – NSCAD (Halifax, NS) and at the Sunbury Shores Arts and Nature Center (Saint Andrews, NB). Brigitte Clavette’s current work challenges functionality. Gradually broadening her technical palette has enabled her to explore a world of emotions, atmospheres and personal rituals. Often eschewing the untouchable, more precious mirror finish of earlier years, these new pieces are presented in conversation with various castings and painterly surfaces, either on a table or on a wall.
Charley Farrero
Charley Farrero is a ceramic artist born in Paris, France, who has lived and worked in Meacham, Saskatchewan since 1979. Active in ceramics since 1972, he has built a distinctive practice while playing a major role in the growth of studio craft in Canada. A founding member of the Saskatchewan Craft Council, he has served as President of the Canadian Craft Council and in leadership roles with the Canadian Craft Federation, Sask Terra, and the Saskatchewan Arts Board.
Farrero is a respected educator who has taught at the University of Saskatchewan, SIAST Woodland Campus, and Carlton Trail Community College, and has led workshops and residencies in Canada and internationally. He received the Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Award in 2008, was twice nominated for the Saidye Bronfman Award, and his work is held in public and private collections in Canada, Mexico, and China.
Melanie Egan
Since 1991, Melanie Egan has led the Harbourfront Centre’s Craft & Design Studio, supporting emerging artists through its residency programs. As a curator, she has organized over one hundred exhibitions, challenging traditional understandings of craft and championing inclusivity and diversity. She is Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Toronto International Jewellery Festival and has played key roles in supporting several other community arts projects and festivals.
Melanie Egan’s extensive career has significantly shaped the landscape of contemporary craft in Toronto and beyond. Her leadership, curatorial work, and advocacy for emerging artists continue to influence the craft sector, fostering innovation, diversity, and community engagement.
Each of these nominees has made profound and lasting contributions to their respective fields, helping to shape and strengthen the craft community in Canada. We look forward to celebrating their achievements and announcing the recipient of the 2025 Robert Jekyll Award for Leadership in Craft in the coming months.
The Robert Jekyll Award for Leadership in Craft is named after Robert Jekyll, the first president of CCF/FCMA. He played a vital role in leading the organization during a time of transformation. To learn more about Robert’s life and work, click here.