Photo: Judson Beaumont (1959 – 2020) “My rule is: if you can draw and design it, you can build it.”
Paying tribute to Judson Beaumont’s legacy, talents and entrepreneurial creativity, BC Achievement is honoured to introduce the inaugural Judson Beaumont Emerging Artist designation as part of the annual Applied Art + Design award program. Known for his enthusiasm, kindness and generosity, Judson exemplified the meaning of excellence, and continues to shine as a model of success and inspire other applied artists and designers in British Columbia and beyond.
An insatiable drive for excellence fuelled Judson’s ability to commit 110 per cent to every task he undertook. He distinguished himself as a leader in his field by combining his talent and skills with passion, determination, and commitment.
For more than 30 years, Judson created whimsical, imaginative and masterful furniture pieces. Inspired by kids and their liberal acceptance of the bizarre, Judson’s work was renowned for its bold, colourful, expressive, functional design. A graduate of Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Judson founded Straight Line Designs Inc. at 1000 Parker St. His company completed unique design projects and installations throughout North America and around the world including pieces for children’s hospitals, airports, museums, libraries, Disney Cruise ships and various exhibitions.
In 2009 Judson received the Carter Wosk Award in Applied Art + Design and, five years later, was recognized as the 2014 Award of Distinction Laureate for his extraordinary and sustained accomplishments in Applied Art + Design. In 2015, Judson was a key part of the Canada House exhibition- Design in Canada: Outstanding achievement from British Columbia, which celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Carter Wosk program and its awardees. The exhibition was part of the September 2015 London Design week.
A long-time friend of BC Achievement, Judson served as a jury member for the 2018 Carter Wosk Award program and as a moderator at the 2019 BC Achievement Artist Talk on ‘The Intersection of Applied Art and Design: Functional Art and BC’s Creative Economy’.
It was at that 2019 Artist Talk that Judson shared his artistic passion and what aspect of his work makes him get up each morning:
“For me, I’m a nut because I can’t wait to work in the morning. I just absolutely love it – I’m nuts for it. I’m up before my alarm at 5:00am, go for a quick run then I’m back down at my studio, I’m drawing, I’m sketching and planning the day. Planning for my clients and what they’re expecting and then my staff come in and I get them set up. I love that time from 6:00am – 7:30am when I have time to be by myself – where I have time to be creative – I just love it – it’s been like that for 30 years!”
A mentor to many aspiring artists and designers, Judson enjoyed sharing his experiences and ideas with students.
“I tell young people you’re going to have ups and downs…successes and failures, but you just need to learn from it, you just need to keep moving ahead.”
When asked what receiving the award from BC Achievement had meant to him, Judson stated, “(awards) give you confidence…they’re just little points to say ‘stick with it, keep doing it, good or bad’…we all have bad days and we all have good days in the art world…you just don’t stop, you can’t stop…the awards are just like icing on the cake, it’s a little extra thing that makes us special.”
The Judson Beaumont Emerging Artist designation recognizes that a thriving cultural community includes artists and designers who choose to build their careers in BC. The intent of the award is to bring recognition and awareness to artists who demonstrate excellence in the early phase of their careers.
The 2021 inaugural Judson Beaumont Emerging Artist is Elen Danielle. Danielle is a textile artist and designer with over fifteen years of experience creating clothing, accessories, and other soft treasures. Each of Danielle’s handmade pieces is one-of-a-kind, feather-light, and has a timeless look consistent with her “slow living” design principle.
Danielle shares that her art practice relies on traditional methods, but she is rebelling in a way as she is using those methods in an unconventional way. She adds that receiving the Carter Wosk award is an affirmation of her hard work and being recognized as the inaugural Judson Beaumont Emerging Artist “is very humbling and means a lot to me and makes me feel that I have really big shoes to fill…I strive to make things people have never seen before and I think I will always push myself”.
Congratulations to Elen Danielle, the 2021 Judson Beaumont Emerging Artist! Check out the 2021 Carter Wosk awardee film – here and please share this tribute to Judson and help amplify his legacy #judsonbeaumont
BC Achievement: Elevate Excellence. Share Success. Inspire Change.
