A Newfoundland and Labrador institute dedicated to the teaching of fine craft has won a major award at an international show. At a ceremony in Halifax on February 2, the Anna Templeton Centre for Craft, Art and Design received the Atlantic Canada Craft Industry Leader Award of Excellence.

"The Anna Templeton Centre for Craft, Art and Design has helped craftspeople grow and develop their skills for many years," said the Honourable Trevor Taylor, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development. "Our province�s reputation for the production of fine craft owes much to the work of the centre and to the dedication of its instructors. I am pleased to see the centre recognized for its long-time contribution to our craft industry."

The Atlantic Canada Craft Industry Leader Award of Excellence recognizes an individual, organization or company that has shown superior leadership, excellence in the development of quality crafts or giftware. Recipients are also to have made exceptional contributions to the regional industry in the last five years.

"To be nominated for this prestigious award is a great honour and we are thrilled to be this year�s recipient. Truly, this award is a tribute to the craftspeople of Newfoundland and Labrador and to the many instructors at the centre who have for years passed on their knowledge and skills and generated a passion in our students to excel," said Beverly Barbour, Executive Director of the Anna Templeton Centre.

The Anna Templeton Centre for Craft, Art and Design offers craft and art classes to adults and children and professional development instruction to practicing artists and craftspeople. It has purpose-built instructional areas and studios for print and dye, weaving, sewing, quilting, and multipurpose areas for drawing, painting and other creative activities. Professional development programs for practising craftspeople are designed in consultation with local industry associations and taught by professional artists and craftspeople.

The centre occupies the former Bank of British North America building on Duckworth Street. The building was constructed in 1849 and renovated in 2007 at a cost of $1.8 million, including a contribution of more than $523,000 from the Provincial Government�s Regional/Sectoral Development Fund.

The Atlantic Canada Craft Awards of Excellence are awarded annually at the Atlantic Craft Trade Show (ACTS) in Halifax which is jointly sponsored by the governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. ACTS attracts approximately 180 exhibitors of high-quality craft, gift and apparel products from the region, and approximately 1,200 buyers from Canada and the United States.

-30-

Media contacts: