The Strathbutler Award is a
biennial
Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years.
In particular, it can refer to:
* Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and th ...
prize awarded to a
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
visual artist. It was first awarded in 1991 as an annual prize of $10,000, which increased to $15,000 in 2005.
In 2011 it became a biennial award with a value of $25,000, the highest for any visual art prize in New Brunswick.
The Strathbutler is awarded by the Sheila Hugh Mackay Foundation, which was founded in 1987 by the New Brunswick philanthropist in order to promote the visual arts and fine crafts. A native of
Saint John, Mackay lived from the mid 1980s in a cottage on her family's
Rothesay
Rothesay ( ; gd, Baile Bhòid ) is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies along the coast of the Firth of Clyde. It can be reached by ferry from Wemyss Bay, which offers an onward rail ...
estate, which was called Strathnaver. The cottage having been previously occupied by a man named Butler, she called her house Strathbutler, and later gave the name to her foundation's first art prize.
The Strathbutler Award recipients are chosen by jury. Once informed of the jury's choice, Mackay personally called the winners to congratulate them, and presented them with their awards, accompanied by a poem of her own composition, at a gala.
Mackay died in 2004.
Since 2015 award recipients have received an "iconic presentation piece" in the form of a sterling silver and copper knife designed by 2006 Strathbutler laureate
Brigitte Clavette. The design is based on the
Mackay family crest and named ''Manu forti'' (with a strong hand), after the family's motto.
Recipients
*1991
John Hooper
*1992 Tom Smith
*1993 Peter Powning
*1994 Kathy Hooper
*1995 Nel Oudemans
*1996
:fr:Marie Hélène Allain
*1997
Freeman Patterson
Freeman Wilford Patterson, (born September 25, 1937) is a Canadian nature photographer and writer.
*1998
:fr:Roméo Savoie
*1999
Suzanne Hill
*2000 Rick Burns
*2001
Gerard Collins
*2002 Gordon Dunphy
*2003
Thaddeus Holownia
*2004
Janice Wright Cheney
*2005 André Lapointe
*2006
Brigitte Clavette
*2007 Dan Steeves
*2008
Anna Torma
Anna Torma (born 1952) is a Hungarian-Canadian fibre artist.
Work
Torma specializes in large-scale hand embroideries, and her work draws upon multiple artistic and textile techniques, including appliqué, felting, photo transfer, collage, and ...
*2009 David Umholtz
*2010 Linda Rae Dornan
*2011 Herzl Kashetsky
*2013 Susan Vida Judah
*2015 Paul Mathieson
*2017
Herménégilde Chiasson
Herménégilde Chiasson (born 7 April 1946) is a Canadian poet, playwright and visual artist of Acadian origin. Born in Saint-Simon, New Brunswick, he was the 29th Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick between 2003 and 2009. He is also curre ...
*2019 Bruce Gray
*2021 Mathieu Léger
*2023 John Murchie
References
{{Reflist
Awards established in 1991
Canadian art awards
1991 establishments in Canada