Canadian Crafts Federation and Lexus Canada Announce Finalists for National Craft Innovation Awards

TORONTO, June 24, 2026 – The Canadian Crafts Federation (CCF), together with Lexus Canada, has announced the finalists for the 2026 Lexus x Craft Innovation Grants: Craftsperson of the Year Award and Emerging Craftsperson Award. Together, these national awards celebrate established and emerging artists whose work exemplifies exceptional craftsmanship, innovation, and contributions to the future of Canadian craft.

The awards are part of Lexus Canada's ongoing commitment to supporting creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation through its support for the Canadian Crafts Federation.

The Craftsperson of the Year Award recognizes an established artist whose body of work demonstrates exceptional skill, innovation and a lasting contribution to Canadian craft, while the Emerging Craftsperson Award celebrates an emerging maker whose unique creative voice and fresh perspective are helping shape the future of the sector.

"We are deeply grateful to Lexus Canada for their generous support of the craft community and for collaborating with us to launch these two new awards,” said Jennifer Wicks, Executive Director of the Canadian Crafts Federation. “These awards honour two exceptional makers at different stages of their careers, each of whom reflects the skill, vision, and dedication that define craft in Canada today. The calibre of the shortlisted artists was extraordinary, and we are honoured to celebrate artists whose work will continue to shape the future of Canadian craft.”

"These finalists represent an incredible range of talent, creativity and dedication to their craft”, said Rebecca Wu, Director, Lexus Canada. “It’s inspiring to see how they’re preserving traditions, sharing knowledge and finding new ways to express their stories through their work. We’re honoured to support the Canadian Crafts Federation in recognizing artists whose contributions help strengthen and enrich Canada's craft community."

Craftsperson of the Year Award Finalists

Jennine Krauchi (Manitoba)

Jennine Krauchi is an internationally recognized Métis artist and designer based in Winnipeg whose work has played an important role in the revitalization and advancement of Métis beadwork in the 21st century. Working across beadwork, quillwork, and clothing design, she creates works that connect traditional Métis artistic practices to contemporary conversations around identity, history, and resilience. Krauchi has received commissions from the Canadian Museum of History, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Manitoba Museum, and Parks Canada, among other institutions. Her work has been featured in exhibitions including Radical Stitch (Mackenzie Art Gallery) and Kwaata-nihtaawakihk (Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq). In 2022, she was commissioned by the Royal Canadian Mint to design a commemorative silver coin honouring the Métis Nation.

https://c2centreforcraft.ca/member-gallery/gallery/jennine-krauchi/

Julie Moon (Ontario)

Toronto-based ceramicist Julie Moon is recognized for her innovative approach to clay and her significant contributions to contemporary ceramics in Canada. Her practice explores relationships between nature and culture, the real and imagined, and form and surface, often bridging ceramics, textiles, sculpture, and design. Moon earned her BFA from OCAD University in 2005 and her MFA from Alfred University in 2010. Her work has been exhibited at the Gardiner Museum, The Clay Studio Philadelphia, Cooper Cole Gallery, and ART Toronto. Alongside her exhibition career, she is a dedicated educator and mentor and has participated in residencies at the Archie Bray Foundation and the Center for Ceramics Berlin, with a residency scheduled this summer at MenLo Studio in Jingdezhen, China.

www.juliemoon.com

Emerging Craftsperson Award Finalists

Vi Houssin (Manitoba)

Vi Houssin is a Two-Spirit transgender beadwork artist, based in Winnipeg, on Treaty 1 territory, where she was born and raised. Her family is of white settler and Red River Métis ancestry. Drawing on traditional Métis techniques and extensive mentorship, Houssin creates works that honour her cultural traditions while engaging with urgent contemporary issues, including environmental change, identity, grief, and resilience. Her work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

www.vihoussin.ca

Charlie Larouche-Potvin (Quebec)

Charlie Larouche-Potvin is a Montreal-based glassblower and artist-designer trained in Murano, Italy, under Maestro Davide Fuin. His practice reinterprets Venetian glassmaking techniques through a contemporary lens. A graduate of Espace VERRE in 2020, he received both the Prix François-Houdé from the City of Montréal and the RBC Glass Award from the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery in 2024. His work has been presented at the Révélations Biennial in Paris and Contemporània in Barcelona. Drawing on his expertise in Venetian glassmaking techniques, he is regularly invited to share his knowledge through residencies, demonstrations, and educational programs in Canada and abroad. He has been an artist-in-residence at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre since 2023.

www.charlielaroucheglass.com

Gordon Sparks (New Brunswick)

Gordon Sparks is a Mi’kmaw artist from Pabineau First Nation, now living in Rough Waters, New Brunswick. Gordon harvests wood and animal materials through ceremony, carving masks that embody Mi’kmaw stories, traditions, and teachings. Guided by the tree itself, each mask reflects a personal journey and comes to life through collaborations with dancers, drummers, and regalia makers. Also a skin artist, Gordon fuses tattoo design and carving to preserve and share cultural teachings. His work has been exhibited across Atlantic Canada and internationally, including at London’s Collect Art Fair. Committed to mentorship and cultural preservation, Gordon continues to guide and inspire Indigenous artists and communities across Mi’kma’ki.

Instagram: mikmaw_wooden_mask_carver

Recipients of the 2026 Craftsperson of the Year Award and Emerging Craftsperson Award will be announced in the coming months.  

Each recipient will receive a $10,000 Lexus x Craft Innovation Grant in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Canadian craft.

About the Canadian Crafts Federation

The Canadian Crafts Federation envisions a culture that embraces and values the artistic, economic, contemporary, historical, and social significance of craft. As the national federation representing Provincial and Territorial Craft Councils and affiliate organizations, the CCF works to unite, enrich, empower, and celebrate the professional contemporary craft sector. Through collaborative action, programming, research, advocacy, and community development, the CCF connects craft organizations across the country, strengthens the sector, and advances Canadian craft on regional, national, and international stages. For more information about the CCF, please visit: https://canadiancraftsfederation.ca/

About Lexus Canada

Lexus Canada is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Lexus luxury cars and sport utility vehicles through a sales and service network of 40 dealers across Canada. Guests have access to a wide range of luxury and performance vehicles, with a total of 12 Lexus nameplates available in Canada, including the country’s largest electrified luxury vehicle lineup (hybrid, plug-in hybrid or battery electric models). Inspired by bold design, intuitive technology and peak performance, Lexus is committed to delivering the highest quality products and services, and to creating amazing experiences for their Guests. The Lexus RX and RX Hybrid, Lexus NX and NX Hybrid are built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada’s award-winning Cambridge plant. For more information about Lexus and Lexus products, please visit: www.lexus.ca