Award Category: Applied Art and Design Award

With no formalized program of study available for shoemaking in North America, Renée Macdonald created her own educational path to learn her craft. Renée honed her skills and learned about shoe construction, design and materials through completing an introductory shoemaking course, working as a shoe retail associate and, finally, as a shoe repairer. In 2012, Renée opened her one-woman shoemaking practice called Westerly Handmade Shoes, from which she designs and crafts her bespoke shoes – offering her clients beautiful shoes that can be worn and loved for years to come.

Arc’teryx, a technical high-performance outerwear and equipment company located in North Vancouver, has been creating innovative design in its production for more than 25 years. The Arc’teryx advantage is achieved by merging its unrivaled designs with the best quality, highest performing materials and assembling them in the most innovative and durable manner for the intended use. Today, Arc’teryx is an internationally recognized brand known for its timeless quality and intuitive design.

British Columbia furniture designer Judson Beaumont has been creating whimsical, imaginative and masterful furniture pieces for 29 years. Inspired by kids and their liberal acceptance of the bizarre, Judson’s work is bold, colourful, expressive and functional. Judson graduated from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in 1985 and then founded Straight Line Designs Inc. His company has completed unique design projects and installations throughout North America and around the world including pieces for children’s hospitals, museums, libraries, Disney Cruise ships and various exhibitions.

A lifelong skateboarder, Jim Barnum has developed an internationally renowned skatepark design practice with over 150 projects in Canada, France, UK, Israel, USA, China and Taiwan. He is a leader in the field of Skate sculpture, where unique and unusual forms challenge the skateboarder’s mind, body and imagination. Jim has received awards from the International Olympic Committee, the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association and the SkatePark Association of the USA.

A 10 year resident of British Columbia, Khouri’s furniture design is both sculptural and functional; a blend of art and design. It represents the cultural and historical influences of the countries in which she has lived: Egypt, Lebanon, Paris, Spain and Italy. Artistically she has been influenced by Henry Moore and the Bauhaus School. Khouri has exhibited in New York, Paris, London and Tokyo has completed public art commissions in the United States and Asia. In 2012, Western Living Magazine named Khouri its Industrial Designer of the Year.

Trained at Emily Carr University and Capilano College in textile art and design and metal sculpture, Tania is a jewellery designer whose work is strong, bold, elegant and confident. Tania travels the world in her constant search for inspiration and raw materials such as leather, ebony, bone, metal, agate and gemstones. Her jewellery is defined by using traditional techniques in new applications resulting in a strong and clear aesthetic. Tania’s work has been shown across the United States and Canada.

Idar has been practising his art of designing and producing jewellery for more than 50 years.  His work is wide ranging in subject and treatment, from his Summer Rings hand forged in gold and accented with diamonds and other precious gemstones to unique handmade pieces commissioned by such organizations as the Royal Ontario Museum. He has received numerous awards, including, most recently, the first Canadian store to win INSTORE Magazine’s award for “America’s Coolest Store.”

Trained in fine arts, Lisa discovered industrial design while studying at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, from which she received a Bachelor of Design in 2010. Lisa has designed and launched Snug Vest, an innovative product that assists those who suffer from autism and other sensory disorders through the application of controlled pressure in a technique known as Deep Pressure Therapy. Lisa manufactures and markets her products from her Vancouver location.
Lisa has received numerous awards including the Red Dot Design Award in Life Sciences.