BC Achievement Foundation awards honour the best in applied design and Indigenous arts
The organization has named this year’s recipients of the Sam Carter Award in Applied Art and Design and the Polygon Award in First Nations Art
Left to right: Mona Lisa Ali, Lyle Wilson
THIS WEEK THE BC Achievement Foundation announced the recipients of its 2026 awards, including the Sam Carter Award in Applied Art and Design and the Polygon Award in First Nations Art.
According to a BC Achievement press release, the Sam Carter Award in Applied Art and Design “celebrates artists and designers whose work brings together creativity, technical excellence, and function.” It recognizes individuals working in a broad spectrum of practices, including ceramics, furniture, jewellery, textiles, fashion, glass, product and industrial design, musical instruments, and even prosthetics.
The award program has been known by different names since it was launched in 2004, but in 2024 it was renamed in honour of its founder, Sam Carter, an educator, designer, and passionate advocate for BC’s creative community, who died in 2023.
This year’s winners are Corrina Hammond, who specializes in textile design and hand-weaving on traditional floor looms; furniture and product designer Alan Hung; ceramicist Mona Lisa Ali, recipient of the Judson Beaumont Emerging Artist honour; and Omer Arbel, cofounder of the multidisciplinary design studio Bocci, who receives the Award of Distinction.
Since 2007, the Polygon Award in First Nations Art has recognized excellence among BC’s Indigenous artists working in fields such as carving, photography, beading, weaving, jewellery, painting, masks, sculpture, stonework, printmaking, basketry, textiles, and media art.
According to the BC Achievement press release, the program “honours First Nations artists’ role in preserving traditional practices while embracing contemporary art, recognizing their contributions to both their communities and the province’s broader cultural landscape.”
This year’s recipients are Capilano, Kwakwaka’wakw, and Tlingit painter Gigaemi Kukwits (Frank Baker); Tla-o-qui-aht printmaker Marika Swan; Syilx/Okanagan multidisciplinary artist Sheldon Pierre Louis, winner of the Crabtree McLennan Emerging Artist award; and Haisla multidisciplinary artist Lyle Wilson, honoured with the Award of Distinction.
Recipients of the Sam Carter Award in Applied Art and Design and the Polygon Award in First Nations Art will each receive a cash prize and have their artwork displayed in a combined exhibition at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre from November 17 to 24. 
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