Overview
- Willard, based in Neskonlith, British Columbia, received C$100,000 at a ceremony at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.
- Her practice spans basketry, sculpture, public art, and mixed media, with works made using berry inks and birchbark forms.
- The five other finalists—Tarralik Duffy, Chukwudubem Ukaigwe, Sandra Brewster, Swapnaa Tamhane, and Hangama Amiri—each receive C$25,000.
- Works by all 2025 finalists are on view at the National Gallery of Canada through 8 February 2026.
- The selection came from a regional jury chaired by Jonathan Shaughnessy, with Zoë Chan nominating Willard for the Pacific region, as Willard thanked her Secwépemc community and urged greater public engagement with art.