Who We Are

Dr. Carol E. Mayer has worked tirelessly advocating for public education in ceramic arts in Western Canada. She has established scholarships, awards, residencies, and endowments that have benefited ceramicists, collectors, museums, galleries, and the public.

Her initiatives at the Harbourfront Centre have supported the careers of hundreds of emerging artists across craft media. Egan has also played a key role in organizing major community arts projects, including the Toronto International Jewellery Festival and DesignTO.

With over thirty years of experience, she has been a passionate advocate for the craft community, serving on multiple boards, mentoring emerging artists, and teaching at the College of the North Atlantic. Her deep connection to the environment is reflected in her work and her dedication to shaping the future of the craft sector both locally and beyond.

Over the course of his fifty-year career, he has collaborated with several celebrated artists, while also mentoring emerging printmakers. His dedication to printmaking has earned him international recognition, including a partnership with the Biennale d’estampe contemporaine de Trois-Rivières, where the Prix de l’Atelier-Galerie A. Piroir is awarded annually.

A passionate supporter and collector, Gilles has played a pivotal role in the development and success of numerous craft organizations, including Craft Ontario, the Canadian Crafts Federation, and the Canadian Society of Decorative Arts. His commitment to volunteerism, combined with his expertise in governance, fundraising, financial oversight, and community-building, has made him an invaluable contributor to the Canadian craft community. In recognition of his exceptional contributions, Gilles was previously awarded the John and Barbara Mather Award for Lifetime Achievement and was granted Honorary Membership from the Canadian Crafts Federation.

She has worked tirelessly advocating for public education in ceramic arts in Western Canada. She has established scholarships, awards, residencies, and endowments that have benefited ceramicists, collectors, museums, galleries, and the public.

Dr. Salahub is an expert in contextualizing Craft history and analyzing forms and materials across various craft spectrums. She is a dedicated educator, craft historian, researcher, writer, craft collector, advocate, and long-time Alberta Craft Council board member.

She organized exhibitions and symposia, wrote articles, taught workshops and lectures, and juried and curated exhibitions. Barbara founded the B.C. Society of Tapestry Artists (1993) and the Canadian Tapestry Network (1995). In her studio on Granville Island in Vancouver, Barbara is an information hub for craftspeople and tourists alike. As an ambassador for the Canadian craft sector in general and tapestry in particular, Barbara is a dedicated volunteer moving the sector forward.

Amy was editor (Ruth Chambers and Mireille Perron) of Utopic Impulses: Contemporary Ceramics Practice, a contemporary anthology of socially responsible ceramics practice, and, along with Nisse Gustafson, of the third volume of Paula Gustafson’s influential series, Craft Perception and Practice. She frequently contributes to Galleries West and, as a volunteer, to the CCBC and PGBC newsletters. Amy is a superlative ambassador of craft volunteerism and craft practice. She has been the ‘backbone’ and skilled collaborator for many projects and continues to be an esteemed contributor to strengthening the status of Craft across Canada and abroad. 

He created and published the Cahiers métiers d’art: Craft Journal (2007-2016), which supported and celebrated craft across Canada. Denis has been a member of several boards and committees, including the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, the Montreal Centre for Contemporary Textiles, the Centre de céramique Bonsecours, the Musée des maîtres et artisans du Québec, the Musée de Joliette as well as the Regional Editorial Team of Studio Magazine. He is dedicated to advancing the public discourse in craft in Canada and increasing visibility and financial support to up-and-coming Canadian Glass craftspeople and artists.

Leading not only Craft Nova Scotia itself but also the Centre for Craft Nova Scotia, one of Canada’s only public institutions dedicated to education, promotion and opportunities for fine craft artists in the province, which includes the craft-focused Mary E. Black Gallery.

Amy was editor (Ruth Chambers and Mireille Perron) of Utopic Impulses: Contemporary Ceramics Practice, a contemporary anthology of socially responsible ceramics practice, and, along with Nisse Gustafson, of the third volume of Paula Gustafson’s influential series, Craft Perception and Practice. She frequently contributes to Galleries West and, as a volunteer, to the CCBC and PGBC newsletters. Amy is a superlative ambassador of craft volunteerism and craft practice. She has been the ‘backbone’ and skilled collaborator for many projects and continues to be an esteemed contributor to strengthening the status of Craft across Canada and abroad. 

From lawyer to Craftsperson, she is the former Executive for the Centre des métiers du cuir de Montréal (CMCM). Claire has been directly credited for developing footwear and design workshops, helping bring Canada’s first footwear program to life. An instigator and organizer, Claire is responsible for the rise of the specialization of leather goods, advocates for artists and leads exceptional teams.

Her outstanding accomplishments as a teacher, researcher, curator, author, and historian have earned her the CCF/FCMA’s first posthumous recognition after her unexpected passing in 2019. You can pay tribute to her incredible contributions by donating to the Dr. Sandra Alfoldy Memorial Scholarship. You can listen to her on the first episode of the Citizens of Craft podcast or read her book, Crafting Identity.

Nominated by Craft Nova Scotia’s Executive Director, Susan Hanrahan.

Her passion for textile arts has led to worldwide recognition and a lasting legacy of teaching and creating. She is also committed to volunteer work, co-founding the Montreal Centre for Contemporary Textiles and serving on craft organization boards in Québec. A true role model whose contributions will inspire generations to come.

Nominated by Marc Dousenard, Conseil des métiers d’art du Québec.

She held the helm of the Craft Council of Newfoundland & Labrador for 33 years of its 47-year history, building and developing a sector in the province while leading the Council through many challenges and changes.

Anne has been instrumental in organizing international events, including a very successful international Fibre Conference in Newfoundland in 2015, which brought 150 participants from around the world to Gros Morne National Park.

Tom has already been recognized with many awards, including an Alberta Centennial Medal, the prestigious Rozsa Award for Excellence in Arts Management, a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and the Syncrude Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Arts Management.

An expert in natural dyes, she has travelled the world, studying, teaching, and working with artists in traditional techniques in India, Peru, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and here at home in Canada.

Through documentaries, books, workshops and symposiums, she shares her love of textile arts with an audience both in and outside of the craft community.

A founder of the Saskatchewan Woodworkers Guild in 1979, the American Association of Woodturners in 1986, and the Furniture Society of North America in 1991, he has strengthened the community through active leadership for more than 40 years.

The internationally renowned ‘Emma International Collaboration,’ which grew from Hosaluk’s first Wood Turning and Furniture Making conference in Saskatoon in 1982, has continued for over 30 years, inspiring similar events across the globe.

As an artist and teacher, his influence is resounding. Hosaluk has been recognized with a Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence in Craft, Royal Canadian Academy of Arts membership, and Honourary Lifetime Membership to the Saskatchewan Crafts Council.

Roberts was instrumental in establishing and expanding a ceramics program at the University of Waterloo, the Keith and Winifred Shantz Summer Internship, and the Waterloo Potters’ Workshop. A member of the International Academy of Ceramics, the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and winner of the “Woman of the Year for Culture” and the Kitchener-Waterloo Visual Arts Award, her creative skills are renowned. Her work has been shown across Canada and internationally, is published in 15 books, and collected by 22 museums in Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada. 2012, Roberts’ lengthy career as a ceramic artist was celebrated at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery through a 50-year retrospective exhibition, “With Both Fear and Intrepid Enthusiasm.”