This Year's Judges:
George Maddison is Associate Director at UBC Press. Several decades ago his obsession with books inadvertently got him into book-selling and then publishing where he has worked in almost every position from editor to sales and marketing in educational, trade, and scholarly publishing in both Toronto and Vancouver. Art Director is one of the many hats he wears at UBC Press.
Karin Oest was born and educated in Germany and received a degree in visual communication design from the School of Arts and Design in Kiel. She has lived and worked in Montreal since 1990. In addition to being a typographer and book designer, Karin is also a children’s book illustrator.
George Vaitkunas was educated in design at the University of Alberta, Yale University, and in Switzerland. Prior to opening an office in Vancouver in 1989, he worked as a senior designer with leading firms in Toronto and Boston. He is the recipient of national and international awards for book design and has taught at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, Simon Fraser University and the Maine School of Art.
Gordon Robertson started his career as a book designer at the Coach House Press in Toronto almost twenty years ago. Since 1992 he has worked freelance, and recently became involved as the art director and designer for Thomas Allen Books. Awards include the International Book Design Exhibition, Leipzig; many Alcuin citations; and numerous awards from Studio Magazine, Applied Arts, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts.