History

Honor, Recognition, Excellence – Since 2009, the Maine Crafts Association has honored craft artists by presenting them with the Maine Craft Artist Award. The award confers the prestige and acknowledgment of the artist’s work and career reaching a distinguishing mark of excellence. These artists are recognized for their outstanding bodies of work and dedicated careers of service to the craft field in Maine. 

2026 Awards Cycle

For the 2026 awards cycle, one recipient will be selected by an appointed juror and guided by the following benchmarks: Excellence in craftsmanship, inspired design, a singular voice or style, career and professional practice, and a dedicated career of service to the field. 

2026 Award Benefits

• $10,000 honorarium generously provided by The Maxwell | Hanrahan Foundation
• A lifetime MCA Professional membership
• Custom artist-made award pin designed to reflect the honoree
• Custom artist-made award certificate
• Recognition at the annual award presentation
• Special press release and website feature
• Solo exhibition at the Center for Maine Craft
• Invitation to teach at MCA’s Weekend Workshop at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
• Invitation to exhibit at any scheduled Guild Fine Craft Shows
• Inclusion in anniversary exhibitions

Nominations: Due – October 13, 2026

We aim to recognize a diversity of voices, backgrounds, and cultural heritage, as well as exemplary contributions to the craft community and the field of materials-based practice.

Honorees are selected from a pool of peer or self-nominations. Please follow the link below and fill out the online form. All artists nominated since 2018 will automatically be considered for the award. While previously nominated artists will be considered for the 2026 award, MCA strongly encourages submitting new application materials to support the nomination. 

Tell their story- a strong nomination helps the juror understand the full picture of the nominee and their relationship to craft.

Consider sharing their:

• Studio practice and body of work
• Lasting impact on craft in Maine
• Excellence in craftsmanship, design, and artistic voice
• Philosophy and dedication to craft
• Artistic history and professional career
• Professional accomplishments and exhibition history
• Publications, awards, and recognition
• Community and professional engagement
• Mentorship, teaching, advocacy, or leadership
• Service to craft artists and the larger craft community

Supporting materials may include images of the nominee’s work, resumes, portfolios, exhibition records, publications, and other documentation that helps demonstrate their career and contributions.

If the artist does not have a good representation of their work or bio/resume online, please follow up the nomination submission with an email to Simonne@MaineCrafts.org

2026 Criteria

The Maine Craft Artist Awards recognize individuals whose dedication, achievement, and impact have made a significant contribution to craft in Maine. The award honors both a distinguished studio practice and meaningful service to the field, recognizing that an artist’s contribution to craft may be demonstrated through excellence in one area or through a combination of both.

In reviewing nominations, jurors are asked to consider the nominee’s full story: Who is this person, what have they accomplished, how are they dedicated to craft, and what impact have they had on the craft community in Maine?

Nominations should provide a clear and compelling picture of the nominee’s career through images of their work and supporting documentation such as resumes, CVs, portfolios, exhibition records, publications, awards, professional activities, and evidence of community and professional engagement.

Studio Practice & Impact

A nominee’s studio practice may be demonstrated through a sustained body of work and a career characterized by artistic excellence, professionalism, and dedication to craft.  Jurors will consider:

• Excellence in Craftsmanship – A superior command of materials, techniques, and processes. The work is created with the highest standards of quality, and a command of the medium far beyond basic and intermediate proficiency skills: exceptional attention to detail, material use, technique, function, and form should demonstrate a high level of achievement. 
• Inspired Design –  Work that demonstrates thoughtful composition, resolution, innovation, and a sophisticated understanding of form, space, materials, and process. The work may surprise, challenge, intrigue, or create a meaningful and lasting experience for the viewer.
• A Singular Voice or Style – A distinctive artistic perspective developed through a sustained practice. The nominee’s work should reflect a conceptual richness, readily identifiable point of view, philosophy, or approach. The execution marks the individual’s work as distinctive. 
• Career and Professional Practice – Evidence of a sustained and committed career, including exhibition history, publications, professional accomplishments, and recognition. 
• Dedicated Career or Service to the Field – A demonstration of opportunities to further the practice of craft for others.  Individuals whose actions have strengthened, supported, advanced, or advocated for craft and craft artists in Maine. This contribution may take many forms, including advocacy, mentorship, organizational support, teaching, increasing awareness, and meaningful commitment to the larger craft community.