It was fantastic to see so much talent at the City of Glasgow College end of year show on Tuesday 9th June.  And this was acknowledged in the prize giving too.

Pamela Freedman and Catherine Lowe went along on the afternoon to the glass studio to judge for the SGS prize of £100 and a year’s free membership of the Society.  There was tough competition for the prize among the second year students.  First prize was awarded to Charlott Rodgers for her overall excellent standard of work.  Charlott has 3 outstanding exhibits – her stained glass panel “The Goose Girl”, based on a Grimm fairytale of the same name, her cast glass blocks called “Hammervoe” – a place in Orkney – influenced the shape, colour and texture of the blocks, and her 5 dropout dishes with gold centres and various textures were an unusual shape.  Architectural glass is an area Charlott wants to explore as a glass artist.

For this year only we also gave a highly commended prize of £50 and a year’s free membership of the society to Alison Shepherd.  Alison’s stained glass panel won the Craftex Advanced painted panel prize.  She also created the most amazing book – “Who I am” which developed from looking at her family tree, using photo ceramic transfers of photographs, fusing and slumping techniques.  She included a special page in Braille to reflect on her first career, and one featuring 2 pieces of music – her favourite classical piece and a piece specially composed for her to mark a significant birthday.  Finally her dropouts are exquisite – and this is an area she wants to develop further.

Other prizes were also awarded that evening:

  • City of Glasgow College Best in Exhibition – Charlott Rodgers and Maria Young
  • Craftex Non Advances Painted panel – Jane Summers panel based on the story of Peter Pan
  • Incorporation of Wrights Student Prize – Crystal Proven for her panel “Window within a Window”

Other artefacts of note included a panel from Kirsten Gow entitled “Migrating Geese, Autumn” and an African mask entitled “Songona” by Lorraine St Arnaud which was based on the story of the African healing man and the Vervet monkey which is an endangered species in Africa.