Vancouver, BC (October 17, 2024): The BC Achievement Foundation announces the recipients of the 20th annual Sam Carter Award in Applied Art + Design. The award program honors British Columbians who excel in creating functional art and design, advancing the dialogue on its importance and impact.
“We are pleased to recognize the extraordinary talents of the Sam Carter Award in Applied Art + Design program,” said Walter Pela, Chair of the BC Achievement Foundation. “Your dedication and creativity in applied art and design enriches our daily lives and elevates the cultural and economic fabric of our province. By celebrating your achievements, we highlight the essential role that art and design play in shaping our world. Your work inspires others to pursue their artistic passions, and we are delighted to serve as a platform to advance your commitment to excellence.”
The Sam Carter Award in Applied Art + Design program shines a spotlight on inspiring examples of functional art that enhance everyday life while strengthening the province’s creative economy. Artists and designers are recognized for their exceptional creations in various fields, including furniture, textiles, jewellery, ceramics, weaving, glass, fashion, and industrial design.
The awardees were selected by an independent jury, including Dr. Trish Kelly, President of Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Anicka Quin, Editorial Director of Western Living magazine, Henry Norris of New Format Studio, 2018 recipient, with Ron Kong, craft advocate and Toby Barratt, Propellor Design, 2010 recipient, serving as advisors.
2024 Sam Carter Award in Applied Art + Design program recipients:
Meghan Weeks – Jewellery, Vancouver, Judson Beaumont Emerging Artist
Pam Baker – Fashion, West Vancouver
Robin DuPont – Ceramics, Winlaw
Brent Comber – Furniture, North Vancouver, Award of Distinction

The 2024 awardees exemplify BC Achievement’s mission to celebrate excellence, share success, and inspire change. The foundation is honoured to share the stories of the 2024 awardees, aligning with its mission to celebrate excellence, share success, and inspire change. They will be celebrated at a presentation and exhibition reception on November 21.
The event is open to the public and tickets are available for purchase online priced at $50 per person. The recipients will be featured in two short films highlighting their creative accomplishments and will be showcased through an online campaign, #shinethelightbc.
BC Achievement is honoured to present a combined exhibition featuring the 2024 recipients of both the Sam Carter Award in Applied Art + Design and the Polygon Award in First Nations Art. This free exhibition will be held at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre in Vancouver from November 18-24.
Interviews with BC Achievement Foundation representatives and award recipients are available upon request. A media kit, including awardee bios and high-resolution images, can be found here.
For more information about the BC Achievement Foundation or the Sam Carter Award in Applied Art + Design program, please visit www.bcachievement.com.
The BC Achievement Foundation extends its gratitude to community partners BC Ferries, Denbigh Fine Art Services, and The Roundhouse, whose support is instrumental in elevating excellence through the Sam Carter Award in Applied in Applied Art + Design program.
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About BC Achievement
BC Achievement is an independent foundation established in 2003 that celebrates the spirit of excellence in our province and serves to honour the best of British Columbia. In addition to the Polygon Award in First Nations Art, the organization presents several established programs, including the Indigenous Business Award, the Applied Art + Design Award, the Community Award and in partnership with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, the BC Reconciliation Award. By recognizing the accomplishments of our province’s entrepreneurs, artists, community leaders, youth and volunteers, BC Achievement’s award programs pay tribute to exceptional people, doing exceptional work, while carving a path forward for others to follow. www.bcachievement.com.
Media Contacts
Gemma Bishop
Gather Public Relations
T: 604-375-6953
E: gemma@gatherpublicrelations.com
Rup Grewal, Communications Director
BC Achievement Foundation
T: 604-261-9777 (Ext 102)
E: rup@bcachievement.com
2024 Award Recipient Backgrounders
Meghan Weeks
Judson Beaumont Emerging Artist
Vancouver
Meghan Weeks is the creative force behind MDW Jewelry, where she serves as artist, maker, designer, and small business owner. With a background in woodworking and informal training in silversmithing, Meghan’s work blends tactility, humour, Cree teachings, and childhood memories. Her pieces, crafted through fabrication, beadwork, carving, and lost wax casting, are made from sterling silver and beads, aimed at decolonizing the jewelry world and fostering dialogue between the wearer and the art.
Meghan is a member of Sucker Creek First Nation in Treaty 8 territory, and a long-time Vancouver resident who actively contributes to BC’s cultural economy. Since 2018, she has showcased her work at Indigenous festivals, gallery spaces, and for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous clients. Meghan holds a BFA in Media Arts from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and values her roles as a mentor and collaborator. Her jewelry, inspired by nature and cultural heritage, is as thought-provoking as it is beautiful.
Pam Baker
West Vancouver
Pam Baker (Himikalas/Sewid-duuk) is a proud Squamish/Kwakiutl member and a renowned artist and fashion designer with over 45 years of experience. As the owner of Touch of Culture for 31 years, she specializes in West Coast fashion, blending ready-to-wear and haute couture designs with her rich Coast Salish, Kwakiutl, and Tlingit heritage. Pam has mentored over 120 artists and trained models internationally, excelling in fashion show production, marketing, and Indigenous art projects.
Her achievements include awards like Industry Originator Award 2023, N.A.M.S.B., and the Arthur Gilbert Award, and in 2022, Hudson’s Bay featured her collections. Pam is part of the wisdom circle of Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week, as well showcasing her designs since its beginning. Himikalas has showcased her designs globally in cities like Paris, Santa Fe, the US and Canada. As a trailblazer and traditional knowledge keeper, Pam continues to elevate Indigenous fashion, creating opportunities for others to flourish in the industry.
Robin DuPont
Winlaw
Robin DuPont is a frontrunner in contemporary ceramics in North America, recognized for his innovative atmospherically fired ceramics that push the boundaries of form and surface. With over 20 years of experience, Robin’s pursuit of creative and technical development has earned him a reputation for excellence in the field. His extensive research into new ceramic surfaces, clay bodies, and kiln design sets him apart in Canadian studio ceramics.
As an educator and mentor, Robin has taught at numerous institutions across Canada and the United States, and currently leads the ceramics program at Kootenay Studio Arts at Selkirk College. His teaching has reinvigorated the program, inspiring the next generation of potters to produce work of exceptional quality. Robin also conducts workshops from his property in the Slocan Valley, sharing his expertise in atmospheric firing.
In 2023, Robin was named Nelson’s cultural ambassador and served as the pottery expert on CBC TV’s “Great Canadian Pottery Throwdown”.
Brent Comber
North Vancouver
Brent Comber is a renowned Canadian furniture maker and artist based in North Vancouver, British Columbia. His practice explores generation, connection, permanence, and impermanence. Embedded with memory, the materials he works with—wood, predominantly distinct tree forms, and light—are elemental to the story being told, with their story and my own inextricably linked to the Pacific Northwest. This place, as a physical environment and a sensorial experience, has shaped who he is and how he sees himself as an artist. Sculptural and often large-scale or inherently purposeful, his work invites the viewer to reimagine their relationship with the natural world.
In 2014, Brent’s creativity and craftsmanship were honoured with the Applied Art + Design Award, a recognition of his exceptional contributions to furniture design. A decade later, his creative and innovative approach together with a strong commitment to sustainability distinguish him as a true leader in his field, earning him the Award of Distinction designation.
Brent’s work can be found in galleries, public spaces, and private collections around the world, a testament to his respected place in both the local and international design scene.