John Mather Award for Lifetime Achievement
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John Mather was the founding treasurer of the Crafts Council and, in 1972, was President of the Ontario Crafts Foundation. Prior to the Foundation’s amalgamation with the Canadian Guild of Crafts (Ontario), he foresaw the need for a common voice for crafts in the province and stated, “A single organization acting on behalf of the craftspeople could exert considerable influence”. As president of Indusmin Limited, John Mather established that company’s unique collection of crafts. After his death in 1977, Indusmin honoured John Mather through the establishment of the John Mather Fund, which is administered by the Executive Committee of the Crafts Council.
The designer of the John Mather Medal is Jim Wies. The metal is cast in bronze in high relief. One side incorporates a symbolic hand with the Ontario Crafts Council logo above it. The reverse side has the inscription: “The Ontario Crafts Council awards this medal in appreciation of your contribution to craft in Ontario”. The Mather family commissions the casting of the medals and the presentation piece for the medal designed by Joel Robson. Since 1980, this honour has been awarded for service to crafts over an extended period. The recipient also receives a life membership with the Ontario Crafts Council.
The Mather Award Recipients are truly outstanding in their fields and have displayed exceptional commitment to the further development of craft in Ontario and throughout Canada. On behalf of Ontario’s craft community and through the generous support of Barbara Mather we are pleased to recognize and celebrate them with this great honour.
Nominating an Artist for the John Mather Award:
This award is not open for application; members of the craft community are encouraged to nominate distinguished individuals who have contributed and supported craft in Ontario. This award is open for nomination only from the OCC Board of Directors, Volunteer Committee and Affiliate Members.
To nominate an artist, submit a letter of nomination (max 2pgs) written by a representative of your organization, on your letterhead, ideally. This letter should outline why your are nominating this person, why you feel they are worthy of the award and recognition for lifetime achievement. The following points of discussion would be helpful for the jury:
- your nominee's professional background (or attach a current CV)
- your nominee's involvement in and support of the crafts community
- a brief explanation of your nominee's connection to your organization, if applicable
Should your nominee be chosen by the jury for the award we will need a few additional materials to help with our award ceremony presentation:
- current high resolution photo of the nominee (if they are a crafts person, then ideally in their studio, working)
- a current 200 word bio
- again, if they're a crafts person, a few high res images of their work (but not vital, the award is after all about their community support and involvement, not their artistry.)
Nominations forthe Mather Award are due by the Standard Awards & Scholarship Application deadline, which changes from year to year. Check the main Awards Information Page for this year's deadline.
Questions? Contact Caitlin Plewes at 416-925-422x222, cplewes@craft.on.ca.
2011 Co-Recipients
Andrew Goss and Sandra Noble Goss
Nominated by the OCC Board of Directors
Andrew and Sandra Goss have been actively involved in Ontario’s craft community for 37 years; through this time they have shared a business, a studio and a life together. Andrew and Sandra are successful entrepreneurs, nurturers of local craft activities, and act as advisors and mentors to a vast number of students.
The Goss’s graduated from George Brown College's Jewellery Arts program in Toronto in the early 70’s, followed by a year studying jewellery at Hornsey College of Art in London, England. They moved to the Owen Sound region in 1976.
The Goss’s work is sold across Canada and in several cities throughout the United States. Their work has been shown in Canadian collections in London, Paris and Germany; and they are the recipients of many awards including ones from the Ontario Crafts Council, the Ontario Arts Council, the Metal Arts Guild and the Canada Council for the Arts.
Since 1970, Andrew Goss' jewellery and metalwork has been shown in over 100 exhibitions, ranging from solo to invitational group shows. He’s had solo shows at the Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery in Owen Sound, David Kaye Gallery and Prime Gallery in Toronto, Harbinger Gallery in Waterloo and Karsh-Masson Gallery in Ottawa. He has been in 10 two-person shows with Sandra Noble Goss. Invitational shows have included the Electrum Gallery in London, England (1988), Schwabisch Gmund in Germany (1988), Galerie Aurus in Paris, France (1995), Velvet Da Vinci Gallery in San Francisco (2005) and many in Toronto, Canada.
Andrew’s sculptural work is in the collections of the Rolex Watch Company of Canada, UBS Bank (Canada) and the Department of External Affairs (Canadian Embassy, Berlin). He is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy (RCA), Society of North American Goldsmiths, Ontario Crafts Council, and Metal Arts Guild
Sandra Noble Goss's work in both jewellery and garden sculptures has been shown in many gallery shows since 1970, including a solo shows at Prime Gallery in Toronto in 1991, Harbinger Gallery in Waterloo in 2001, and Lefreniere & Pai Gallery in Ottawa in 2009. She has been in 10 two-person shows with Andrew Goss, including Lynda Greenberg Gallery in Ottawa in October 1994 and May 1996, and Prime Gallery in 1993. Her work has been part of invitational shows in the Electrum Gallery in London, England (1988), Schwabisch Gmund in Germany (1988), Galerie Aurus in Paris, France (1995) and many in Toronto, Canada.
Sandra teaches part-time in the Jewellery + Metals Program at Georgian College in Barrie which allows her to mentor young jewellers. She is a member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, Ontario Crafts Council, and Metal Arts Guild.
For a full listing of previous John Mather Award recipients please click here or continue to scroll down
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2010 Recipient
Lily Yung
Nominated by *new* gallery
Originally from Hong Kong, Lily Yung now lives and works in Toronto. While completing her Ph. D. in Immunology at the University of Alberta, she also studied printmaking. She began making jewellery in 1986, specializing in non-precious materials, but it wasn’t until 2004, through an Artist in Residence for Research project grant (supported jointly by the Canada Council for the Arts and the National Research Council of Canada), that her exploration into the design and fabrication of objects and jewellery through Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided
Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) began. Her main focus has been the creation of unique and limited edition jewellery using Rapid Prototyping (RP) systems. The aim is to integrate the skills of the craft artist and the technologies of manufacturing to fabricate unique jewellery while maintaining a relatively high level of output.
Beside RP systems, other CAD/CAM technologies utilized in Yung’s designs include die cutting, laser cutting, CNC milled molds for casting and water jet cutting. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally.
Lily Yung is a leading figure and key player in the fine craft, art, and design communities in Toronto and Canada. She ignores borders and boundaries that limit creativity but finds interest and stimulation in all areas of the arts and beyond.
Her involvement in the crafts community has been wide ranging. She held a seat in the Artists Health Centre Steering Committee, was one of the founding members of *new* gallery, was one of two partners in the production of the new vIews Talk Craft lecture series and a contributor to Craft + Ideas + New vIews, volumes I & II.
Yung has also given back to the community through her work in mentoring the next generation of practitioners. Her interaction with emerging designers has included giving workshops and lectures on her own work as well as taking on student interns and assistants. Her high standards, endless energy and quest for perfection set an example for all to emulate.
Lily Yung accepts her 2010 Mather Award from Ontario Crafts Council on Vimeo.
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Previous Recipients of the John Mather Award for Lifetime Achievement
2009: David Kaye, Lillian Forester, Jonathon Bancroft-Snell
2008: Anne Chambers, Peter Fleming, Carolynn Pynn-Trudeau
2007: Melanie Egan, Alice Fournier, Kent Farndale
2006: Herbert O. Bunt, Gilles Latour, Rosemary Swan
2005: Judy Donaldson, Ruth Haig, Brian Truscott
2004: Bruce Cochrane, Pat James, Robert Têtu
2003: Keith Campbell, Doug Farndale, Ann Roberts
2002: Aggie Beynon,Winifred Shantz, Harold Takayesu
2001: Paulus Tjang, Melinda Mayhall, Susan Jefferies
2000: Jan Waldorf, Donn Zver, Jonathan E. Smith
1999: Anne Sneath, Gail Crawford, Peta Hall
1998: William Hodge, Judith Tinkl, Ann Suzuki
1997: Joan Francis, Edith Pierce,Mary Walker
1996: Eric Poschmann, Bill Corcoran, David McAleese & Alison Wiggins
1995: Scott Barnim, Anne Barros, Alison Vallance
1994: Heather Daymond,Wendy Shingler, Adrienne Van Riemsdijk
1993: Ron Roy, Shelagh Smith, Frank Tucker
1992: Barb Bolin, Mary Corcoran, David Wilde
1991: Susan Eckenwalder, Elizabeth Kantor, Ruth Markowitz
1990: Eunice Anders, Suzann Greenaway, Steve Irvine
1989: Robert Jekyll, Ted Carson, Leta Cormier
1988: Paula Letki, C. Kennedy May, Alice Peck Slavin
1987: Ankaret Dean, Joan Foster, Ann Mortimer
1986: Barbara Mather, Donald A. Stuart, Vincent Tovell, Susan Willoughby
1985: Dorthy Burnham C.M., Stephen Hogbin,Walter Sunahara
1984: Jean Johnson, Richard LaPrairie, Karen Smith
1983: Jean Burke, Elizabeth Dingman, Mary Eileen Hogg C.M.
1982: Helen Francis Gregor C.M., Dr. Franc Joubom, Yvonne Williams
1981: Tommia Vaughan-Jones, Hero Kielman, Donald McKinley
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Questions? Please contact Caitlin Plewes, Development Coordinator, at cplewes@craft.on.ca or 416-925-4222 ext.222. |
