Formerly the Ontario Crafts Council, Craft Ontario is a not-for-profit service organization that works to have craft recognized as a valuable part of life. We promote and celebrate professional craft through providing member opportunities, and advocate for craft practice by educating and empowering diverse audiences.
Every five years, Craft Ontario hosts a gala evening for friends of the organization. It is a chance to get together, catch up, and enjoy a wonderful meal. It is a time to reflect on our progress, celebrate our successes and look ahead to our future in the company of those who also believe deeply in the importance of craft. The evening centers on the presentation of the Anniversary Award Series.
The Anniversary Award Series was established in 2011 to celebrate the spirit of community and giving as exemplified by some of the craft community’s greatest supporters - M. Joan Chalmers C.C., O.ONT, Mary and Bill Corcoran, John and Barbara Mather and the Craft Ontario Volunteer Committee. Craft Ontario is pleased to present this year's recipients of the Anniversary Award Series. Presented every five years in alignment with our major anniversaries, these awards celebrate those individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the spirit, vitality and longevity of Ontario’s craft community.
The Joan Chalmers Award, established by the Craft Ontario Board of Directors, recognizes an individual’s longstanding support of craft in Ontario.
The Mary and Bill Corcoran Award, established by Craft Ontario’s Volunteer Committee, celebrates volunteerism and the support of craft-based organization.
The John and Barbara Mather Award for Lifetime Achievement, established by the Craft Ontario Board of Directors, is awarded to an individual who is truly outstanding in their field and has displayed exceptional committment to the further development of craft.
The Craft Ontario Volunteer Committee 40th Anniversary Award is a one-time award recognizing excellence in the field of professional craft practice.
Coming soon.
CLOSING DATE: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, at 8:30 pm EST
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CRAFT ONTARIO: WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE DO
Craft Ontario was founded in 1976 through the merger of the Canadian Guild of Crafts (Ontario, 1931) and the Ontario Craft Foundation (1966), and is registered with Revenue Canada as a charitable organization under the corporate name Ontario Crafts Council (charitable tax number: 11887 8511 RR 0001). Our vision is for a world where craft is acknowledged as a source of enrichment in life and valued for its artistic, cultural and economic merit.
We champion, promote and support craft by:
Craft Ontario’s annual programs include exhibitions of professional work that range from handmade ceramic tableware to one-of-a-kind furniture pieces; workshops and professional development services for our members as creative-entrepreneurs; conferences that reach a national audience; a retail Shop where we support sales of member work; and Studio: Craft & Design in Canada, a magazine published twice a year with readers throughout the country.
Overall, Craft Ontario works to provide opportunities for craftspeople that range from addressing business needs to providing promotional space in the arts and culture community. These services are crucial to craft artists across the province, and Craft Ontario is committed to maintaining and developing this unique role.
Image: Plate by Builder Burner Ceramics, Alana Lea Wilson
'Personal Geographies' at Craft Ontario
Photo by Jocelyn Reynolds
'Personal Geographies' at Craft Ontario
Photo by Jocelyn Reynolds
Shiemara Hogarth, 'Adorned Presence', 2021
Photos by Jocelyn Reynolds.
Shiemara Hogarth, 'Witness', 2021
Photos by Jocelyn Reynolds.
Shiemara Hogarth, 'Deviated Path' (detail), 2021
Photo by Jocelyn Reynolds.
'Personal Geographies' at Craft Ontario
Photos by Jocelyn Reynolds.
Shiemara Hogarth, 'Deviated Path' (detail), 2021
Photos by Jocelyn Reynolds.
The Jamaican National Dress
Photo by Jocelyn Reynolds.
'Personal Geographies' at Craft Ontario
Photo by Jocelyn Reynolds.
Shiemara Hogarth, 'Deviated Path' (detail), 2021
Photo by Jocelyn Reynolds.
Shiemara Hogarth, 'Deviated Path' (detail), 2021
Photo by Jocelyn Reynolds.
Shiemara Hogarth, 'Witness' (details), 2021
Photos by Jocelyn Reynolds.
Shiemara Hogarth, 'Deviated Path' (details), 2021
Photos by Jocelyn Reynolds.
Formerly the Ontario Crafts Council, Craft Ontario is a not-for-profit service organization that works to have craft recognized as a valuable part of life. We promote and celebrate professional craft through providing member opportunities, and advocate for craft practice by educating and empowering diverse audiences.