Laura Hudspith Wins the 2026 RBC Award for Glass

Laura Hudspith, Vessel of tender hold, a resting place (detail), 2025. Stained glass, copper, solder, chain. 109 x 37 x 18 cm. Image courtesy of Zalucky (Toronto).

Laura Hudspith Wins $10,000 Top Prize in 2026 RBC Award for Glass

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is thrilled to announce that Laura Hudspith of Montréal, QC is the winner of the 2026 RBC Award for Glass. Hudspith will receive a $10,000 prize, which will support the development of her career at this critical time.

The only national award for emerging glass artists in Canada, the RBC Award is a prestigious honour. Presented through an ongoing partnership with RBC, winners and finalists of the award are recognized as the best and brightest of the future of Canadian glass art.

We are pleased to celebrate this year’s RBC Award runner-up, Bram Locknick (Toronto, ON), who will receive a $5,000 prize. We also celebrate the achievement of the finalists for this year’s award: Alexi Garneau (Dorval, QC), Nadira Narine (Toronto, ON), and Eleni Papkov (Toronto, ON). Each finalist will receive a prize of $1,000 to further their practice.

This summer, the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery will feature the winner and finalists in our annual Emergence exhibition alongside the winner and finalists of the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics. This exhibition provides a rare opportunity for these emerging artists to share their work with an extensive audience while helping to build their careers. An opening reception presenting the 2026 awards will be held on Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 6-8pm. All are welcome.

Bram Locknick, Arc Pair, 2024. Kiln formed glass, cold working. 20 x 5.5 x 18 cm and 13 x 8 x 14 cm. Photo courtesy of the artist.

The 2026 RBC Award for Glass was juried by Katherine Gray, Sarah Hall, and Cheryl Wilson-Smith. On selecting Laura Hudspith as this year’s winner, the jurors state: “The work of Laura Huspith’s thoughtful blending of historic stained glass techniques with a fresh, contemporary, narrative offered the jury a richly layered, visually arresting story, reflecting RBC’s commitment to glass that is technically proficient and conceptually engaging, placing her as this year’s winner of the RBC Award for Glass. Kudos to all!”

For more information about the RBC Award for Glass, visit our website.

About the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is an award-winning, national institution based in Waterloo Region celebrating the art and craft of clay, glass, and enamel. As a dynamic cultural organization, we continue to amplify diverse stories—opening dialogue and inspiring social change. Through exhibitions that address issues relevant to our times, an impressive selection of works in our Gallery Shop, and public programs that engage, educate, and excite—we are accessible to all. For more information, visit: www.theclayandglass.ca

Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery
25 Caroline Street North
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5
519-746-1882
www.theclayandglass.ca

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