Jared Last has been awarded the 2022 RBC Award for Glass by the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery in Waterloo, Ontario. Alongside this prestigious title, Last will receive a $10,000 grant in support of his residency and continued explorations into glass art. A 2016 graduate of the Alberta College of Art and Design, Last has studied widely, attending classes at the Corning Museum of Glass and the Pilchuck Glass School as well as Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre. Last combines his experiences and interest in architecture, pattern, and color into functional and sculptural pieces. His work will be featured in an awards exhibition with works by his fellow awards finalists, Charlie Lauche-Potvin, Jeanne Létourneau, and Jérémie St-Onge.
First awarded to Julie Reimer in 2008, the RBC Award for Glass has supported many glass makers over the years, providing them with the financial means to pursue their artistic vision through an endowment from the Royal Bank of Canada. Coming full circle since the first award was issued, Julia Reimer also served as a juror on this year’s RBC Awards board.
The first RBC award to be given since 2017, this year’s RBC Award for Glass follows a substantial donation to the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery, totalling $150,000. In March of 2020, Gordon Barnes donated $100,000 in support of community and educational programming - his donation is now being appreciated after the pandemic brought normal operations to a pause. And in December of 2021, John and Rebecca Short donated $50,000, both with the intention of supporting sustainable growth and recovery from Covid-19 conditions, especially with the Sharing Experiences Project, which continues to enrich the local community with free clay workshops and exhibitions.