 by Barbara Davis,
Guild School Director
The Don Buttfield Award, established in 1998, is given annually by the International Guild of Miniature Artisans to a member of the Guild in memory of Don Buttfield. The Award is given in recognition of a student or instructor whose contributions of time and talents toward the good of the Guild School and whose generosity of spirit reflects the values embodied by Don Buttfield. The recipient is someone who has shown the same unassuming qualities that Don Buttfield possessed in such a large measure and who shines, unselfishly, by sharing his or her talents and skills with others for the benefit of the Guild School.
In addition to being a brilliantly talented Fellow of the Guild, Don Buttfield was a longtime summer resident of Castine, and it was largely through his and his wife Nancy’s efforts that the Maine Maritime Academy became the home of the Guild School for the past twenty-five years.
The award recipient’s name is engraved on a plaque. At the opening ceremony at the Guild School in June, the recipient is announced and receives the Buttfield Award Rock, a very special rock brought from Castine and engraved with stars.
Past winners of the Don Buttfield Award are:
1998
Bill Burkey
1999
Sarah Salisbury
2000
George & Sally Hoffman
2001
Betty Burkey
2002
Jack Blackham
2003
Robert Freeman
2004
Marilynn Zenzola
2005
Julian and Ruth Biggers
2006
Annelle Ferguson
2007
Carol Hardy
2008
Pete Boorum
2009
Pat and Noel Thomas
2010
Richard Hardy
2011
Bill Robertson
The Don Buttfield Committee 2012
- Bonnie Backe, Guild School Instructor
- Carey Buttfield, Family Member
- Barbara Davis, Guild School Director
- Bill Robertson, 2011 Don Buttfield Award Recipient
- Corey Zimmerman, Guild School Student
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Kazuko Nakamura,
2012 Recipient of the
Don Buttfield Award
Kazuko has not only been a very enthusiastic student of the school, but judging by the group of students that she brings along with her each time she comes, she is a great spokeswoman and salesperson for the school. One instructor mentioned, “I had a Japanese student in class and Kazuko accompanied her the first day and offered to stay to translate, skipping her own class. It turned out not to be necessary, but it was more than a gesture; she was very much ready to give up her own class to ensure that one of her ‘flock’ had a positive experience.” She also does a great deal to increase the involvement of students in Japan by scheduling and hosting schools in Japan to increase the exposure and knowledge of fine miniatures. She is one of the founders and past president of the Japan Guild of Miniature Artisans, modeled after IGMA. Kazuko approached us with the co-funded concept of a Japan Scholar in Residence; that is now in its third year. She is an Artisan herself and teaches seminars at school. She is an avid collector of our instructors' pieces. She holds very high standards of excellence. Her kindness and generosity of spirit and time is a perfect fit for the spirit of the award. Kazuko is from Japan and is the first recipient outside of the United States.
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