Recipients of the Award receive a monetary prize, and their work is acquired by the Canadian Museum of Civilization. During the early years of the Award, it was viewed, within the Canadian crafts community, as an acknowledgement of the contribution of the recipient. Craftspeople, gallery curators and enthusiasts looked forward to the announcement. The recipient s profile within his or her own milieu was reinforced. More recently, however, the profile of the Award has been strengthened outside of the crafts community.
Awards can also transform our perceptions.
Through the acknowledgement of the quality of the recipients work by other craftspeople in the nomination process, the jury in its selection, the Canadian Museum of Civilization through its collections and visitors to the exhibition, the craftspeople receive concrete recognition of their contribution to the artistic life of the country. As well, the Award emphasizes the connections that these individuals have with their own crafts communities through exhibiting, teaching and writing. Transformation focuses on the works of the second 10 recipients, while also providing a review of works by the first 10. The majority of works chosen for the exhibition are drawn from the collections of the Canadian Museum of Civilization. They are not intended to provide a complete retrospective overview of the recipients work.